Tivoli: Enforce no-film provision
On May 2, we had the pleasure of attending the performance of Celtic Woman at the Tivoli. What an outstanding and enjoyable program.
It is a crying shame that portions of the performance had to be ruined by the inconsiderate people who are obsessed with their smartphones and have to film the performance. They are completely oblivious of the people around them who came to enjoy the performance without someone in front of them having their vision blocked by them holding up their phone.
I am sure that there are signs posted that flash photography or video is prohibited. It's a shame that the Tivoli management does not enforce the prohibition.
Melvin Willett
Edgy about Trump's irrational behavior
I am at a loss to understand why President Trump continues to be allowed to remain in office. I am a mental health professional with 32 years of experience in the mental health field. Much of what he has demonstrated since his inauguration, and even prior to that, has been reflective of an emotionally unstable person, with significant cognitive and behavioral issues.
I do not consider him to be either stupid or crazy. Nor do I hate him. I am mostly concerned for the welfare of this country and the things he is capable of doing with his demonstrations of erratic and self-absorbed leadership. The power that accompanies his elected office seems to inspire and motivate him beyond what might otherwise be viewed and tolerated, or perhaps even be found entertaining, as a wealthy eccentric.
The audience and participants of his reality TV show not only include citizens of this country but the entire world. I also wonder about those politicians who seem to be resigned to this, even enabling him in a variety of ways, except to observe when it is to their benefit.
Becky Young
Signal Mountain
Ditch chaplains; hire professionals
Eric Dorn's article, "Why not just fire all congressional chaplains?," was right on target, but it did not go far enough. Members of Congress can attend religious services of their choice whenever they wish; they do not need taxpayer-funded clergy at their workplace. Furthermore, members of the military do not need this perk, either. However, they may very well need taxpayer-provided emotional support from trained professionals while in combat situations; this would be a proper use of tax dollars.
John D. Beck
Ooltewah
We can't survive calling evil good
It's been said a nation can survive its people doing evil things, but a nation cannot survive its people calling evil good. If we don't resist this frantic, frenzied, violent demand we immediately embrace and celebrate things we knew to be immoral a few years ago, we will slide further from God's created order and into darkness. Normalizing sin and teaching it to our children has the enemy licking his chops.
Here's some prophetic words:
"It is a characteristic of any decaying civilization that the great masses of the people are unaware of the tragedy. Humanity in a crisis is generally insensitive to the gravity of the times in which it lives. Men do not want to believe their own times are wicked, partly because they have no standard outside of themselves by which to measure their times. If there is no fixed concept of justice, how shall men know it is violated?
"Only those who live by faith really know what is happening in the world; the great masses without faith are unconscious of the destructive processes going on, because they have lost the vision of the heights from which they have fallen." - Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Peter Comaskey
Friendship, love come with accent
In response to a recent article about the South:
Once upon a time, I was a real Southern kid down yonder in Alabama. I would probably still be there, but WWII interfered. I traveled over our country with my dad, who was a flight trainer in the Air Force. I went to three different high schools and was always known as the "new girl with the Southern accent." In fact, my nickname was "Alabam."
Many years passed, but I still have a slight Alabama accent. I use correct grammar, but that is more than many of my Northern friends do. My days in elementary school were known as "grammar school." I'm fixin' to tell them they should not end a sentence with "at". Many of our TV commentators need to know this. "Y'all" is correct English. It's a contraction for you all. And "all y'all" means everyone.
I've lived in Tennessee for years and love it. Many have come South, now, from other places and understand that with our accent come friendship and love. Some wish they had a Southern accent and want me to teach them!
I reckon that's what I like about the South.
Marge McNutt
Signal Mountain
Teachers sold out by Dr. Johnson?
The new principal appointments and the heads of the learning communities show that there is no benefit in working your tail off for advancement.
Dr. Johnson obviously thinks that Hamilton County teachers are not qualified to become principals. Rhonda Thurman and other board members, see what you did in hiring Dr. Johnson? You sold our local teachers out. We need a new school board; they sold our hard-working teachers out when they hired Dr. Johnson.
Pat Ricketts
Soddy-Daisy
Legislators eschew Medicaid expansion
So what if 63 percent of Tennessee voters support Medicaid expansion? Our Tennessee legislature doesn't, and that's all that matters. They don't represent us. They have their own agenda. Yet, they still get re-elected. When will the voters wake up and realize that just because there's an "R" beside a person's name, it doesn't mean they belong in Nashville?
Lauren Pieniaszek
Ooltewah
Mr. President, the swamp's not so bad
Mr. President,
You have often stated a campaign promise to "drain the swamp," which I presume you are using as a metaphor for cleaning up the corruption in our government. As one who grew up in South Louisiana, I spent a lot of time hunting, fishing, and camping in the natural swamps, and I can say they are not all bad. That kind of swamp can be not only interesting and challenging, but full of beautiful plants and fascinating animals - literally teeming with life of all kinds.
Mr. President, you have not drained the swamp of political life in our country. Through your inherent cruelty and pettiness, your corrupt appointments, and most of all your continuous lying, you have turned the swamp of our political life into a cesspool. The only life in a cesspool is bacteria.
May God help us.
Rev. H. Hunter Huckabay, Jr.