Three Stooges could run country better
Crack pipes, lip balm, wet wipes – oh my.
I think people who came up with this idea [to give out “safe smoking kits,” of which crack pipes were said not to be included] should hand over their photo ID for all of us to know their identity. To spend $31 million for gift bags for the homeless is 100% asinine.
A large percentage of the homeless population has mental issues or are drug abusers. The government should be finding ways and money to address these issues. These are the root causes of homelessness, and we should start now.
I am shocked at the actions of our government. Homer Simpson, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Moe, Larry and Curly could do a better job of running our country. Lord, help us.
Ruth Cote
Doesn’t think much of COVID ‘study’
A letter in Sunday’s TFP accused the paper of the “bias of omission” for not reporting on a so-called “study” by Johns Hopkins University purporting to conclude that COVID lockdowns were not effective in reducing mortality. The study in question is actually a non-peer reviewed working paper written by three economists (only one of whom works for Johns Hopkins) with zero expertise in epidemiology or infectious diseases. This explains why the paper was released by the university’s School of Arts and Sciences and not Johns Hopkins’ world-renowned coronavirus Resource Center. Kudos to the TFP for not being snookered by fake science and adhering to the highest standards of journalistic excellence.
Brad Guagnini
Signal Mountain
Ex-teacher suggests ‘All But My Life’
In light of the recent discussion about the Holocaust, an alternate book is “All But My Life” by Gerda Weissmann Klein.
First published in 1957, it is the author’s account of her life from 14 to 21 under Nazi domination: Sept. 3, 1939, when the Nazis invaded her hometown in Poland, until her liberation on May 8, 1945, by the U.S. Army Fifth Infantry.
Used successfully at Girls Preparatory School during some of my years there (1977-2010), it provides a good introduction to the reality of the Holocaust. In addition, it is a love story as Gerda married Kurt Klein, the GI who freed her, and enjoyed many wonderful years until his death in 2002.
Love does triumph.
Mary Alice Wyatt
Editorial on Bible history ‘hyperbolic’
There were several hyperbolic statements in the Feb. 8 (Chattanooga Times) editorial, “Bible in the schools? …”
I am familiar with the curricula for the various elective Hamilton County Bible history courses. The material was approved by the judge as a result of a legal challenge. I assure you there is no “lesson on ‘how to torture a Jew’.” Perhaps in the course of showing students how offensive to Jews it would be to ask one to say something forbidden, the teacher spoke casually. Sloppy word choice is, however, different than teaching students how to torture someone. Words matter. Teachers need to be mindful of what they say.
You ask if we would be comfortable teaching Torah history. It’s already taught in three elective Bible history courses. The text used is the Bible – any version.
The comments about teaching Ku Klux Klan ideology make a terrible analogy and are over the top. This is not logical thinking we expect from the editor.
Bible literature and history broaden students’ foundations. Knowing more of the Torah and Quran would also be beneficial. Let students be familiar with each, and then be better equipped to make discerning decisions.
M.A. Milbank
Lookout Mountain, Ga.
Teach history, skip vile vulgarities
By all means, history should be and needs to be taught. The good, the bad and the ugly. Real history … the actual facts … not revisionist history, not misinformation, not cherry picking or changing the facts to advance one’s narrative.
Every citizen should know U.S. history from the beginning. There is certainly much to celebrate since our Founding Fathers created this nation, as well as many painful times in our country’s history. Study the lives of the men and women who helped build our nation.
Students and adults should have exposure to world history … again, the good, the bad and the ugly, to include such atrocities as: the Holocaust (about six million Jews killed and about five million others); Lenin killing an estimated three million of his people; Stalin was responsible for the deaths of between six and nine million people; Mao Zedong responsible for between 15 million and 55 million deaths.
History speaks for itself. We don’t need vulgar, vile, profane language to teach history. Nor does teaching need to be sexualized to communicate a point. I was always taught that the use of profanity and vile language was an indication of a poor vocabulary. Reasonable people understand that how an adult receives and processes information is different from a child. Our educators surely should know this.
Tom Francescon
Signal Mountain
8th-graders should be able to read ‘Maus’
Curious about the McMinn County Board of Education’s decision on the book “Maus.”
I ordered the book. It took awhile to get it but not as long to read it. I was shocked. I doubt there is an eighth-grader who is living in isolation with no access to the web and has somehow managed not to ever hear someone say a “dirty” word. The spot with author’s naked, suicidal mother in the bathtub is so small that I missed it at first; anyone who perceives it as pornography is seriously ill. “Maus” is an excellent book and not too extreme to be used for eighth graders to learn the horrors of the Holocaust.
W.B. Hayes
U.S. drowning in investigations
I wonder who or what cause will be investigated next? Over the course of my life, I have never seen the number of investigations as we have going on today. I wonder if I am the only one who is tired of the Democrats and Republicans acting like a bunch of kids who think the only way they know to get even is to investigate one another?
Just think, we had had to endure the Mueller, Barr, Flynn, Hillary, Clinton Foundation, Jan. 6, Trump, Hunter Biden, Kavanaugh, Benghazi, Afghanistan, Durham, FBI, Joe Biden probes in addition to others.
When we elect someone to represent us in Washington, we don’t anticipate them spending 75% of their time as Senate or congressional investigators. It is no wonder America is in the condition it is. We spend so much valuable time investigating those whom we do not like or disagree with and let important things fall through the cracks.
How many of you agree?
Ronnie Case
South Pittsburg