Media acts resulted in damage to country
The newly released admission by The New York Times personnel about the Hunter Biden laptop scandal reveals that many politicians, federal governmental agencies and news media personnel withheld certain facts about the laptop.
Apparently, Hunter Biden; his father, Joe Biden; Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress; the FBI; and the news departments of ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and the New York Times all suppressed facts about Hunter Biden’s laptop during the politically critical period of October-November 2020. Their hostile opinions of Trump may have been the cause for the demise of unbiased and honest reporting of political news that ultimately caused irreparable damage to the American people, the United States and to the world.
Withholding the truth can have unintended consequences as severe as outright lying.
The American people can hope that our politicians and mainstream media will change their unacceptable behavior and lack of ethical standards but, unfortunately, many of us don’t expect much will change for the good.
Gary Hayes
Ooltewah
Research, discussion can be enlightening
Thanks for the well-written commentary by Suzanne Nossel in the Feb. 25 TFP about the conservative movement to ban reading and discussion topics in classrooms.
Ironically, the prevailing wailing that no topic should make any student (or is it really any parent?) feel uncomfortable would probably mean banning classroom discussion of the TFP Business section headline article (“Chattanooga’s Racial Disparities in Black and White”) of the same date. Maybe we should ban algebra, because over a 35-year teaching career, I certainly found it most disturbing to students. The fact is that, given age-appropriateness, classroom research and discussion of cultural, scientific and historical issues are two of the best ways to learn information, empathy and perspective.
Gary Furman
Rossville, Ga.
Paris thanked for job with UTC Mocs
First of all, thank you, Lamont Paris, for recruiting such a fine group of young men [to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga]. You are truly a master at bringing together – and bringing out – the best. And to the team … your effort, determination, sportsmanship and encouragement of each other in both good times and bad were a joy to watch.
We are proud to support this incredible team. As always … go Mocs!
Robbie and Tom Travers
Ooltewah
Likes credentials of court nominee
Judge [Ketanji Brown] Jackson has stellar experience, character and credentials. She will ensure justice for all Americans, regardless of wealth and politics. She will broaden the [U.S. Supreme] Court’s grasp on a multitude of issues, bringing it closer to equal justice for all. Confirm Judge Jackson now.
Sally Moses
Signal Mountain
Calling homosexuality a sin is the real sin
Thanks to Terry Mattingly for the article in Sunday’s TFP (Feb. 27) about the Roman Catholic prince who acknowledges the church’s position on homosexuality is wrong. Ancient religious writers thought this was an evil choice. Today, we know homosexuals are born that way. God made us, and we do not understand all he does. As we say, God works in mysterious ways.
It’s interesting people who believe homosexuality is an extreme sin do not think divorce or marriage while the former spouse is alive are not that sinful, although the Bible says they are. Also, the Bible supports slavery. In study Bibles, “servants” often mean “slaves.” We now know slavery is abominable, but it was normal then.
As we gain knowledge, only the ignorant refuse it. Because of some fundamental pastors who counsel young people their sexuality is sinful, some have committed suicide. Parents who throw their child out because of what the pastors preach? Who is the sinner here?
If you think it’s God’s will for you to harm these young people with your words, you might be beyond redemption. Who am I? Just a heterosexual old lady who has taken numerous Bible studies.
Nancy Guy
Cleveland, Tenn.
Focus on border, drug crises, too
The scenes from the war in Ukraine tear at our hearts. War is always horrible. The leaders of our country and the media have their full focus on this one event. The emphasis needs to be on coming to a ceasefire agreement as quickly as possible. It needs to be “de-escalation” and not “escalation.”
Surprisingly, the media is not covering much about the positive progress of negotiations. These ceasefire negotiations need our full support.
Also, there are at least two major issues on the home front that desperately need the attention of the media and our politicians. (1) The skyrocketing inflation and collapsing U.S. economy. (2) The invasion of our own Southern border that is bringing in millions of new illegals. Our Southern border should be more important than Ukraine’s border!
Drugs flowing in killed more than 100,000 Americans last year. And cartel members are daily entering our Southern states and some cities, making the U.S. more unsafe with every day that passes.
It is urgent our leaders focus some of their attention on these two emergency crises at the same time they focus on the war in Ukraine.
J. Johns
Ringgold, Ga.
Support bill to stop horse slaughter
I am writing to you today because I support the ban on horse slaughter. There is before Congress a bill called The SAFE Act, which will stop horse slaughter. Please write your senators and representatives to let them know you support passage of this bill.
Kay Fisher
Signal Mountain
Mr. Biden, why won’t they lower my costs?
President Biden, I listened to every word of your recent State of the Union address, and I really thought you made an excellent point when you said, “I have a better plan to fight inflation. Lower your costs and not your wages.”
So I immediately called my utility companies that I pay each month and asked them to lower my costs for water, electricity, gas and sewage. They all replied that they are not lowering my cost, but instead I could expect increases in prices compared to previous years.
I called the city of Chattanooga about my property taxes, and they said that the tax bill I have received includes about a 20% increase from the previous year due to the budget for the city being increased for large salaries for city employees.
I called Medicare because my basic health insurance premiums for Medicare Part B increased in 2022 from $148.50 per month to $170.10 a month, a 14.5% increase. They said this premium went up for everybody and is necessary for the financial stability of the fund.
Help me understand how I can “lower my costs” when my costs are going up?
Jerry Jenkins