Resist destruction of history lessons
Isn't it ironic citizens of Chattanooga want to remove the statue of Alexander P. Stewart from its position of almost 100 years? The statue of the Confederate general, "Old A.P.," has been on the Hamilton County Courthouse lawn since the Daughters of the Confederacy put it up in 1919.
Stewart's politics were conservative, but he didn't believe in owning slaves, yet anything with a Confederate reference is being dismantled by movements which want to destroy everything in their path. If the statue is removed from its position, how will the influence he had on bringing about the battlefield be obscured?
Politicians lacking in fortitude give sway to organizations that threaten lawsuits. An historical object is left in the hands of leaders to preserve and protect. Leaders should encourage citizens to resist the destruction of the lessons learned through history instead of allowing anarchists to threaten and cajole them into submission.
When the deserving memorial of "The Five" is complete and someone notices an obvious fact about the persons who risked and gave their lives for their country, will there be an outcry from some lib group or organization that wants the memorial removed because ?
Lawrence Headrick
Tunnel Hill, Ga.
Remove the statue to heal old hurts
NAACP President Elenora Woods is taking the right approach to seek community support in removing and relocating the statue of Lt. Gen. Alexander Peter Stewart to its proper place for preservation of Civil War history.
The general was a great soldier, educator, businessman and park commissioner for Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, indeed an honorable man; however, he did serve in an army that was fighting to maintain for the South. The institution of slavery should never be dismissed in taking account of his life. It was morally wrong then and more so now.
Today, there is too much romanticism about the Civil War pervading the current day view of the savage conflict. Deep wounds only began to mend in 1960s and 1970s for the South to "rejoin" the United States. It must be unremitting for all of us to find a way. Removing that statue will help to heal the hurt that we still feel and see. Do it now.
R. Dewey Wrinkle
Hixson
Cutting tax rates can spur economy
In a column on Saturday's Chattanooga Times editorial page, New York Times columnist Timothy Egan claims that Paul Ryan "wants to cut taxes on the rich." I know it might be a tad too nuanced for those of Mr. Egan's stripe to grasp, but Mr. Ryan is not calling for a cut in the amount of taxes paid by the rich; he, instead, is proposing to cut the rates on which their income is taxed. Forcing the rich to pay more is not the point of the cuts; the real point of tax rate cuts is to get our private economy growing again. At a 4 percent growth rate, the bet here is that nobody will care all that much about how little or how much more the wealthy actually pay in taxes.
Even liberals understand the concept of "if you want less of an item, tax that item!" Otherwise, why do they call for a tax on carbon emissions? Income works the same way: Tax it and you get less of it, tax it more and you get even less.
John R. Brown
Ooltewah
Where are Trump's accomplishments?
I laugh whenever I read someone bragging about Trump's accomplishments. After six months of total control of Congress, White House and Supreme Court, what has he accomplished?
He has signed executive orders to make it easier for the mentally ill to buy guns and give coal companies permission to pollute our waterways. That's some legacy. He did put another corporate vote on the Supreme Court. If Republican politicians really wanted to overturn "Roe v. Wade," now would be the time. Maybe they're scared of losing votes if they had to run on their policies. Thank God, Obama left an idiot-proof economy. I worry how long it will take these idiots to ruin it, too.
Tony Borders
Hixson