Fleischmann fails to consider constituents
Last month I was part of a group of Chattanoogans, including a pediatrician, an immigration attorney and an Episcopal priest, who gathered at Rep. Chuck Fleischmann’s office to express our concern about family separations at the border. We’d held similar gatherings at the offices of Sens. Corker and Alexander in June.
Why the delay with Fleischmann? It took us two months to get a half-hour meeting with his staff, as opposed to two and six days, respectively, to get hour-long meetings with Corker’s and Alexander’s staffs.When our group of 20 arrived at Fleischmann’s office downtown, I was told that the majority couldn’t attend, even though we’d waited two months for the meeting expressly because it took his staff that long to accommodate our numbers. (By comparison, Corker’s staff readily let our crowd of 60 squeeze in.) Only after I suggested moving the meeting outside did Fleischmann’s staff relent.
This disdain for constituents is typical of the Fleischmann operation, which has spent eight years avoiding the public. If not for fundraisers and photo ops, Fleischmann might as well be Sasquatch.
We in Tennessee’s Third District deserve better. Remember that in November, and vote Dr. Danielle Mitchell for Congress.
Allison Gorman
Protect 1st Amendment; it protects all of us
I’ve never taken a knee during the playing of the national anthem, and I’ve never burned our flag, but I fully support the right of those who do both as an expression of the rights provided them by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. That document, and especially the First Amendment, are important to me. That’s why I joined the Army and served on active duty and in the Army Reserve for 28 years. Just as a reminder, here is what it says:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Anyone who attempts to “abridge” those rights is not worthy of our support.
James M. Hemsley
Bo Watson must be kowtowing to a few
An open letter to state Sen. Bo Watson:
You’ve asked the Office of Legislative Budget Analysis to review Tennessee’s state-financed colleges and universities with Nike contracts. You did this on behalf of constituents who are upset about the Nike ad which includes Colin Kaepernick, the first professional athlete to take a knee during the national anthem to protest social injustices to African-Americans citizens.
We don’t agree on many issues, but I’m willing to bet we agree on the power of the free marketplace. I’m also willing to bet we agree you were not elected to the state Senate to soothe the feelings of a subset of your constituents.
You don’t want Colin Kaepernick and other professional athletes to use peaceful means to protest social injustices.
Well, I don’t want you and other members of the legislature to use the legislative process to force your beliefs on me.
If you aren’t happy with the University of Tennessee’s decision to use Nike equipment, I suggest you protest the UT football program by not using the free tickets you receive. Just mail those tickets to your anti-Nike constituents. I’m willing to bet they’ll use them. Just do it.
Annie Hall
Signal Mountain