Transplants unhappy with state rankings
“Oh no” was my first reaction to the TFP headline “Meet The New Arrivals” and seeing the Trump sign in the photo. I read the entire article, twice, with great interest as a “liberal” in this ruby red state.
But there is reason for hope. Most of the transplants (including my family) want the same things. How does Tennessee compare? Safety: 42nd. The state’s permissive gun laws don’t make us safer. Just ask the conservative mothers of the victims of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville how disgraceful was their treatment when asking for reasonable gun restrictions by the “ruby red” representatives, and they did nothing. Education: The right-leaning American Legislative Exchange Council ranked the state 24th, but more unbiased rankings have us 31st to 41st. Health care: 42nd. Environment: 34th. Infrastructure: 21st. Opportunity: 22nd.
The reason for hope is these newcomers have the chance to find out what the local candidates stand for. Vote for what you want. And they do not want Tennessee’s poor safety, education and health care outcomes.
All are welcome to their beliefs but not alternative facts. Trump lost; it’s proven. Get over it and move on.
Sue Carol Elvin
Can we reactivate a spirit of cooperation?
I can remember a time growing up when I thought that life in America in the future, which is now the present, would be an enlightened period of time for all.
A time when you could raise your kids, or not, in an environment that would be not just modern and moral, but would be progressive and prosperous for all Americans.
Now I look around and see shootings taking place in schools, people on the streets with no means of support, in a country with increasing income inequality.
Where’s the humanity in such a world?
Why can’t a spirit of cooperation and caring for one another be reactivated with a goal of making our society work for all?
I realize it’s a silly individual’s pipe dream; however, we’re not called the “United States” for nothing.
Unfortunately, it seems that the American spirit has been reduced to just give me mine, all mine, and to heck with anyone who gets in the way.
Enough said.
Calvin V. Henderson
Pictured transplants weren’t representative
The Sunday edition of TFP let its front page be the bullhorn for an election denier and MAGA apostle. For those of you who did not read the article, a couple was featured as your average transplants from California and firmly believe the election was stolen. This has been disproven but is still a main talking point for those who want to see Trump back in the White House. The transplants claim California is a Soviet republic because the state is ruled by one party, the Democrats. What does that make Tennessee and the other states ruled by the Republicans — the U.S. equivalent of North Korea?
I also didn’t realize that if you said you were a Republican, you could get beat up if you said it out loud in California. Must be like saying you’re a Democrat in North Georgia or gay in Mississippi.
I live in East Ridge, and I don’t think we hate our neighbors if they pay cash for their house, but somehow the transplants feel there is some animosity because they did.
I don’t think they are the poster children for those of us who moved here from out of state.
William Hubers
East Ridge
Choose trains, not toll roads
There is a proposal to put in four “choice” lanes — two from and to on I-24.
These would be paid for with our tax money, then given to a private company to collect the tolls.
To me, it seems that putting in trains would be more effective for controlling traffic and congestion.
Roger Thompson
Vance ‘joke’ shows lack of leadership
Trump could not have chosen a more fitting running mate than JD Vance. Time and again, Vance ably demonstrates that he is Trump’s evil younger twin. His latest escapade: Posting a video of an incoherent answer to a question by a Miss Teen USA contestant, with the caption, “Breaking: I have gotten a hold of the full Kamala Harris interview.”
When informed by a reporter that the woman in question had contemplated suicide after this incident, Vance professed ignorance. When asked if he wished to apologize to the woman, Vance refused, saying he would not apologize for a joke and expressed hope that people wouldn’t be judged for “one bad moment.”
Would that it were just one.
Harris summarized the issue before us succinctly: Is the measure of the strength of a leader who they beat down, or is it who they lift up?
Herbert K. Lea
Chickamauga, Georgia
Harris’ end-in-view is what really counts
Political slogans, particularly those reduced to one word, though compelling, are at best misleading and more likely dangerous. In recent weeks, we’ve heard much about “Joy,” and we’ve been treated to a resurgence of “Hope.” It doesn’t take more than a moment’s thought to wonder about the source of any expression of joy, because it must have some source or basis, or to wonder how long this euphoria will last. Likewise, it doesn’t take long to ask, “Hope in what?”
Similarly with the slogan “Forward,” which now graces the Harris version of the iconic Obama “Hope” poster of 2008. Like its one-word cousins “Hope” and “Joy,” “Forward” evokes all sorts of questions and also allusions. Forward to what destination? How will we get there, even if we agree it’s a worthy destination? At what cost? Etc.
More significant are the historical allusions, many of them attached to revolutionary movements stretching back to the French Revolution, where “Forward” meant the overthrow of all existing institutions in the name of a supposed freedom. More recently, the term was used frequently by Soviet propagandists to stir the Russian people to all sorts of striving, from victory over Nazi invaders to a successful completion of the worldwide proletarian victory.
Thoughtful people are wondering what is Ms. Harris’ end-in-view.
Gary Lindley
Lookout Mountain, Ga.
Trump’s rant sign of cerebral impairment?
These are words (verbatim) from a recent Donald Trump campaign speech in Potterville, Michigan:
“She destroyed the city of San Francisco, it’s — and I own a big building there — it’s no — I shouldn’t talk about this, but that’s OK, I don’t give a damn because this is what I’m doing. I should say it’s the finest city in the world — sell and get the hell out of there, right? But I can’t do that. I don’t care, you know? I lost billions of dollars, billions of dollars. You know, somebody said, ‘What do you think you lost?’ I said, ‘Probably two, three billion. That’s OK, I don’t care.’ They say, ‘You think you’d do it again?’ And that’s the least of it. Nobody. They always say, I don’t know if you know. Lincoln was horribly treated. Uh, Jefferson was pretty horribly. Andrew Jackson they say was the worst of all, that he was treated worse than any other president. I said, ‘Do that study again, because I think there’s nobody close to Trump.’ I even got shot! And who the hell knows where that came from, right?”
Think over and try to comprehend what Trump said. It appears many good people from the Trump base choose to dismiss the apparent cerebral impairment.
Johnny Jones
Schools witnesses to hollowed middle class
Years ago, the principal at the school where I taught, while on a school accreditation committee, allowed that if you want to know a school’s community, just go in the school’s bathrooms. Writings on walls and abused facilities made it clear how hard a job the teachers had and why test scores were likely low.
Society carries their problems to schools. Now we have SROs, school nurses, Narcan, the distraction of cellphones and constant threats of violence. Do you really expect test scores to go up considering the emotional and mental health problems children bring to school from home?
Years later, a problem child’s parents where I taught constantly blamed the school for his problems and said they would move him to a religious school where they had prayer.
Within two months, he was back at another school in the system. Private schools aren’t going to take voucher students en masse. Vouchers only help the rich.
Republicans have financially starved the low and middle classes since the 1970s to help industry that didn’t raise wages enough, thereby, giving America “death by despair,” suicide, drug or alcohol overdoses.
Schools are witnesses.
David Bean
Chatsworth, Ga.