Gun owner urges secure storage
As a gun owner and hunter, I support responsible gun ownership. But, as a parent and grandparent, I worry about the lack of secure gun storage, safety and education in our community and state.
This is an American problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), firearms are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for children ages 1-19. Kids are involved in many accidental firearm deaths, and gun access triples the risk of suicide. Kids know where the family firearms are kept. In Tennessee last year, 55% of gun deaths were suicides.
Please, secure your firearm when not in use, unloaded in a lock box, or with a trigger lock, and never unattended in your vehicle. Model responsible firearm use, and teach your kids to treat any gun as if it is loaded. And recognize the role guns play in suicide. I lost my brother and a teenage nephew to suicide by loose, loaded guns taken without permission.
Free trigger locks are available in Tennessee from local law enforcement agencies.
If you, or a family member, feels suicidal, or is in crisis, dial or text to 988, or chat via 988lifeline.org for help and support.
April Cook
Lookout Mountain, Tenn.
Embrace the ‘clash of ideas’
The clash of ideas is a natural part of political campaigns. Ideally, the give-and-take should leave us with a better understanding of what America is all about. In practice, it has devolved into the demonization of individuals whose points of view differ from our own. We end up with an “us vs. them” standoff, and we talk about “fighting” for our side. This doesn’t necessarily mean violent persuasion, but it is easy to slip into that.
Why don’t we talk instead about dedication to our beliefs and the willingness to commit ourselves to a cause such as the preservation of a free and fair nation as declared in the document we celebrate every July Fourth?
And why don’t we, when we congregate for our campaigns, conclude with Abraham Lincoln’s plea: “With malice toward none and charity toward all … let us bind up the wounds of the nation …”?
Boyce Brawley
Lower Mill, Market St. need to have paving
I recently saw where the road in front of CSAS was partially replaced. I am sure it was not before it was needed. However, Mayor Tim Kelly made campaign promises to fill potholes and repair lots of roads.
Unless you live in East Brainerd, you have not witnessed that, and now Highway 58 is in the process of being repaved. For those of us who live in Hixson and have to travel Lower Mill Road to get to Highway 153, we have endured patchwork for many years, and the manholes make their way back to the surface like roots of trees.
Many citizens have pleaded with City Councilman Ken Smith to have it paved, but he has now decided to abandon one of his government positions without seeing this accomplished. I also travel Market Street almost daily, and for a road to be in such terrible repairs and in the center of the tourism district is inexcusable.
Maybe something will get done if there are any funds left after the stadium is completed.
Bill Marsh
Republicans trying to shrink democracy
The Aug. 12 edition of the TFP carried a Tennessee Lookout report by Cassandra Stephenson that stated, “Tennessee lawmakers are pushing back against a July court decision that allowed Nashville to keep its 40-member metro council.” The Court of Appeals had agreed 2-1 with Nashville. Gov. Lee and other state officials are appealing the court’s decision.
The article would have been more accurate had it reported, “Tennessee’s Republican lawmakers are pushing back against a July court decision that allowed Nashville to keep its 40-member metro council. The ruling blocks a scheme to reduce the number of council seats and give Republicans the opportunity to gerrymander the city so they can dominate Nashville as they do the state.”
Most assuredly, Tennessee is a “red state,” and this “pushing back” is a blatant attempt by Tennessee’s governor and legislative Republicans to put party over people. Some today say Republicans are trying to make a more autocratic, less democratic society. Those in the party say they are not trying to diminish democracy, but in this case their actions seem to speak louder than their words.
Grady S. Burgner
Ooltewah
Where shall we find enough rope?
Back in the early west, the law was that a man who steals another man’s horse was hanged. Another more recent was/is that anyone who advocates the overthrow of the U.S. government is guilty of treason and shall be hanged. How much rope do we have?
Glen Moultrie
Plan now for MAGA violence after election
This election scares me. Trump’s rhetoric could cause some from MAGA to resort to violence. I worry that when I travel I-75, someone flying a drone could drop an explosive unto the freeway. It’s possible someone could leave a pressure cooker bomb in a store parking lot. Crazy people should scare all of us.
President Biden believes there won’t be a peaceful transfer of power if Donald Trump loses in November. Planning to counteract this should begin now.
I don’t want anything bad to happen to our beautiful United States of America. All politicians should stop any reference to violence in their speaking, texts and e-mails.
Joel Blake