Homeowner thanks fire department
I am writing to show my appreciation to the volunteer Grundy County Fire Department for saving my home and property.
You are very much appreciated.
H.D. Shipley, Sequatchie, Tenn.
***
Trump vote was military disrespect
Veterans Day was last week. I’m a Vietnam helicopter pilot and USAF Academy graduate. Today, I feel less proud of my service than ever before.
My father, a West Point graduate, was senior desk officer for Vietnam in the office of the Joint Chiefs. Along with two first cousins, U.S. Naval Academy graduates, we all flew in Vietnam. My father also flew in WWII and Korea. We bleed red, white and blue.
Our new commander in chief evaded serving in Vietnam. My father taught me you never order someone to do what you are unwilling to do.
Trump demeaned John McCain’s heroism, insulted a Gold Star family and claimed to know more than the generals about ISIS. Another businessman who thought he knew more than the generals was Robert McNamara. His interference in tactical decisions of experienced generals resulted in many deaths of American soldiers.
Heard all this before? Precisely the point. All of America heard all of this, and still nearly 60 million voters chose to appoint this man as commander in chief. Many of them will say all sorts of patriotic stuff today. To me, it feels like disrespect on an enormous scale.
Maurice Martin
***
Writer swayed by fake headlines
This newspaper and The New York Times have run some excellent articles about fake headlines that the writer of a letter published last Friday (“Plenty to fear about Obama/Clinton”) needs to read.
Conspiracy theorists are easily duped by such sites. A list appears on the website fakenewswatch.com.
The Affordable Care Act replaced overpriced insurance plans that had limited coverage while giving the poor financial aid – no lie there. Between 2001 and 2015, some 235,960 Americans were murdered, only 33 by Muslim Americans. There were more Jewish acts of terrorism within the United States than Islamic. Non-Muslims committed more than 90 percent of all terrorism in America (globalresearch.ca).
The Constitution says, “Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion.” Democrats, assert your rights to religious freedom, not a right to discriminate. The letter writer freely exercised his First Amendment right by writing to this newspaper – politically correct.
David Bean, Chatsworth, Ga.
***
Are Trump, Ryan on the same page?
Recent reports indicate that House Speaker Paul Ryan plans to push through a plan to privatize Medicare. Donald Trump said during the campaign that he wanted to preserve the current system. So, Trump voters, is this what you wanted or expected?
It makes no sense for seniors to have to deal with private insurance companies. Have you ever had to fight an insurance company to pay a claim? Well, it’s an extremely frustrating experience. And really, does it make sense to force 90-year-olds to try to figure out what’s in an insurance policy and whether a policy is best for them?
The average policy is indecipherable; there are all sorts of possibilities for scams and other problems. Medicare has been a successful program. One of its benefits is that it provides a lot of certainty (one less thing to worry about).
I can’t believe the average Trump voter thinks this is a good idea, which brings up another point. Just because your guy got elected doesn’t mean his agenda is going to be adopted. There are even more extreme figures in Congress who have their own ideas.
Brian Hamilton