Proud Democrats 'rescued' country and other letters to the editors

Proud Democrats 'rescued' country

I am so proud to be a Democrat. Every American has suffered through 12 months of COVID hell. This week, a Democrat in the White House and Democrats on the Hill rescued our nation. Only Democrats. Not one Republican.

If you're a Republican who wants to join us in this epic endeavor to get our nation back on its feet, you're welcome to join us. If you're a Republican who used to be a Democrat, you're welcomed back.

If you're a Republican who wants to remain a Republican as you benefit from the economic stimulus brought to you by Democrats, you're welcome.

Annie Hall

Signal Mountain

Unused facilities are overlooked too often

I just saw a news flash this morning that gave me cause to wonder.

Our federal authorities in all their infinite wisdom are proposing to use an abandoned NASA facility in California to house migrants.

My only question is, why haven't they already been using unused military bases to house our own homeless veterans and seniors? In addition, unused school houses could be repurposed for the same use.

Roger Rector

Soddy-Daisy

Maximize COVID bill to help state

Dear Gov. Lee: I am sorry to hear of your lack of sleep, which has apparently affected your ability to see things clearly. Your judgment that the help offered by the American Rescue Plan is somehow unnecessary: Where have you been since a year ago? Tennesseans, as other states, are hurting.

I don't know how to measure the hurt, but you know it when you see it. Clarity of thought must realistically respond to the variety of situations we are seeing. People have left the workforce, the medical community has been overstretched, businesses have closed, schools were in virtual mode and the list goes on.

I would like to raise a question: "How many of our citizens lack access to medical care?" The COVID legislation addresses the issues I have raised. At least it is a start.

I urge you to figure out a way for Tennessee to maximize its impact for all of us.

Irv Ginsburg

Georgia vote bills only suppression

I believe the deluge of voting "reform" bills in Georgia is more about suppressing the non-white vote than any real concern for election security. Here's why.

Our state has a long, shameful history of suppressing the Black vote. For one example, Google "Clarence Gaskins." Recent examples are more subtle and easier to deny.

Georgia Republicans closest to the last election, notably Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, sacrificed their political futures by certifying it as extremely secure.

These proposals are a solution to a problem that does not exist. There is little connection between some of the proposals and any election security benefit. Reducing hours that polls are open? Reducing hours for early voting? Reducing the number of early voting Sundays?

Making it a crime to hand out water or pizza to people waiting in line for hours to vote? These do not counter any threat to our democracy, unless it is the vote of people of color that is considered the threat.

But for the triple shock of victories in Senate races by a Jew and a Black and the defeat of Donald Trump, none of these proposals would have seen the light of day.

Herbert K. Lea

Chickamauga, Georgia

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