Pay attention! Demcracy in peril
Citizens should keep themselves well-informed and current about what’s taking place with Donald Trump and his band of misfits. Beginning with, and at the top of the list, Elon Musk and his young misguided children who are playing a dangerous game.
Even though Musk is not a cabinet member, or even an elected official who has to answer to the American people, he’s the very person who can do the most damage to the economic stability of our nation.
America has never seen anything close to the likes of the Trump administration, and hopefully we never will again. The man is already speaking about thumbing his nose at our Constitution and making himself a dictator. He treats the Constitution as if it is his to alter on a whim. This is not democracy. I’m certain the vast majority of Americans in no way support this dangerous way of operating.
So you know, Trump and the GOP are right now pushing legislation to raise the debt ceiling to $4 trillion. Why? To provide payback to the wealthiest .0001% who made the Trump election win possible.
This will mean the larges tax cuts ever enacted in the U.S. will have to be paid back by us pawns and suckers.
So stay informed, listen carefully. Your lives and the lives of your precious children are depending on it.
Calvin V. Henderson
Can’t bridge work be done faster?
I think all Chattanoogans would agree that the Walnut Street Bridge needs attention.
However, when I downloaded the official city app for the bridge, I immediately noticed that while we have been told that the bridge needs to be closed to all citizens and visitors for 18-plus months for the work, the bridge will be open for nine selected marathon/Ironman events.
This brings up questions. Chief among them: If nine events that are questionably the most wear and tear on the deck and supporting structure can handle tens of thousands of pounding feet for the marathons, couldn’t the 18 months be condensed down to maybe 12 months if there weren’t so many “special openings”? After all, we have other bridges that can support runners and bikers for these events.
The Walnut Street Bridge is an attraction that many businesses count on. It provides a ton of recreational options for our locals. Surely there must be other folks out there questioning the 18-plus month closure (for most of us).
John Mathna
White Afrikaners given special treatment. Why?
On Jan. 20, President Trump signed an executive order suspending refugee admissions to the United States. On Feb. 7, he issued an executive order promoting refugee resettlement of white Afrikaners to the U.S. due to discrimination allegedly committed against that group by the South African government. The order specifically calls for Afrikaners to be prioritized over other refugee groups.
However, Afrikaners would hardly appear to be a particularly oppressed minority. As reported in May 2024 by Business Tech, South Africa’s largest financial publication, white South Africans make 4 times more annual income compared to Black citizens of that country. In addition, South Africa was not identified in a September 2024 article by U.S. News and World Report as being among the 10 worst countries in the world for racial discrimination.
Based upon the above, a reasonable question arises. Why should the U.S. extend exceptionally privileged refugee status to Afrikaners when there are numerous examples of governments truly persecuting racial minorities, who would appear more deserving of refugee protections?
Patrick Lavin