Memorial for Unborn also hallowed ground
David Cook's recent column on the memorial to Ed Johnson at the Walnut Street Bridge was a poignant reminder that certain places hold memories that make them "hallowed ground." Walking on the bridge is a wonderful way to experience our city and get some exercise, but it can also prompt us to think, remember our past, and consider how we can do better.
Another sacred space is the National Memorial for the Unborn on Vance Road. This memorial is a place of reflection and healing for those who have experienced pain after abortion or miscarriage. A baby's name can be placed on a large granite wall, and hundreds of people from many nations have come to do that and find closure for their experiences. The value of a lost human life, no matter how small, can be honored here with dignity and permanence.
We would do well to visit and consider the significance of this hallowed ground, as well as others like the bridge and the memorials to the Fallen Five.
Henry Williams, M.D.
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
Crisis created so Dems win in end?
Joe Biden has created a major crisis on our Southern border by his executive orders and public statements to potential illegals around the world that the door is open and the welcome mat is out. And so we are experiencing 6,000 illegals pouring into the U.S. each day. Biden and his officials say this is not a "crisis" at all. Former President Obama disagrees. He once said more than 1,000 illegals coming in daily would be a national "crisis."
Who in the world is winning by this policy? It certainly is not the USA. And it is not the children flooding in. They are going through deprivation and harrowing experiences at the hands of their handlers. And they cannot be cared for adequately inside the U.S.
The legal immigrants are not the winners, either. So who wins with this policy? It is the cartels, it is the smugglers, it is the drug dealers, it is the human traffickers!
And with some very twisted thinking, Democrats feel they are going to somehow be the winners eventually when many of these illegals might become Democrat voters. Why else is this being done now?
J.L. Johns
Ringgold, Georgia
Rush Limbaugh was 'anything but racist'
In response to Wilbourne Markham's letter about Rush Limbaugh, I find it interesting he states: "While driving for Hertz, I listened to Limbaugh frequently." Most people will not listen to someone on the radio or TV that they hate. There must have been something about Rush's intellect, humor or delivery that enticed Mr. Markham to listen. So, maybe Rush wasn't so bad after all.
I would like to comment on a few of Mr. Markham's points. Rush didn't call all women "femi-nazis." He only used that term to characterize those feminists who, like most Democrats and socialists, tried to impose their beliefs on the rest of us. And, finally, Rush was anything but a racist. Even his comment about the NFL wanting a Black quarterback to succeed was meant to show the hypocrisy of the NFL and was not a racist remark.
Anyone who listened to Rush with an open mind and heart would realize he was a kind and generous man who loved the United States of America and our flag like the many retired military officers Mr. Markham tried to disparage.
Rusty Lacy
Rossville, Georgia
The sane people have left the White House
Where are the sane people in the White House? Apparently, they have left the building.
We have worn our masks, have not seen our children and grandchildren in over a year. I have cooked until I am sick of looking at food. Doctors' visits by Zoom. Only significant outing was to get a colonoscopy. I was kind of looking forward to it. That was as close as I have been to anyone.
Now Biden has opened the border. You know that story. Today, people are coming in by the thousands. They are sending them all over the United States. Now, they are finding 10% of them tested positive for COVID-19. What a mess. We are treated unfairly, and so are the migrants. Biden said, "Come on in." The migrants are coming and suffering.
Lord help us all.
Ruth Cote
Country more divided than in the Civil War
On the cancel culture: The country is more divided now than it was during the Civil War. Maybe worse since there isn't a Mason-Dixon line to clearly see whose side you're on. All individuals have the right to free speech as per our First Amendment, the most important one. But no one has the right to force his or her belief on anyone. Tearing down statues and flags, censoring/canceling news networks, and rewriting movies and books are attempts to do just that. They're attempts to silence your voice and rewrite history. Several novels, which should be reread before they are banned, come to mind: Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" and George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm." "When the people's voice is stifled, what follows isn't silence, but another sound. Screams in the night." - K. Parker, USA Today.
Bert Hammer
Cleveland, Tennessee
Freedom to choose includes churches
Not too long ago, the United Brethren and the Methodist Church merged to form the United Methodist denomination.
This merger was not received well by the United Brethren members. The same-sex issue was not a concern at that time, but they just were not happy. This feeling has continued to prevail even years since, which has puzzled me. My conclusion has been that perhaps they just didn't like the democratic way in which decisions are made in the church. They held to their old customs and traditions of doing things. Instead, we now took votes to finalize any decisions that were made.
We live in a democratic society, and decisions are made through majority votes. In 2019, the church delegates voted 438 to 384 to strengthen the ban on homosexual weddings and ordination of ministers.
I believe bishops and delegates have no right to dictate what people do with their bodies. People have the choice of staying in the church or leaving it. That is the First Amendment right, the freedom to choose.
Amos Taj
Ooltewah
Vaccine program gets more kudos
Scenes of long lines snaking through massive American parking lots at COVID vaccination sites continue to dominate the national news. A photo on a recent front page of the Wall Street Journal showed hundreds of families standing outside a church awaiting vaccinations.
Compare the misery index of these individuals to the experience of Hamilton County residents. My husband and I just completed our third vaccination appointment at the River Park location off Amnicola Highway and could not have asked for a more seamless and painless experience each time. Despite near-freezing temperatures, wind and rain, every worker - to a person - was friendly, efficient and determined to make this experience as pleasant as possible.
On all three occasions, we were in and out of this site within 35 minutes, including the 20 minute post-vaccination wait.
Also worthy of note were the colorful cartoon-themed Band-Aids applied to our injection sites, ranging from Little Red Pony to Spiderman. Nice touch of whimsy - and hats off to Hamilton County Health Department organizers and workers for a job well done!
Pat Charles