Can we return to civil expression?
The term “rant” is a catchy heading for your newspaper’s “25-words-or-less” musings. But I wonder if a newspaper the caliber of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press might invite a return to more civilized discourse with a less inflammatory heading – new forums in which people are given a voice can be informative.
We seem to be losing our ability to express divergent opinions civilly. It would be wonderful if your paper could help us take a step back away from tabloid hot-headedness with a format heading that offers readers the opportunity to express their positions courteously.
Patricia Sanders
Done with the GOP
I have voted Republican for 44 years, but this may be the last election where I bother to vote at all since the GOP establishment is proving it doesn’t deserve my support anymore.
Despite Donald Trump winning more primary votes of the people than any Republican nominee in history, the establishment crowd boycotted the convention. Now many say they’ll actually vote for Hillary Clinton (e.g., George H. W. Bush), and many more are undermining the Republican nominee instead of working for his election (e.g., Paul Ryan, John McCain).
The contrast in policy positions between Trump and Clinton is stark. Clinton’s positions on immigration, taxes, the Supreme Court, the Second Amendment, etc., assure that the decline of our nation will continue. It’s a turning point election, a last chance to correct our course. Yet the GOP leaders are showing that there is indeed not a dime’s worth of difference between the parties, at least at the leadership level.
Since they are content with Clinton as president, the Republican leaders have now become my political foes and have lost my support. Trump is the only hope of saving the dithering GOP.
Philip H. Lancaster
Lookout Mountain, Ga.
The ‘dead vote’ helps Democrats
Contrary to liberal spin, voter ID requirements do not disenfranchise minorities any more than the ID requirements for dozens of other things like buying a cell phone, picking up a drug prescription, purchasing a six-pack, or applying for welfare, food stamps or a wedding license.
People who are discriminated against are illegitimate voters, like the deceased, who highly favor Democratic candidates. As learned from the fraudulent activities of leftist organizations like ACORN, when the interred “turn out,” their party does quite well.
Regis Nicoll
Christians should pull support from Trump
Christians must not vote for Donald Trump, even if it means that Hillary gets elected. I made this decision on moral grounds, long before the latest unspeakable scandal.
Many of us have set aside such concerns in favor of questions of expediency, such as the future composition of the Supreme Court. So let me try an argument from expediency: Identifying ourselves with this man will set the cause of the Gospel in this country back far more than a Hillary presidency. Do we really want to receive credit for four to eight years of that?
Supporters of abortion rights have long suspected that those of us who oppose abortion don’t really care about women’s issues. Surely now anyone can see that a vote for this man will only prove them right.
If Christians identify their cause with this man, why should anyone listen to us about anything, ever again?
Herbert K. Lea
Chickamauga, Ga.
Trump tax plan helps only the rich
If Trump were to be elected president, estate taxes on the 1 percent of wealthiest people in America would be eliminated and their income tax would again be lowered to below the Bush era. Remember the economic result of that era?
Trump’s promise to the lowest tax group is reduction in payroll taxes. These fund Social Security and Medicare. Obviously, Trump and his family and his peer group have no need for either. Do you?
Lucy W. Taylor