The Tennessee House passed a bill this week to eliminate standard time if the State Senate and the U.S. Congress approve. Though this may seem like a good idea, the devil is in the details.
This year on Dec. 22, the shortest day of the year, the sun will rise at 7:45 a.m. If savings time is still in effect and we don’t “fall back” an hour starting the first Sunday in November, the sunrise on the 22nd will occur at 8:45 a.m. This later sunrise will occur all winter.
In Hamilton County and other state districts, elementary schools begin their academic day between 8:00 a.m and 9 a.m. Under the proposed change, tens of thousands of elementary Tennessee students will be standing on the side of a road in the pitch dark waiting for their bus arrival. This is inherently dangerous, likely to result in some tragic situations!
Is it worth it to place these youngsters in jeopardy to make things convenient for adults? In Hamilton County we have already experienced a devastating tragedy involving elementary students and a bus. I would caution our elected representatives and government officials to think long and hard before they put this idea in place in Tennessee. The safety of our children should be their first consideration regarding this issue!
Kenneth Barker, Hixson
Racism alive in parking lot?
Racism appears to still be very much alive in Chattanooga. The other evening I, a white man, was sitting in my car at the Spears entrance to Stringers Ridge after walking the trail. A black man also was in his car in the parking lot, making us the only two cars there around sunset.
As we were sitting there, an officer pulled in and appeared to examine us both right before turning on his lights and pulling behind the black man. I stayed there around 15 minutes after to see if the officer would wish to speak to me, but in that short time he left after, I assume, running the other man’s tags and asking questions.
While I don’t know all the details, I found it surprising he chose to question the black man and not even say a word to me. With police brutality and false judgment still being an issue in many places, it is clear to see that more changes need to be done to close the divide within the city. I believe the color of one’s skin should not be indicative of any other assumed trait.
Derrick Hammons
Democrats, your ideas make me sick
So the Democrats are wanting to pay restitution to African-Americans for slavery which occurred nearly 200 years ago. How about the Democrats getting the African nation of Benin to pay for selling more than 1 million of its own people to the slave trade? The United States did not invade Africa to gather slaves; the Africans sold their own.
How about the damage caused to my ancestors for fighting for the Confederacy? The South just wanted to leave the United States. The United States government destroyed property and set the stage for more than 100 years for the South to recover. What about my money?
If you Democrats want to pay someone money, how about the Native Americans on whose stolen property we all live on?
If anyone deserves restitution, it is the Native Americans. But they are on reservations, and we killed most of their ancestors.
Democrats, you make me sick.
Vernon Cole
Ringgold, Georgia
Fleischmann just ventriloquist doll
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann has now said that the reason he won’t answer questions in a town-hall setting is that there is a “lack of civility” and because “people get heated.” A true leader would step up and confront these issues directly and work toward a solution. Unfortunately, we don’t have a leader as our representative in Congress – we have a coward. He only appears before audiences he knows will be welcoming, refuses any town-hall discourse, and refuses to answer any constituent question which might require independent thinking, I refer to this as the “Chuck Duck.” He is nothing more than a ventriloquist doll for Donald Trump, the NRA and the Republican Party. We deserve better.
Al Ezzell
Suggested Walden center unneeded
The town of Walden has a population of 2,118 people. What do those citizens need with a 49,000-square-foot grocery store? Or with 10,000 square feet of commercial office space? Or a fuel island? Or increased tractor-trailer traffic with proportional damage to the road up and down the mountain? Or multiple traffic lights at the “W” Road intersection and at Timesville Road? When every stream on Signal Mountain shows evidence of human waste contamination, why would the citizens benefit from adding a large, commercial waste stream to the sewer load in the middle of their town? Why would Walden citizens want to expose themselves and their children to risk from increased traffic while jogging, biking or walking?
I am a retired teacher, former practicing attorney, former Walden judge, resident of Signal Mountain since 1980, have raised two children here, and am married to a lifelong resident of Signal Mountain.
Larry Roberts
Signal Mountain
More wrong-headed ideas for downtown
What? As if the mostly unused bike lanes downtown and the attempt to light up Veterans Bridge like a Christmas tree were not enough, here comes the idea to remove two statues [on Patten Parkway] dedicated to our brave military veterans and replace them with $300,000 worth of lighted sculptures done by a firm from San Francisco. I’m aware the statues are being paid for with donated monies, but surely there is something more worthy to be done with the money. In addition, the plan calls for doing away with more than half of the available parking spaces in the area, something downtown really does not need. How about leaving the veterans’ memorials where they are, and if something must be lighted maybe a large American flag with lights would be appropriate.
Loretta Lankford
On moving from Kennedy to Trump
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” – JFK
“Oh my God. This is the end of my presidency. I’m f—.” DJT
After reading the Free Press editorial in last Friday’s paper, I would like for Clint Cooper to explain just how it’s possible for this country to have moved from John Kennedy’s admonition to us in 1961 to Donald Trump’s assessment in 2017, a short period of just 50 years or so.
I have every reason to believe Mr. Cooper was, as we in the South still occasionally hear, “raised right,” so I’m sort of wondering what his mother might think about his defense of such an unethical, immoral president.
Joe Porter
Sewanee
Israel blessers will be blessed
Hey, all you Trump bashers and Israel haters, do you remember the rally here? Chattanooga is Trump Town. And, to all you anti-Semites, read Ezekiel 28 and 29, and you will see what will happen to those who come against Israel. He will bless those who bless Israel. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omari are cursed (Genesis 12:3).
Janette Roberts
Better uses for ‘voucher’ money
Are the leaders in our state government putting a dollar amount on human progress, growth and education? Do they believe if a family has $X income, $X will let parents make better choices for their children?
Parents who know and care about their children are already doing the right things for them. They are loving them, reading to and with them, having meals with them, using available resources such as libraries and parks with them, participating in activities such as Scouts, sports, church, and teaching them to be kind and helpful, maybe volunteering in projects. A better iPad, a bigger backpack or a different school address is not going to make a happier, healthier, smarter, successful citizen. Do not pay parents extra to do their job.
If all students arrived at school healthy and happy, all schools could be more successful. The “vouchers/savings” could better be used to provide more child care, more early childhood education and safer communities to improve education in Tennessee.
Joanne Phillips
Hixson