One student saved pays for seat belts
A reply to a recent letter writer: It is very apparent your children have never ridden a school bus. Forget the term “seat belts.” The modern terminology would be “three-point seat restraints” with airplane releases. Any 6-year-old student could release the airplane release belt unless a school bus is involved with a conventional vehicle. The diesel buses would almost require a torch to burn.
In the 2000 incident (forget accident) in Tennga, Ga., an elementary student told a reporter she was seated behind the bus driver and was wearing a seat belt. She further stated it was the first day she was using the seat belt. An article in the paper disclosed the Murray County (Chatsworth) buses were equipped with seat belts on the first three seats on either side. The monies were available.
One student’s life saved by a seat restraint is worth all cost.
Jack Allen
Ringgold, Ga.
Moore wrong for Alabama ‘scandals’
Who does the Associated Press think it’s fooling? Obviously, it fooled the Chattanooga Times Free Press because you published (April 11) its story, “Alabama has history of scandal-plagued leaders.”
Guy Hunt was convicted. Don Siegelman was convicted. Mike Hubbard was convicted. Judge Roy Moore wasn’t convicted of anything. He was ousted in 2003 when he refused to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments. No law was broken, no arrest, no conviction. Were you aware the U.S. Supreme Court building has Moses at its peak holding the Ten Commandments?
In 2012, Judge Moore was suspended for faithfully ruling against same-sex marriage. The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee same-sex marriage; neither does Alabama’s constitution. Judge Moore did the right thing. The judicial panel was wrong.
To include Judge Moore with convicted criminals is a slanderous action against all Christians! There’s your true scandal. To be clear in the matter, the individuals who took action against Judge Moore in 2003 and 2012 have little knowledge of the Constitution and less knowledge of God’s word. And in the end, who do you think God will side with? The zealous Christian conservative, that’s who.
Ben Burke
Recent rant misses health care value
I am mystified by the mindset of someone who recently ranted: “Where does it say Americans are entitled to health care? Food? Jobs?”
The morality of a society providing those things aside, why is this not obvious: If you have children who are poorly nourished, they don’t study well, are ultimately at risk not to become productive citizens who contribute to the workforce. Nor are malnourished adults effective in the workforce.
People without adequate health care drain society of resources both by time missed at work and by adding to the cost of health care for the rest of us when they are forced to resort to emergency room care. Emergency care for an uninsured population hinders hospitals from providing the care they are intended to provide, runs up the costs for hospitals and leaves the uninsured with bills they can’t pay. Without routine, ongoing care we typically rely on to maintain health, people bounce from one ER crisis to the next.
Jobs are easier to procure and maintain with adequate food and health care.
So, rant author, good for you if you have food, health care and a job. Count yourself blessed. Not all are.
Kate Stulce
Ooltewah