Greeson misses point of travel ban
In response to TFP columnist Jay Greeson’s Jan. 12 column on California’s travel ban: I am amazed that he could use so much space calling out California’s supposed failures without once directly mentioning a key component of what prompted California’s boycott. This is not just about “counselors in our state [deciding] who they do and do not see;” the law is flatly discriminatory against LGBT individuals.
California did what many of us do all the time: Refuse to put its money toward things it finds objectionable. I do it, too. If I know a company has policies I disagree with, I try to avoid spending my money there. I’m sure I’m not alone in such behavior. So, Tennessee discriminates against its own citizens, California enacts a (limited-impact) boycott, and Greeson is more upset about the boycott? If this is an indication of his priorities, maybe that’s why I usually skip his column.
Shawn Trivette
Trump falls short in dignity, grace
As I watched President Obama give an impromptu speech to a media gathering honoring the service of an American treasure, [Vice President] Joe Biden, a few things occurred to me.
Whether you agreed/disagreed with President Obama, at some point in the future I feel certain we are going to miss the grace and dignity he brought to the highest office in the world.
I cannot imagine our president-elect honoring anyone other than himself. Especially after his first news conference in 180 days where he barked, bullied and did his misdirection campaign of false indignation against the media to throw them off the scent of his conflict of interests.
I cannot think of a bigger contrast between any past president and the president-elect when it comes to class and dignity.
Impeachment cannot be far away. I can only think of the Caine Mutiny to draw a good example. A novel by Herman Wouk, made into a movie, it was about a ship’s captain at sea who, when his subordinates all determined he was insane (and liked strawberries), locked him in the brig.
Tim Engel
Reader seeks news from other sources
For years I have taken your paper because I felt I should pay for it since you published my letters. I have endured its descent into a rag that is a cross between Ebony and Pravda, laced with ads pushing pictures and vice, so much so that I have to hide it from the visiting children. Worse, the half-truth headlines are often contradictory to the body of articles themselves. One can only guess why this is, deliberate or incompetent, which reflects the philosophy of bad government and yellow journalism. Every issue that would promote patriotism or our foundational principles is relegated as controversial. Why?
I have been the brunt of your mocking cartoons more than once, not because I was a traitor or criminal, but because I represented God and the Bible more than once, as an individual exercising my God-given right not to just be part of the non-entity consumer but to make a mark for the God of our father. From now on I will get my news from the internet or other more reliable sources.
June Griffin
Dayton, Tenn.
Trump vote helped save U.S. from Clinton
I can assure you that Russia had nothing to do with my vote for Donald Trump. It was Hillary Clinton. I feel like I helped save America, not because I voted for Trump but because I voted against Hillary.
Bobby McKeel
GOP tripping all over ACA fix
There has been no explanation of exactly what is wrong with the ACA or how the GOP would correct it. There is just a mindless rush to get rid of Obamacare.
It does a lot of good things such as providing coverage for pre-existing conditions, child coverage until the age of 26, doing away with life-time dollar limits, charging same rates regardless of age or condition, prohibiting insurers from dropping coverage if you become sick, and requiring insurers to spend 80-85 percent of premium dollars on health costs.
Costs are higher than expected in some states, which can be expected when it is cheaper for the young healthy people to pay a penalty rather than buy insurance. That leaves the older and sicker population that naturally has higher costs. That is easily fixed with a higher penalty for not enrolling.
I think the GOP will do nothing and hope the public will forget all about it. Do not forget it and remember who is responsible when you don’t have insurance.
Can it be improved? Yes. But it is a travesty that the GOP would leave millions without insurance coverage because of politics!
James Cross
Menlo, Ga.