Riverbend language is a disappointment
As two loyal Riverbenders, we’re always there come rain or shine, no matter the main stage star of the night.
We look forward to this week from year to year; so, imagine our surprise and disgust when the most anticipated (aka disappointing) star of the night on Thursday introduced a young friend of his, who turned out to be a rapper who uses X-rated words in his “music.” We thought that all performers had been screened and advised that this is a family venue! We were told by friends later that some previous acts had been asked to leave the stage for this reason. So what happened? Were there no officials of the festival there that night?
Please! keep our festival the family event it has always been.
TERESA HOWARD
Cartoon confuses libertarian views
Clay Bennett’s June 20 cartoon depicting a lifeguard letting swimmers drown because he’s a libertarian is a poor analogy showing Mr. Bennett’s misunderstanding of the libertarian philosophy of governance.
Libertarians are not anarchists desiring no government at all. Libertarians believe the government should protect the life, liberty and property of its citizens from threats such as murder, rape, theft, foreign invasion, etc. Therefore Bennett’s libertarian lifeguard should be portrayed as vigorously saving the swimmers from drowning because that’s the role of a lifeguard, just as libertarians believe government should do its job to protect citizens’ basic liberties. A socialist lifeguard, however, would spend his time on one side of the pool dictating who should and shouldn’t be swimming the butterfly stroke while other swimmers drown behind him. After all, socialists in power bring government to do what it shouldn’t be doing at the expense of what it should be doing.
PATRICK HALL
Obama politics ruining lives
Well now, our president has his own Katrina! Despite his harsh and frequent criticism of President Bush as a result of his response to Katrina, this president has shown himself to be a failed leader!
I guess being a community organizer in Chicago didn’t prepare him for organizing the federal government’s efforts to help stop the oil leak in the Gulf, prevent permanent damage to the environment, or assist in clean-up of our Gulf shores. The president is the leader of the country, and while he cannot be expected to be an expert in dealing with problems, he’s expected to show leadership and assemble experts among the various government agencies, and the outside private sector as well. He’s shown no leadership and instead has used this environmental disaster to push his “cap and trade” agenda. How shameful, and disappointing, most especially to the people of the Gulf Coast, whose lives are being ruined while he plays politics.
I saw a bumper sticker that said “Had Enough? Vote Democratic.” It may be time to remove it now, rather than to continue to display ignorance in light of all that this president has done, and what he has failed to do to protect our country.
ARTHUR CAPRARIO
Benton, Tenn.
Haynes will work for the students
I support Marty Haynes as the next School Board representative for District 3.
Although I no longer live in the Chattanooga area, I am a lifelong educator who still has roots in the Chattanooga area and has long been proud of the fine education offered by our public schools.
I have known Marty for almost 30 years and am confident that he will work tirelessly to ensure that students in the Chattanooga area are provided with an excellent education that is not tainted by political posturing. His integrity and zeal will be valuable assets to the families he serves.
PAULA COWART
Cordova, Tenn.
Action gives police a bad name
Concerning Saturday’s front page article about Aline Wright. Mrs. Wright was suffering stroke symptoms and her husband, Eric, drove her to the Erlanger emergency room. The article states that Chattanooga Police Officer James Daves arrested Eric because he drove through two red traffic lights. Unfortunately, it is occasions like this that give police officers a bad name. Again, what has happened to common sense.
CHRIS KIDWELL
Maybe officers don’t merit a raise
We made the national news again! The guy (Mr. Wright) went through two lights, lights flashing, horn blowing. The last light led nowhere but to the hospital where he stopped. What did the policeman think he was going to do? If this is the kind of police force we have, why should they get any raise like the mayor wants.
BEN KEIM
Some pet owners part of problem
How timely and telling the two newspaper articles involving pets in Chattanooga appeared on the same day (June 16).
One featured an animal welfare group rescuing mistreated animals from a pet store (not an uncommon occurrence).
The other (a letter to the editor) expressed concern that this same group could not qualify as a “low-killl” shelter.
As long as 5 million (yes, million) unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized in this country’s shelters and pounds each year, the only way a facility can be “no-kill” is to turn away additional homeless animals when kennel capacity has been reached. And since being fed and caged long-term is no way for an animal to live, some shelters qualify as “slow-kill.”
Once again the messenger gets the blame for a problem perpetuated by people who fail to have their pets spayed or neutered. Remember, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem!
GEORGE STONER
Fort Payne, Ala.
