Passenger comes first in emergency
Any emergency vehicle – police, fire, ambulance, fireman with red light on dashboard – can speed, run traffic light, run stop signs, but if I’m taking someone to the hospital I should pull over for police, wait until they walk to my car, explain the situation, wait for their response, and then proceed if they agree?
When seconds count, I will take my chances and talk to the police after I arrive and escort my passenger inside the hospital. I could care less what they charge me with as long as my passenger is safe inside the hospital.
JIM GRIFFIN
Chickamauga, Ga.
Festival organizers did wonderful job
I would like to congratulate The Friends of the Festival and the city of Chattanooga for Riverbend 2010.
As one who has served as a festival volunteer many times, I see just a small part of the amazing amount of effort required to pull off such an event. From obtaining permits for street closings, organizing volunteers, securing the performers … thousands of details to organize so that everything will go without a hitch.
Every year the festival goes on, with a minimum of interruptions. Riverbend has a good reputation among performing artists, which helps secure talent for future events.
Riverbend 2010 was phenomenal. The talent lineup was the best yet. The sponsors represented themselves well. The police presence was appreciated for their courtesy. The crowds were orderly and well-controlled. As always, the fireworks display was spectacular! The maximum pin price of $40 is well worth the nine days of entertainment.
Each year, thousands of tourists visit our city as a result of Riverbend, bringing in much-needed revenue. This results in much repeat business, with many people returning to enjoy the other attractions our city has to offer.
Thanks again, Friends of the Festival, for a job well done.
DEBBIE KING
No charges doesn’t solve the problem
I am happy to hear that all charges have been dropped against the newlywed man trying to get his wife to the emergency room. Unfortunately, the problem remains unsolved.
This case shows how flippantly police can sling around life-altering charges. Does anyone believe that it was reasonable, in any way, to file felony criminal charges of assault on a police officer against a man who had both arms full trying to carry his wife into an emergency room?
What do you think the chances are that these seven charges would be dropped with an apology if he wasn’t an Eagle Scout, medic, war veteran on his honeymoon? Would it have been a story at all?
If you have an emergency, calling 911 is absolutely the best thing; but, this is not a story about medical emergencies or cop-bashing. This is a story of a feeling by the people that there is no accountability or redress for abuses of power. People just do not want their children raised in an atmosphere where they have to fear being thrown a cage for not kissing the ring of authority every time they see blue lights. Let none live in fear.
JOSEPH STORM
Rossville
Bible course can bring problems
Why would fundamentalist Christians want a public school teacher in Tennessee to teach their kids the Bible? By Tennessee law, it must be a “nonsectarian, nonreligious academic study of the Bible.” Is it possible for the state Board of Education to develop guidelines and principles that are safe from court challenge? Answer: No! It all boils down to who is teaching the course as history or literature – and what is taught.
As long as we have live teachers teaching live students, there are no guarantees. If teachers read a script, and students are not allowed to ask questions, it could be “safe from court challenge.”
In times of financial exigency, why would anyone in their right mind want to invite the problems that come with something as controversial as the Bible?
Such a public school elective Bible course cannot insist on the inerrancy or the literality of Scripture. As literative, it is a study of an author, production of writings, especially of imaginative prose, verse, etc., without regard to their excellence; all such writings considered as having permanent value, excellence of form, great emotional effect, beauty and imagination.
B.J. PASCHALL
Sevierville, Tenn.
Cut foreign oil with substitutes
Did you realize that we subsidize the cost of oil? As for the corn-ethanol subsidy, there are plans to reduce it significantly over the coming decade. Our federal leaders support alternative energies, like ethanol, because it decreases the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil and creates jobs here.
Furthermore, many articles clarify that higher food costs result mainly from greater transportation, marketing, advertising, and manufacturing costs. There is also substantial research in creating better ethanol using non-food based feedstock like switchgrass. Ethanol is not the silver bullet to solving America’s foreign oil dependence problems, but biofuels could replace 30 percent of the transportation fuel in the U.S. (per Department of Energy).
America needs to replace oil and turn away from funding countries with political agendas that may hurt the U.S. and make jobs for the 9.5 percent of unemployed Americans.
According to the DOE, the earth only contains enough oil to meet the world’s demand for the next 25 years. What will you and your family be doing in 25 years? To maintain our current standard of living for generations, we need to consume less oil by using various American fuels and improving the fuel efficiency of America’s vehicles.
JONATHAN OVERLY
East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition
Knoxville
Salute veterans who served in wars
Thank you for the picture of the Korea-The Forgotten War statue that was shown on the editorial page of the Free Press on June 25. I feel like the saluting veteran in the picture, “Not to me, it isn’t.”
My brother, M.H. Waldron, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1948, and by the time he was 21 years old, he was fighting along with thousands of others in Korea. He was one of the “Chosin Few” who were trapped and fought for three weeks at the Chosin Reservoir. Being a career Marine, he also served in Vietnam. By the grace of God, he came home from both wars, for which we are very thankful and grateful.
I’m writing this letter in honor and in memory of all the brave men and women who served in the Korean War and in every war before and since. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation goes out to all of you.
PAT RIHELDAFFER
Signal Mountain
Bikers lose again via grievances
I was amused to see the Dade County commissioners have declared the 3 State 3 Mountain Century a no-go next year, citing safety issues – not for the cyclists themselves, but for the impatient drivers who may pass them on yellow lines going up Burkhalter Gap (where bikers are going 4 mph at best). All this on aO Saturday morning in May, over the past 22 years. It appears the squeaky wheel gets the grease again, as the trail wags the dog in this so-called grievance against bikers.
It seems to me that Dade County would be better served if it offered driver education for its adults, stressing the hard-to-understand concepts of patience, when to pass on a mountain road, and sharing the road with bicyclists. Use of turn signals would be optional.
TOM BAKER
Hixson