Fly flags, pray for troops, be proud
Where are all the American people? You can look around and see the people who are Americans – very few have flags flying in their place of business or homes. Can’t we fly American flags to let people know we are Americans and also to represent our boys who are fighting to keep us free over here? I think all American businesses should fly American flags. How beautiful the flag is flying – take a look at it. Also, pray for our troops. Let’s act like Americans and be proud of our soldiers. I am.
Irene Blake Tucker
Prosecute torture sanctioners
The 18 U.S. Code § 2340 defines torture as the infliction of “severe physical or mental pain or suffering.” It, along with the International Convention Against Torture, to which the United States is subject, criminalizes the infliction of torture, by those acting under color of law, outside the United States. It makes no difference whether the subjects of torture are our enemies. The attorney general should appoint a special prosecutor to investigate and, if appropriate, bring criminal charges against those who actively (and with respect to Dick Cheney, proudly) broke these laws. We cannot choose to insulate any citizen of our country who violates the law, especially those in positions of the greatest trust. The torture carried out by our government, mostly in secret until now, must be dealt with publicly and with due haste.
John Cavett Jr.
Spiegel hasn’t solved problems
I think it’s marvelous that Chattanooga was able to hire a mental giant from out of town to run our homegrown/owned hospital – Erlanger. Not every city could be as lucky.
Kevin Spiegel, chief executive officer, can solve terrible situations in just a few words, i.e., “we will give the bonuses in two stages.”
Does he not know that still amounts to the same total dollars?
Also, why aren’t Erlanger retirees up in arms about how they have been treated by Mr. Spiegel and his management staff over their health coverage and retirement? Hopefully, the state legislative body will intervene.
And, two other problems he has solved so well are Erlanger’s war with United Health Insurance and Blue Cross in the past.
Beulah Mae Cunningham
Believers should look outside box
Responding to Pastor Bo’s recent article “Believing in God requires brains:” Pastor Bo points out that Isaac Newton was a believer.
Keep in mind that Newton was born in 1642, over three centuries ago when scientific knowledge of the universe was a minuscule fraction of what it is today.
The pastor names a few scientists and astronauts who have been or are still believers. Regrettably, there are a few religious scientists.
My primary gripe with a lot of believers is that they’re boring. Their minds don’t seem inquisitive enough to go outside the box of the Bible to question the nature of things. Their take: The Bible said it, and that’s good enough for them, even though the Bible was written when a wheelbarrow was considered high technology.
At least most scientists have the guts to question and explore. How creative a scientist can you be if you let your research be confined by a religious book? And if a so-called scientist rejects the findings of science, as with the subject of evolution, in favor of the creationist story in the Bible, then I would contend that scientist is no scientist at all – more like a religious sheep.
Roger Davis
13th Amendment ended slavery
The Times’ Dec. 31 editorial about race contained a popular misconception about the end of slavery. Slavery in the U.S. did not end with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. That document declared slaves free in states and territories still at war with the Union.
Four slave states, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri (commonly referred to as the Border States), remained loyal to the Union. Lincoln opposed slavery, but he dared not declare total abolition because that action may have driven the Border States to join the Confederacy.
The original goal of the North was to keep states from seceding. Later in the war, the end of slavery became a moral goal. This also ensured England and France could never openly support the Confederacy. Total abolition in the United States did not occur until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865.
You also reference the phrase “all men are created equal” from the Declaration of Independence. Few people know that Thomas Jefferson’s original draft of the document called for the end of the slave trade.
The original draft was edited against Jefferson’s wishes because the Southern colonies would have never supported the Declaration with the abolition clause included.
Jeff Fisher
Is TVA board vote crony capitalism?
In December, the Times Free Press reported that two of Obama’s choices for TVA’s board had to promise Senate Republicans they would recuse themselves from a vote to be elected. But was their agreement really the reason they were allowed out of committee to receive a fair up or down vote in the Senate? Does promising to vote a certain way in exchange for something you want sound like crony capitalism to you? Does it sound constitutional?
Over the past few years, TVA’s Bellefonte nuclear plant has become synonymous with the term “money pit.” Looking at the writing on the wall, it is highly unlikely construction on Bellefonte is going to resume any time soon.
What did Democrats really agree to in exchange for a fair vote? Perhaps they agreed to direct taxpayer dollars toward a “money pit” in McConnell’s own backyard.
Was this a purely fiscal decision or was it based in cronyism? Does it make sense to inject between $175 million to $225 million in taxpayer dollars into two 134 MW units of a 58-year-old Shawnee plant when a 1096 MW natural gas plant would cost $325 million?
Pat Jackson
Think viaducts for Corridor K
TDOT’s proposal for a 6-mile tunnel for Corridor K through the mountains of the Ocoee Gorge still gives me indigestion.
While a tunnel would be less destructive to the gorge than earlier proposals, it’s still plenty destructive – and is proposed for only 6 of the 20 or so miles the new road would have to traverse.
What about the remainder? Is it still full on destruction of one of the wildest and most scenic areas of our region, the only site in Tennessee where the Olympics have been held?
Unfortunately, this proposal will still strand our nation in more debt to China, will still soil our streams and rupture our mountains and will be another road prone to rock slides, fog and accidents (far underground).
A much better alternative is to keep what we’ve got or rebuild sections of the existing highway. A couple of well placed viaducts similar to those along the Blue Ridge Parkway could easily alleviate all of the rock slide potential as well as leave us with only one road to maintain.
Will Lance
Couple applauds Cleaveland’s work
Thank you for Dr. Clif Cleaveland’s interesting and informative articles. My husband and I both enjoy reading them. Serious or humorous, they offer good-to-know information.
Dainy Garland Masic