God bless people who serve homeless
The Salvation Army serves coffee and worship to the homeless six days a week. God bless them! The homeless know what time to be there, so within five minutes before they open, people gather around the door like a group of zombies who are hungering, not for flesh, but for coffee.
There is a man who comes by the Community Kitchen once a week. He passes out cheeseburgers. When you see a herd of people stampeding toward his car, you know it’s the cheeseburger man. No one seems to know his name; he is only known as the cheeseburger man.
There is a place where no tree grows called the tree. Sometimes a church organization will bring food to feed the homeless there. You know when and where by the stampede of people.
And then, there is the park … some herd, some stampede. There are also individuals who come by and pass out sandwiches, drinks and fruit.
How many of these homeless take time to really say thank you? I for one, along with many others, want to say God bless you and thank you.
MARGIE DALTON
Times to cash in on some favors
Just when did we become so high and mighty, so perfect, that we don’t accept help when it is offered?
A European country has the skimmer ships to help us with the oil spill. But “we don’t want foreign ships off our coasts.” Isn’t Europe an ally?
Saudi Arabia has the technology to help us with the oil spill … and we turned them down too. I thought Saudi Arabia was an ally.
What is the problem here? The help is out there! Why aren’t we accepting it? Are we so powerful that we don’t need help from anyone? Is that the government’s mindset? Well, get a clue! We need all the help we can get! We are not weak by letting others help us! Heaven knows we’ve helped other countries enough! Let’s cash in on some favors!
GLENN WEBSTER
Whitwell, Tenn.
Benefit investment should go elsewhere
The Times Free Press reported that Hamilton County will invest $1.6 million annually in a BB&T managed stock trust fund to help fund employee benefits. The fund’s rate of return is expected to minimize benefits currently paid from the general fund. Louis Wright, the county’s finance administrator, believes “this is a good time to be investing.” I disagree. Many economists don’t share Mr. Wright’s sentiment. Credit is still collapsing and credit derivatives remain uncontrolled. Housing shows little sign of recovery and nearly all banks remain undercapitalized. Several state and local governments are on the verge of bankruptcy. More importantly, if the market yields a negative rate of return, taxpayers will be liable for the shortfall, not BB&T or Mr. Wright.
A trust fund is a good idea but the money should be prudently invested in short-term U.S. Treasury securities. By definition, they are immune to inflation and would be the last to default. And yes, the liability against the county’s general fund will be greater, but it will be an honest number that should be dealt with by an open debate between higher taxes or reduced benefits. Any other strategy is wishful thinking and just kicks the can down the road.
DAVID CONLEY
Many new citizens know more than old
A questionnaire regarding immigrant citizenship test to become a citizen of this country was placed on the Internet. I decided to take the exam for my own understanding of what they should know in order to become a citizen, and also to vote in our democratic process.
They extracted 20 of the most difficult questions, the subject being the Constitution. After completion, I submitted my papers that were graded instantly on the Internet. My score was 95 percent correct, only having missed one.
Their response to my grade level was, “I knew more about the Constitution then the majority of people in this country.”
That was a very sad remark about the people of this country.
I think of the legal immigrants just sworn in as new citizens knowing more about our Constitution than the people who were born here.
All they can talk about is illegal immigrants and form groups of radical protesters to go around the country.
I think the people forget when Bush went to Mexico in March 2006 to visit then President V. Fox. He signed a comprehensive immigration bill to open the borders between the two countries.
Oh well, if you don’t know anything you will say anything.
HELEN MALMQUIST
Cleveland, Tenn.
Demand for oil will only grow
As evidenced by unpredictable price hikes, these recent low gasoline prices shouldn’t lull us into a false sense of security. Petroleum is a finite resource, and world demand will only increase as China, India, et al. become more affluent. But instead of reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we’ve more than doubled it.
When I was stationed in France during the Korean War, gas there was 85 cents a gallon while it was only 31 cents in the U.S. France had no fuel shortage then, but used gasoline taxes to force people to rely on smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, public transportation, bicycles and (heaven forbid!) walking. Consequently, France experienced no two-block-long lines at the gas pumps during the OPEC oil boycotts. Republicans offer only inane bumper sticker slogans and discredited supply-side solutions. John McCain even suggested there might be an untapped oil bonanza off Florida’s gulf coast. BP’s big spill has caused us to rethink that.
We’ve had a Cabinet-level Energy Department for over a quarter century now, but no energy policy worthy of the name.
Might the fact of two recent presidents and one vice president closely tied to the oil industry be a factor here?
GEORGE B. REED JR.
Fort Oglethorpe