Whitfield leaders are immoral, cowardly
Chattanooga Times Free Press's excellent "Patchwork Pandemic" series exposes the unbelievably incompetent bungling of the Whitfield County Commission, in the worst-slammed county among the worst-slammed states. The complacent, insulated commission - apparently lacking any measurable empathy and having utterly suppressed the capacity to imagine a life different from their own - claims, unbelievably, there's just nothing they can do.
The mind boggles.
The men refusing action are elected leaders, supposedly guarding public welfare. As leaders, they should take whatever measure needed to protect their populace. That is the most basic function of governance, by any form, in any measure. They instead have formed a Death Party, which they serve with passive inaction out of laziness and moral failure.
This is a killing complacency, inevitable with so many conservatives, because, well, "it's just the way things are." Insulated by prosperity, by accustomed deference, by whiteness and lack of compassion, these gormless politicians - elected to lead - instead are passively hunkering down, trusting in personal survival. This demonstrates a toxic individualism which is killing America. These persons apparently feel justified - albeit distantly regretful - while stumbling down their ruinous path. No civilization will survive this level of smugness, cowardice and sheer stupidity.
Lisa Lemza
Trump officials eyed herd immunity
In a select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, it has been uncovered that HHS and Trump appointees Paul Alexander and Michael Caputo undermined the morbidity and mortality report and spread misinformation about herd immunity only after they determined it was mostly affecting minorities and older people with underlying conditions.
Hoping for Alexander and Caputo's testimony soon so that they may fully implicate Trump and his other greedy and bigoted henchmen.
Oh, and for further insight into this administration's corruption, Caputo was advisor to Vladimir Putin prior to bringing his propaganda to Trump's beck and call.
All of this once again highlights the close connection between the Putin and Trump administrations. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but at the very least this demonstrates an administration that is sorely misinformed and completely incapable of running a legitimate company, let alone a country of good and decent people.
John Mathna
'Day traders' Loeffler, Perdue need to go
Kelly Loeffler sells $3.1 million in stock after receiving a confidential Senate briefing on the coronavirus. Her husband is CEO of the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. She is the richest member of Congress. David Perdue has made 2,596 stock trades over his six-year term. Meanwhile, they have done nothing for Georgia.
We need real senators concentrated on our actual needs, not the two day traders we have now. We need Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
We need to say goodbye to the day traders.
David C. Redheffer
Ringgold, Georgia
Sister City fears are the wrong priority
I recently read with dismay that Sen. Blackburn is concerned that our city's security might be compromised because we have had a Sister City connection for more than 50 years with a city in China.
Where are our congressional representatives and the rest of the Republican Party? Trump lost. He has given up doing any of the work of the presidency. He golfs, tweets and sulks.
Why are they not pressuring Trump to do his job and get ready to get out of the way?
This is the threat to our country. But Blackburn is looking for phantom microphones in the Sister City grove in Coolidge Park, Alexander is getting ready to fade into retirement, and Fleischmann is too busy doing what he is told, and otherwise slinking into the woodwork like a cockroach, never to be seen.
With all of Trump's efforts to sabotage the transition to the Biden presidency, we will be very lucky if we do not get another 9/11 attack. If we do not, it will not be because Trump, the Republican Party, and all of the necessary agencies are actually doing their jobs. It will just be luck.
Katheryn A. Thompson
Bill Lee shirking his responsibility
What a terrible leader our Tennessee governor is. Usually I would pay no mind, but these aren't usual times we are trying to survive.
After claiming Tennessee is the new "ground zero" for COVID-19 cases, Bill Lee has the audacity to not mandate mask wearing, even implying it could make things worse. I just can't understand or tolerate how good and well-intentioned GOP officials are sucked into the Trump rabbit hole so easily.
Bill Lee is nothing more than a Southern enforcer of Trump's fairy tale of fraud and neofascist, uber-racist politics.
Expect more, demand more.
Joshua Hurley
Reproductive rights talk will have to wait
To a previous letter writer: When our government makes laws regarding the function and control of your penis, testicles, urethra, vas deferens and/or you grow a uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes, please call me. Perhaps then we might have a more balanced discussion about reproductive rights.
Lissa Dearing
Make Vols No. 1, because I want it so
Despite no evidence to back me up, I am looking for an attorney to submit a claim to the U.S. Supreme Court to negate and invalidate the NCAA college football rankings for Alabama, Clemson, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Auburn, Mississippi and Georgia, and instead proclaim Tennessee No.1 because I want it to be.
Just tell the justices it's the right thing to do.
Any lawyers out there want to give it a try?
Delmar Lee Reynolds
Alcoa, Tennessee