Police thanked for security check
My doorbell rang unexpectedly one recent evening. I was surprised to see three Chattanooga police officers were standing on my doorstep. The lead officer said hello, explained that they were conducting neighborhood safety patrols, and noticed that I had left my house keys in the front-door lock. He handed over my keys and asked if I’d like them to walk through the house to make sure everything was secure.
I’d like to say thanks to the Chattanooga Police Department. Spotting misplaced house keys late at night and in the dark shows vigilance and attention to detail.
Rob Reagan
Voters should think for themselves
Some of my complaints about politics are about how ignorant voters are. The reason we are so encouraged to vote is to re-elect the leeches that are in Congress because they know the voters are not going to look at all sides; they will just listen to the blowhards in the media, and worse, the blowhard politicians themselves. By listening to them, we run out and re-elect the very ones who keep the problems going and not getting anything accomplished. Case in point. I heard Ted Cruz, who wants to be our president, was making a speech that he was not going to attend the State of the Union because of Obama. How blind. The State of the Union is a chance for us to learn how the country has done in the past year and the hope for our future. We have some choices.
Jack Pine
Dunlap, Tenn.
Obama ‘essence’ is arrogance
A recent letter, touting President Obama as the ‘essence of leadership,” begged for a response. While hindsight may suggest leaving Saddam Hussein in power would have been a wiser thing to do, it was a bipartisan agreement that sent troops to the Middle East to oust him. Not responding to 9/11 would have been unacceptable. Proper response will be debated in perpetuity.
The question is: Did Barack Obama act properly in dealing with the Middle East situation, which was handed to him when he became president? It is clear that top military advisers tried to persuade Obama not to pull significant numbers of troops out of Iraq precipitously. The president, however, seemed to think his Harvard law degree made him both smarter and wiser than numerous veteran military experts. Many believe that Obama’s actions further destabilized the Middle East, thereby opening the floodgates for groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. One could detail the administration’s missteps in Libya, Syria, Iran, etc., but suffice to say Obama’s handling of the Middle East is not “the essence of leadership.” It is perhaps, the essence of arrogance.
Bob Righter
Rising Fawn, Ga.
National parks are assets to be saved
A Jan. 4 Times Free Press article reported on our National Park System’s upcoming 100th birthday, including its major unfunded backlog of needed work/restorations on facilities, roads, bridges, trails, historic sites, etc.
Residents of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee are extremely fortunate to have numerous wonderful national parks available to them for historic/educational and recreational use Almost 8.5 million people visited the 12 Tennessee national parks in 2014. They spent more than $570 million, a vital boost to the state economy.
National parks are our heritage, and are therefore priceless. Surveys repeatedly show Americans treasure these parks and want them protected and maintained. Our lawmakers need to recognize our desire, and need to have our national parks adequately funded from now on.
Donald Box