Obama’s attributes, successes earn thanks
Thank you, President Obama. First for your dignity, your grace, your sense of humor and honor. Thank you for representing us to the world with strength, with calm and with reason. Thank you for being a strong advocate and modeler of family values.
Thank you for the highest high school graduation rate ever, for more young people, especially from disadvantaged families, heading for college degrees, and for a reduced rate of homelessness especially among veterans. Thank you for serious reforms of our criminal justice system. Thank you for trying to slow climate change, more evident every day, and for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Thank you for bringing us through a terrible recession, for long months of employment growth, and for gradual wage increases.
Thank you for supporting the auto industry and its associated members. Because of that effort, we can now have a conversation about where cars will be manufactured. Thank you for beginning health insurance for all. It is a start.
As you leave the most powerful office on earth, you have promised to continue a life of service, and we thank you for your servant heart.
Clare Sawyer, Soddy-Daisy
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Trump voters have questions to answer
I was honored and pleased to join my wife and many, many others from the Chattanooga area in the women’s march through part of the city on Saturday. I wanted to participate for a number of reasons, but two came to mind immediately.
First, out of respect. Respect for my wife, my two sisters and my late mother – and for every woman everywhere.
Second, I did it out of disgust. Disgust for Donald Trump and the values he espouses. Contained in that disgust are questions I have for people I know who voted for him. Most of them claim to be “family values” voters. Are Trump’s values the values you want to teach your children and grandchildren? These people also claim to respect women.
Do you want Trump to treat your daughter, your sister, your co-worker like he has been shown to treat other women? He also vows he is not racist and doesn’t support racism. Didn’t you vote for a man who mocked a Gold Star family who happened not to have the same orange tint to their skin that he has?
Pete Yonce
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School board fails to act decisively
I have just one simple question for the Board of Education: How many children have to die before you will act decisively and terminate Durham’s bus contract? Seven? 10? 15? How many?
The fact that the school board is considering extending this contract is shocking. The fact that the bus company is continuing to receive tax dollars from our county and from families whose lives have been devastated is inconceivable.
The fact that the school board had done no preliminary work in advance of the contract term date (even before the bus tragedy) is negligent at best.
Perhaps as the state board of education considers taking over multiple failing schools, it should consider taking over the role of the school board.
Paula Hines, East Brainerd