To Chattanooga Times Free Press readers,
The fourth grade students at Aviston Elementary School, located in southern Illinois, is learning about the United States and the different environments, climates, resources and highlights found in each region.
The students think it would be fun and informative to receive postcards, souvenirs, newspaper articles or any information about our great country from each of the 50 states.
We hope that people who read this letter will be interested in mailing our class any such items about Tennessee.
Our address is Fourth Grade at Aviston Elementary School, 350 South Hull St., Aviston, Illinois, 62216.
A sincere "thank you" to all who can contribute. We appreciate the excitement you will add to our learning experience.
Hannah, Ethan, Dominc, Lily, Owen, Meyer, Landen, Leo, Chase, Halle, Peyton, Owen, Mallory, Dayton, Alexis, Eme, Neve, Kolten, Jake, Bianca, Maddox, Addy, Brady, Alysse, and Mrs. Niemeyer
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OK, voters, it's now up to us
Senate Republicans shamelessly failed to listen to 75 percent of registered voters - 65 percent Republicans - who wanted a fair and real trial with witnesses and documents. It is the day the Senate died. So, now we the people become the real judge and jury on getting justice next November.
Regardless of how you feel about Trump, we should all expect our lawmakers, especially Republicans, to not sell out our country or the Constitution. The damage they've done with this sham just to save their political rear end and addiction to power will be costly to our democracy -maybe for decades. Whether it is irreversible comes down to us again. It's clear that McConnell and his cronies, including Marsha Blackburn and Lamar Alexander, basically have no concern for your or my wishes or the country's future.
Understand this - we are on our own now, but we have a collective voice. Martialed together we decide who will be president and who will sit in the Senate or House who is worthy of representing us.
Get involved. Learn who best supports your interests. Register to vote. Help others register. Go to the polls and let Trump and Republicans know that enough is enough.
Greg Williams, Signal Mountain
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Obama endured a lot of hate
Thanks to running the recent letter to the editor reminding us all of the hate shown to Barack Obama during his eight years as president by the Republican Party. The letter writer is correct. Republicans have very selective memory or no memory at all when it comes to the hate Obama and his family endured during his tenure.
Martha Atkins
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Partisanship trumps integrity in Senate
I expected the Republican majority in the Senate to conduct sketchy business as usual on Jan. 31, 2020, and protect Trump by not allowing witnesses in the impeachment trial. Unfortunately, their actions also formally marked the death of integrity in the Senate.
Cheap partisan politics has "trumped" integrity and character in the halls of Congress - to the detriment of life in the United States.
Tim McDonald
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Too much money flowing in politics
Most folks around here believe Roe v. Wade is the worst U.S. Supreme Court decision ever, and I won't argue that.
The second worst U.S. Supreme Court decision, in my opinion, is Citizens United, when Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia wrote for the majority opinion that money was speech (free, according to the 1st Amendment) and corporations are people, able to give unlimited amounts of money to whomever they want to buy.
This has taken you and me with our small monetary contributions to our favorite candidates completely out of the equation. It has given our country to whomever has the money to buy.
Currently one party around here seems to have the upper hand, and they celebrate that.
Do your celebration dance now, for as we have seen, things change.
Allan Baggett, Trion, Georgia
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Trump 'nightmare' still won't be over
[Free Press editorial page editor] Clint Cooper is a friend to me and to the community, and I can verify he is an excellent cook, but I disagree with his premise the nightmare is over.
As long as Trump remains in office there will be ongoing controversy and more revelations of wrongdoing. It's true some Dems wanted impeachment from the beginning because they thought he was unfit for office. This merely echoed the same theme several GOP candidates pushed during the primaries and what many Republicans still believe.
Nancy Pelosi deserves credit for showing restraint for a long time until Trump made it impossible to turn the other way. The most galling part for me is the [Lamar] Alexander rationalization that even though he is guilty, the people should decide. The whole point of impeachment is to remove an unfit, criminal president before he can do more damage. It is not about overturning an election, it's about protecting the nation and the constitution.
If the president showed any remorse or understanding of his crimes I would be more able to curtail my concerns about the future. I'm waiting to see but not holding my breath.
Tom Bissonette, Red Bank
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Junker car concerns are ignored by city
I live in Alton Park on West 51st Street. My reason for writing this letter to get some help - somehow - with a an issue I have been having for the eight years I have lived in my home.
My neighbor has multiple immobilized vehicles in the front yard. This looks very bad and has devalued my property and the other properties on the street.
I have contacted the city mayor's office, the city council, attorney and city inspector about this situation, all to no avail.
I was told to take the matter to civil court. However, I believe there are city ordinances on the books against immobilized vehicles being on private property.
Any help on this issue would be appreciated.
Robert Hill
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Pelosi's antics will help Trump
Democrats should begin an immediate investigation of Nancy Pelosi to determine why she has become President Trump's number one supporter!
No politician has done more to guarantee his re-election than Rep. Pelosi. Billionaires Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg and previously Bill Deblasio have each spent untold millions on anti-Trump campaign ads. But Speaker Pelosi's disgusting and childish display at this year's State of the Union speech will cause untold millions of new voters, as well as many uncommitted voters, to support President Trump in November. And her actions didn't cost him a dime. What a bargain!
Not that Trump needs any more support, with the laughable collection of losers that Democrats have assembled to run against him this election year. They remind us of Saturday morning cartoons, which we knew better than to ever take seriously.
This is not only Pelosi's last few months as Speaker of the House, but the end of Democrat majority in the House of Representatives for a long, long time. Election returns should officially be decided in Donald Trump's favor by 8:01 p.m. EST on Nov. 3, 2020.
Stay tuned, folks - this should be fun to watch!
John Bergen