Thank you, David Cook. You hit the nail on the head with your column (“A trip to Montgomery: How free are we?”) about the Peace and Justice Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.
My husband and I went last year and are still haunted by the facts.
Being a white woman of 77 who was sheltered in the South through segregation in the Jim Crow era, I can say how shaken I was (am still). And my husband, who is English, just does not understand how it could happen. He sees it as apartheid.
We have read Byron Stevenson’s “Just Mercy” and recently watched the HBO documentary about him and his efforts to bring to light the injustice that still pervades this country.
I encourage everyone, especially our politicians, to visit Montgomery and see the work that has been started toward equal justice. There is much to be done.
Sue Carol Elvin
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Some sacrificed for good of party
President Trump called off a possibly devastating attack on Iran to prevent collateral damage.
Too bad liberal Democrat leaders never have to worry about such trivialities, because they long ago agreed some innocents must be sacrificed for the good of the party. To whit: The widely publicized photo of a dead father and his baby floating in the Rio Grande; they couldn’t make it to our shore safely, after trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
The photo is now disgustingly being used as a Democrat campaign prop, amazingly blaming Trump, when he is actually attempting to stop the carnage at our Southern border by proper applications, vetting, medical exams, DNA testing, etc. This is just one more sickening example of liberal double cross: Grab headlines by blaming conservatives for something your own people caused.
But make no mistake, the deaths at these borders are, in twisted liberal thinking, a small price to pay for the potential of illegal votes in California, New York, Washington, Illinois, and anywhere else that no valid proof of U.S. citizenship is required. Their dream of a one-party socialist nation is the ultimate goal and will be accomplished if not stopped.
John Bergen
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Democratic debates didn’t impress
I watched the recent Democratic debates. I hope you all got more out of it than I did.
For one thing, I could not believe what was coming out of their mouths. Are there people out there who will actually vote for one of those candidates? It’s hard to believe the answer could be yes. The programs they want to enact are great if you have trillions of dollars to pay for them. We would all love free things, but it is not realistic.
I’m a conservative, but no matter what your political beliefs are, common sense would tell you the Democratic Party has lost its way and is not the party it used to be.
Being 73 years old, I’m not concerned for me, but I am for my grandchildren.
Please take time and consider carefully what the Democrats are proposing and considering doing to this country when voting next election. God Bless America.
Tom Fricke, Spring City, Tennessee
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Men’s input on abortion too much
To the writer of last Sunday’s letter to the editor, “Pro-abortion side is indefensible:”
What if it were your daughter who was raped and became pregnant? Or your 14-year-old-daughter went too far because she thought she loved him? Or your wife was pregnant with a baby that would not live but a few hours? Would you really inflict that kind of pain on someone you love?
And how nice for men that they have a choice whether to take responsibility for the pregnancy. A choice whether to raise that child.
So until the men in our society are held to the same consequences of the pregnancy as the women, they should stay out of it.
Kim Collum
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Bible clarification on homosexuality
There are six major passages that deal with homosexuality in the Bible (Genesis 19; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians. 6:9,10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11)
The Bible never condemns being a homosexual. The Bible condemns homosexual activity. The Bible never condemns being a heterosexual. The Bible condemns heterosexual activity outside of marriage. The concept of marriage is clearly heterosexual between a man and a woman in the Bible (Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:3-9).
The Bible never speaks of a loving, monogamous homosexual relationship. So, to support homosexual activity and homosexual marriage and to be Christian means that you place your church tradition above Scripture as your final authority.
A heterosexual can say, “I was born this way. I cannot help how I feel about the opposite sex.” A homosexual can say, “I was born this way. I cannot help how I feel about the same sex.” What you cannot say is, “Because I feel this way, it must be in alignment with the will of God expressed in the Bible.” What you should say is, “Following Christ means to follow His Word, regardless of my sexual orientation.”
Craig Ervin, Harrison
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If Democrats got their way in office
I am running for president. I support:
Taxes: 13% rate for everyone earning more than $40 K/year (except: Republicans, who will pay a 37% rate).
Immigration: Once someone reaches U.S. soil: free medical, housing, food, $300/week and 5-year exemption on income taxes.
Education: Free education up to PhD, with $200/week expense money and major discounts on goods.
International Relations: Invest more money in the U.N. and the environment; plus devalue the dollar.
Economy: Pass legislation requiring a union for every business with three employees or more.
National Debt: There is no national debt, so don’t worry about it.
Term Limits: 20 terms for the Senate, 10 terms for the House (exception: Republicans have only one term).
Congressional Pay: $300K for the Senate, $200K for the House (exception: Republicans get 1/2 of amounts).
Infrastructure: Improvements only in blue states.
Voting Rights: Open to anyone who can get to the poll (or polls); no registration or ID required.
National Security: No need for the military, police or fire departments.
Please vote for me. Save the USA!
I.B. Runnen
C.S. Beck
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GOP caused rural health care losses
Who is responsible for failure to expand Medicaid in Tennessee under Obamacare?
Who is responsible for reimbursement cuts to Medicare in Tennessee?
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reduced the reimbursements for a program that allows rural hospitals to buy drugs at significant discounts. Republicans suggested turning Medicaid into a block grants as a fix. That would just lead to more funding cuts leaving hospitals worse off than before.
Rural Tennesseans should search this topic: ‘State-by-state breakdown of 102 rural hospital closures.”
Rural voters might want to ask themselves who is responsible for hospital closings.
Michael Bartley