Songs can reflect signs of the times
The late Johnny Cash recorded a lot of great songs, and one comes to mind, “I don’t like it, but I guess things happen that way.” This song falls in line with our brave men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title of Johnny’s song has a very sensible meaning and sadness would be on the minds of all serving in harms way. They most likely also ask themselves, “What am I doing here?” along with a feeling of hopelessness.
There seems to be a song that fits every kind of situation. All of these men and women would rather be leading normal lives, but instead they are more or less thrust into these war-torn countries where they receive a slap in the face because their presence there is not wanted by a lot of their people.
This past Memorial Day, the TV news programs showed so many military grave markers. When you think about how senseless all wars have been and graves will continue to be added, there is another song for the families who have lost ones, “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”
RICHARD D. BLOOD
Ringgold, Ga.
‘Family’ night is a deception
To Friends of the Festival:
Buddhists, Humanists, Hindus, Jews, Pagans, atheists, Islamists and other non-Christians are as family-oriented as any Christian. Naming a night of (almost exclusively) Christian music, the “Family” night, is a slap in the face to all of us. Adding the word “Faith” to the title does not rectify the insult nor does eliminating beer sales for that one night.
Why isn’t the night labeled for what it is, “Christian Music Night”? Do you hope to sell more tickets or do you honestly think we won’t notice the deception? Either way, shame on you.
PAMELA PHILLIPS
Hixson
Restaurants not always crime-free
Regarding the Ietter (June 5) expressing alarm upon observing a (presumed legally) armed senior citizen in a local restaurant.
Perhaps the writer has forgotten the massacre some years back at a Luby’s cafeteria in Texas. Also, the equally tragic slaughter at a McDonald’s in southern California. More recently, there was the murder of four police officers in a coffee shop out west. The presumption of restaurants as crime-free bastions of safety is absurd.
The term “packin’ heat” may seem to suggest a cavalier attitude on the part of a legally armed citizen. Quite the contrary. An applicant for a handgun carry permit must participate in a comprehensive training program conducted by state certified instructors, many of whom are law enforcement officers. An extensive FBI and TBI background check is mandatory as well. With the Second Amendment notwithstanding, I can determine no idiocy in the aforementioned requirements.
Senior citizens are often the target of violent offenders. I therefore wholeheartedly support the senior gentleman in his exercise of an earned privilege in accordance with state law.
With the utmost respect due our law enforcement personnel, they can’t be everywhere all of the time. Unfortunately, violent criminals can be anywhere, anytime.
FOSTER RUTLEDGE
Georgetown, Tenn.
Shuffle leaders with lower pay
Since this country is in a recession, with the total budget deficit about $13 trillion, Congress hasn’t made any sacrifices as the people who have lost their jobs.
We need to start an organized downsizing of our overpaid “elected leaders” who have been serving too long. Just as is done with the higher paid employees of private companies, they are “fired” by their employers, and new employees, if any are hired, are only paid half to three-quarters of the amount older employees were being paid. Why should we pay the full amount for someone to learn on the job?
The amount the budget could be reduced would be a “drop in the bucket,” but we have to start somewhere in reducing our budget deficit. We could have done without half of these persons during the last two to four years.
Apparently, many of these “elected leaders” don’t mind allowing the reduction of our citizens’ total wages and think nothing is wrong with our workers changing careers five times or more during their working lifetimes and the family stress involved.
This sounds like a good idea to me. The politicians could even use it as a campaign promise, “Will work for half pay.”
CARL BRACKIN
Georgetown, Tenn.
Discretionary funds for political gain
The $900,000 in taxpayers’ dollars given to the Hamilton County commissioners every year to just give away has finally been brought out in the open. Very few people knew about or questioned the term “discretionary funds” what or by who provides these funds.
To allow commissioners the privilege to distribute this money as they want and to who they want is wrong.
Football field $100,000, concrete poles $22,500, playground $40,000, $57,700 undesignated, playground $25,000, sod $25,000 and just June 3, $200,000 for another football field. The list is long.
While it may be true schools may benefit from such funding, why are the commissioners given the guardianship of such a large amount of money?
Schools should be given the privilege of deciding for themselves their budget needs and not be restricted by county commissioners financing with discretionary funds.
None of the commissioners want their slush fund discontinued. I can understand that.
No other politicians that I know of have the privilege of boosting of their generosity to the community at each election time.
It’s no wonder incumbent commissioners can hold their jobs for a lifetime.
BOB ROCK
McKamey not a low-kill shelter
Joan Garrett’s article about McKamey Animal Shelter (June 13) was a masterpiece of spin. It may be a good learning experience for vet students because they are probably not licensed to euthanize; but let’s not lose sight of the truth. McKamey was funded and built to be a low-kill shelter and it is not.
The most recent kill rate is 63 percent! That is tragic and horrifying, and no amount of spin is going to change the reality of what McKamey has become in the hands of city government.
HELEN LEE
Obama Israel policy stirs anti-Semitism
As if the Obama domestic agenda, with its record of fiscal irresponsibility, shocking disrespect for our Constitution and sweeping incompetence, isn’t enough to stomach, there’s also his disturbing foreign policy, highlighted by his foolish attempt to butter up brutal, extremist Muslim regimes and terrorist groups by turning our back on Israel.
Former White House Correspondent Helen Thomas unleashed her bigoted and ignorant rant against Jews because she felt emboldened to do so by a new climate hospitable to anti-Israeli rhetoric, a climate ushered in by the Obama administration.
It may not be evident in this country yet, but Obama’s cold and disrespectful attitude toward Israel has thrown fuel on the fire of anti-Semitism around the world and re-energized terrorists.
Israel and the United States have a bond and are linked in many ways. In a region of the world where force is used to govern and human rights are ignored, such as the barbaric treatment of women and girls, Israel is a beacon of freedom, hope and justice.
I wonder how many people still look at us that way.
FRANCIS
SANTAQUILAN