Make cockfighting a felony in state
Cockfighting and raising game roosters should be felonies in Tennessee. The bust of a cockfighting operation in Polk County was disturbing to read. Particularly shocking was the 8-year-old girl who was forced to watch the fights by her father! She’ll endure nightmares about this. If fighting animals is considered a family tradition, God help us.
One man said the roosters are treated better than chickens in a confined food operation. Roosters may be well-fed, but they’re tethered by a 3-foot leash their entire lives. Or they’re kept in a 3-foot-diameter fence.
The roosters are surrounded by hundreds of frustrated roosters who’ll never mate.
On fight night, the roosters are injected with drugs to make them mean, and razor-sharp spurs are attached to their feet.
Many surrounding states have felony charges for cockfighting; we need to follow suit.
Tennessee may be short on money to enforce felony charges, but steep fines would bring in funds. If fighting is made a felony, it will do no good unless raising game roosters is (illegal) too.
Roosters chained by one leg or existing in a tiny fence aren’t going to be eaten, nor will they produce eggs. Their purpose is clear – one day they’ll be in that fighting ring.
ANNE GARRARD GRINDLE
Sewanee, Tenn.
Visitor seeks help finding lost brooch
On July 10, I visited the beautiful Bluff View Art District of your city. I had a memorable dinner at the Back Inn Cafe and dessert at Rembrandt’s with family members living on Signal Mountain.
Somewhere between the Back Inn Cafe and Rembrandt’s on a beautiful night, I lost a ladies gold circle pin brooch with several light blue stones and sentimental value. If you found this beloved item, please call (local) 886-7579. This Montana fan of your lovely city will thank you.
LEIGH SPENCER
Great Falls, Mont.
What we need is rascal removal
Funny thing about regional attitudes: they’re taught. When I moved to Massachusetts in 1960, some people automatically saw a Southern racist, while others found me amusingly provincial. Upon returning in 1982, some Southerners called me “Yankee,” others saw a “radical.”
Cynical political propagandists play regional attitudes to the hilt. But in this campaign season, so crucial to America’s future, regional strategies aren’t used because financial stress can be whipped up to create mindless rebellion all across the nation.
Blame is being cast on President Obama and Democrats in general. The worst Republicans yet seen are preaching “hate them, love us,” and succeeding. To them, it’s smart to scapegoat and make anxious people think Obama created horrific national debt. They want the previous four decades forgotten.
Tea Party members need to learn fast that the GOP has been losing members ever since Nixon decided he was king and are desperately concentrating on voters who haven’t been paying attention and who feel neglected.
Reagan’s financial deregulation, Cheney’s erasing of environmental protections, deceitful health coverage, and the Iraq invasion’s multi-trillion-dollar cost aren’t reversed overnight. At this point in time, the only attitude we need is dedicated rascal removal.
RACHEL WHEELER
Tea Party critics need more facts
I’m tired of reading inaccurate letters about the tea party.
Tea Parties have recently been called hypocrites because of Republican Richard Nixon’s handling of China over 30 years ago, while another person opposing the Tea Party accurately stated that they organized after Obama’s election. The latter is true, but that person goes a step further and uses this as circumstantial evidence to “prove” the party’s racism. And that’s the only evidence they offer.
Readers have also branded all Tea Partiers as “simple” solely on brief encounters they have had with small numbers of supporters.
The only clear logic that can be gleaned from this fallacy-filled onslaught is that there are local people who ardently dislike the current flavor of grass-roots democracy. But when they lash out at the Tea Party, they rely on a festival of half-truths and generalizations to attack its character.
I haven’t seen one hard statistic appear in this section that goes against the party’s platform. Beyond that, I haven’t seen one good refutation of a position held by the Tea Party, which is surprising, since the Tea Party’s arguments are apparently so “simple.”
JEREMY STEVENS
Ooltewah
We need Wamp’s desire to serve
There are various reasons why I am voting for Congressman Wamp as the Republican nominee for governor.
Most significant is one of a personal nature. When my sister requested assistance regarding her Social Security disability, he and his staff were there to assist her. That made quite an impression on me. My sister’s story is a familiar one for many constituents of the 3rd Congressional District.
Sometimes the outcome is not always as positive as hers, but folks can rest in the thought that he and his staff do their best to help those in need.
I could list the business, economic and fiscally conservative reasons as well, but sometimes it’s the personal things, which are equally significant to voters and in particular, to elected officials like Congressman Wamp.
In essence, he and his staff become “angels in the lives” of others. These words may sound strange but imagine hearing them come from your own congressman.
Impressive, you may ask? Not really. Not when it comes from a man who has a servant heart. In a time when so many promise so much, this servant trait is something Congressman Wamp embodies and is desperately needed at this time.
CARL MILLER
Look to Crangle to be responsive
I will vote for Tommy Crangle to be my conservative representative in Congress in the Aug. 5 primary.
Tommy espouses the conservative principles in which I believe. Tommy has responded promptly to my e-mailed questions on certain issues confronting the Congress. One of his opponents failed to respond to the same questions.
I believe Tommy Crangle will be just as responsive to the people of the 3rd District as he was in responding to my e-mails. I urge my like-minded conservatives to vote for Tommy Crangle.
ROBERT A. RENO
Ooltewah
Double taxation is unreasonable
I would like to know just how much longer we residents of my subdivision (Valleybrook) and others will have to pay property taxes to both the county and the city.
When my family moved to Tennessee in the mid-’60s, we bought the home I now live in because it was in the county. It was not too much later that this section was annexed into the city. Since that time, I have had the “joy” of paying sky-high property taxes to both the city and the county.
Now that the city has voted to increase its property taxes, I would like to know just how much longer we Valleybrook residents will have to pay taxes to both the city and the county. I have never learned just how these taxes have benefited me. (Nobody has been able to tell me and indeed, I have asked!)
This double taxation is totally unfair and unreasonable. I and others in my same situation would like some relief from this travesty. Please give us some consideration.
SIGNED: Caroline B. Gillette, Danny Christian, Joseph Vandergriff, Martha Vandergriff, Barbara
Christian, Bertha Cabaugh, Mike Bauer
Hixson