In a Sunday letter to the editor (“Racism alive in parking lot?”), the writer accuses racism, but the letter itself shows he is the racist. His letter is based on a race alone, with no information of the officer’s action being based on race. The assumption of “based on race” was by the writer.
He did not take any action to find out why the officer had turned on his lights and spoke to the other driver. The officer “appeared to examine us before turning on his lights “. Did the officer need to “examine us” if race was the issue? He automatically assumed it was race, classic racism.
Was he too racist to simply go ask the other driver what the officer wanted? Scared of a black man?
He is a bigot against police. He says nothing about bad actions by the officer, but he talks about police brutality. The letter indicates the writer is just a bigot against police.
I believe the color of someone’s skin or the legal occupation of someone is not indicative of any other assumed trait. But the writer’s words and actions are. Racism and bigotry from all sides are wrong. The letter writer showed both.
Jim Hill
Harrison
Advocating for Alzheimer’s cure
There are 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s (120,000 in Tennessee) and more than 16 million (435,000 in Tennessee) unpaid Alzheimer’s caregivers.
More than 1,200 advocates from across the nation just returned from the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C.
On Capitol Hill, we asked our senators and Congressman Fleischmann to support legislation to provide researchers, clinicians and caregivers with resources necessary to combat Alzheimer’s. Also, we urged increased funding for research at the National Institutes of Health. Rep. Fleischmann as a ranking member of the Appropriations Committee is crucial to moving these funding requests forward.
I also met and thanked Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, for her part in introducing the BOLD Act and helping it get passed in December 2018.
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the nation (fourth in Tennessee).
There is no prevention, no cure, no survivors. I know. My husband was diagnosed in 2004 at the age 57 and passed away in June 2018. I had the privilege of taking care of him. Now I will advocate for him.
You can help too. Visit alz.org or alzimpact.org.
Andrea “Andi” Erwin
Collegedale
Incarcerated women treated inhumanely
There are about 209,000 women incarcerated in the state of Tennessee. Facilities are not required to provide these women with appropriate health care items to accommodate their needs. When the items are provided, they are limited in quantity. If women are not provided with the needed health care items or are given limited quantity, they are required to purchase them at the commissary or go without. It is cruel, unusual and inhumane to allow women to go without health care necessities while incarcerated. Going without proper health care items leads to infections and illness.
Furthermore, pregnant women are not receiving the appropriate prenatal care while incarcerated. Pregnant women who are incarcerated are being forced to give birth while restrained by shackles. This is unsafe and increases risk for the mother and child. Incarcerated women do not have a voice. We must advocate for the health, dignity and humanity of our women, incarcerated or not.
Erin Bennett
Collegedale