Years ago, as the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Chattanooga Division, captain, and later working as a marine surveyor, I tried to persuade "live-aboard" boaters to insist that their marina operators prepare for a fire and provide fire protection and safety before a fire happens.
For there is no question; a fire will happen sooner or later where bottled gas (propane) or electricity is used aboard for heating or cooking.
Fire in a close-packed line of floating homes - OK, they're "boats" - demands fast response. Preventing rapid spread requires preplanning and proper safety precautions and equipment.
Today, demand that your marina operators show you their plan and the necessary firefighting gear.
Bill Laudeman, Red Bank
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GOP has lost all sense of decency
The secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, berates and belittles an NPR reporter and uses the " F" word to her. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, praises the secretary, telling him, "You did a good job on her." Trump has multiple charges of sexual misconduct against him, and in light of his "grab 'em by the" vulgarism, there can be little doubt what he meant. Trump is a misogynist of the first order.
Why hasn't a single Republican senator or congressman criticized this president? Why are they silent? Do they agree with him, or do they lack the courage to confront him?
I am reminded of a time in the 1950s when Sen. Joseph McCarthy was savaging citizens, and his brethren remained silent. Finally, a courageous attorney, in defense of a colleague, asked McCarthy, "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you no sense of decency?"
Why are you silent, Sen. Alexander? Will you remain silent? Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, Sen. Alexander, have you no sense of decency?
Donald Strickland, Signal Mountain
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Corruption toward Trump 'unbelievable'
"Christianity Today" does not change my mind about our president. Nor does this newspaper.
Anyone who believes the rhetoric the Democrats have put out for the last few years is completely lacking in unbiased intelligence. The corruption of the FBI and the Left have been almost unbelievable.
He will be our president in 2020 and beyond.
Most Republicans are keeping quiet, but they will speak where it counts the most - the voting booth.
Janette Roberts
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Are you pro-life or anti-abortion?
You say I am anti-abortion. I say I am pro-life.
If you don't know the difference between the two, you're either lying to yourself or too stupid to know the difference.
That especially goes for the editorial braintrust of this paper.
John Turnipseed
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Starr is no star on impeachment
I sit with dropped jaw as Kenneth Starr, who spent untold millions of taxpayer dollars conducting endless, fruitless investigations against President Clinton, and who led the charge for impeachment, is with staggering irony and stupendous hypocrisy lecturing the Senate that presidential impeachment is too disruptive to national unity and is now occurring too frequently (three times in over 200 years), "even if a crime has been committed" (referring to Clinton's lying about a consensual sexual encounter).
I truly do fear for our country.
Lisa Erlendson Scott, Dayton
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Anti-semitism seen as on the rise again
Anti-semitism is clearly on the rise. My Jewish family, about a decade beyond the Holocaust, assured me this mindset would never happen again. Yet, it is happening.
The Left blames Trump, the father, grandfather, and father-in-law of Jews who did more to support Judaism than all other presidents combined and has repeatedly denounced hate of all stripes. But, whether it's the fabricated Russian hoax, collusion, obstruction or the embarrassingly ridiculous impeachment it's another opportunity to slam Trump.
In my judgment this rising exacerbation of hate is caused by:
Islamists coming to the U.S. and Europe to escape their culture but refusing to accept the cultures of their new homes. Some are in the halls of Congress.
Colleges and universities spewing anti-semitism and socialism. Not allowing conservative representation or free speech in general.
Embracing the BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) movement ostensibly to punish Israel but in reality hating Jews.
These are a few reasons. The rest is unfortunately the incorrect myths that have been perpetuated over time. Sad.
To my people let me suggest that unless you like being abused and taken for granted run like the wind from the real party of intolerance, today's Democrats.
Jerry Finkle
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U.S. national law officials partisan
More Trump derangement syndrome: In David Ignatius' column Monday, he blamed Trump for the FBI supplying incomplete or misleading information to the FISA court to allow spying on Carter Page. This included outright lying to the court by an FBI official.
Ignatius said candidate Trump "spooked" the FBI. I never heard that the FBI was "spooked" when President Obama said to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, "After my election, I have more flexibility."
What spooks me is that we now have a national law enforcement agency that is partisan.
Kris Riefler
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Where all Trump's salary went to help
Something you would not see from the billionaire Democrats. Trump made charitable paychecks to:
* First quarter 2017: National Park Service to help with maintenance projects
* Second quarter 2017: Department of Education to fund STEM-focused camps for students
* Fourth quarter 2017: Department of Transportation to support U.S. crumbling infrastructure
* First quarter 2018: Department of Veterans' Affairs to support caregiver programs
* Second quarter 2018: Small Business Administration to assist veterans transitioning from military to private sector
* Third quarter 2018: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for research
* Fourth quarter 2018: Department of Homeland Security
* First quarter 2019: Department of Agriculture
* Second quarter 2019: Office of the Surgeon General
Now that is someone who loves the USA, and I would challenge any Dems such as Schumer, Pelosi, Nadler, Sanders, Maxine Waters and others to do that.
Mona Lovelady, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
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Blackburn owes country an apology
Marsha Blackburn is an embarrassment to the state of Tennessee, the U.S. Senate and our country. To besmirch the reputation of a decorated, injured Iraq war veteran based on lies and hearsay is nothing short of cowardice and an attention-grabbing ploy. It worked.
President Trump retweeted one of her tweets, and she was rewarded with an interview (when she was supposed to be in the Senate chamber) by Fox News' Laura Ingraham, another one of President Trump's groupies. This is what our political climate has deteriorated into - reward for indecency.
Lt. Col. Vindman's father fled Soviet Russia with his family in search of a better life. Marsha Blackburn's flimsy version of the truth about Vindman's background and his service to our country is reprehensible and hypocritical.
If Marsha wants to question someone's service to our country, she needs look no further than our president, another decorated war veteran, Lt. Bone Spurs. She owes Vindman and our country an apology.
Rebecca Rochat