Mayor leading us into quagmire
Mayor (Ron Littlefield), you have stepped into your second term and under "oath" to serve the people of Chattanooga.
Your first breath was to tell us of your plans for the "homeless," "annexation of Hamilton County" and "metro government"!
You did not mention the extra tax burden that would be assigned to many households.
"A promise to serve the people has been broken!"
Withdraw from the "quagmire" you are leading us into!
Let's get our people smiling again. "We have put enough fear in their lives to last a lifetime!"
JAMES THORNTON
Where should center be built?
The Free Press editorial on the right side of the paper states "everything's wrong about this" regarding the building of an Islamic center two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center.
How many blocks away would be acceptable to the editor. Can you give us your number? Just wondering.
SALLY SCHOLZE
Headline creates a false impression
If the results of a national poll showed that 20 percent of respondents believe that the earth is flat, would your story have begun with the headline "Is the Earth flat?"
Somehow, I doubt it. That issue was settled a long time ago.
Yet, that's essentially what you did in reporting on a poll that showed that a surprising number of people believe that President Obama is a Muslim, which, of course, he isn't.
When your newspaper writes a headline, "Is Obama Muslim?" all it does is create the impression that the issue isn't settled, that there might be some hard evidence that indeed President Obama might actually be a Muslim. And that feeds into the well-honed Republican strategy of trying to paint the president as something other than a "real" American.
The subhead - "Locals say move on to more pressing issues" - adds more fuel to the fire by suggesting that even if Obama is a Muslim, it's really not worth talking about.
While the story was reasonably well balanced and straightforward, the headline was misleading and created a false impression.
BRIAN HAMILTON
There's good news on comics front
There was good news and more good news in Executive Editor J. Todd Foster's column this Sunday. The first good news was that the comic strip "Cathy" is being canceled by its writer. The second good news was that "Pickles" will be its replacement. "Pickles" is a good choice. I predict "Pickles" will soon be one of the Chattanooga Times Free Press readers' favorite daily comic strips.
The editorials in the Times Free Press usually discuss peripheral issues like education, politics and environment. Only occasionally will an editorial stray into more vital topics. Sunday's column was one of those important commentaries. After all, what captures the public's attention more than the comics page?
We all want our local paper to achieve greatness. In that spirit, I'm nominating my choices for the "bottom four" comics - four inane and unfunny candidates that I hope the editors will not wait for their writers to cancel: "Pearls Before Swine," "Pooch Cafe," "Get Fuzzy" and "Mother Goose & Grimm." I hope other readers will join me in commenting on this worthwhile effort.
EVERETT KIDDER
Volunteers' aid a touching display
I worked with about 100-150 other volunteers helping the college freshman move into the dorms at UTC one day last week. Having plenty of time to think, as the job at hand was 99 percent physical labor, I decided that much of society is about self and about the stuff that self has or can accumulate.
But as I worked, I thought about the people who were there. Many I knew and many I did not know, but as everyone got engaged in the job at hand and as the day progressed, three of the workers stood out to me enough for me to write about.
The first one was David Barker, who took the day off from his established medical practice. Who knows how much money he did not make that day? His wife, Mary, was also involved in the task; therefore their three young children had to stay with their grandmother.
Also, young Megan Ayres handled a two-wheeler all day that was taller than she was, up and down the stairs. She hardly spoke at all, never complained.
All I can say is what hearts these young people have for their fellow man and how they touched this old man's heart.
PETER GIBSON
Keep conservatism under golden dome
Voters in Georgia have two clear choices in the November gubernatorial election. One, Roy Barnes is a liberal Democrat, fired by the voters eight years ago, who would be at home with Obama and his cohorts. The other, Nathan Deal, is a conservative Republican, very highly rated by the American Conservative Union (ACU.)
Federal Election Commission (FEC) receipts show Barnes has donated $5,800 to Obama's election campaigns since 2004. He has directly assisted the radical leftist to office. In addition, Barnes gave $4,800 to Friends for Harry Reid last year. Reid was one of the prime movers, as Senate majority leader, in passing ObamaCare.
Mr. Deal, during his 17 years service in Congress, attained a lifetime rating by ACU of 90 for his conservative votes. This included voting against ObamaCare; to extend elimination of the estate tax (death tax) through 2011; and against cap and trade, which would greatly increase electricity bills.
In addition, Deal has an A-plus lifetime rating by numbersusa.com for his work to reduce illegal immigration. He introduced legislation years ago to eliminate birthright citizenship for children born to illegal aliens.
Georgia voters should elect Nathan Deal to keep conservatism under the golden dome.
Remember in November.
HORTON HERRIN Dalton, Ga.
End Muslim immigration
Muslims ad Muslim hijackers are a greater threat to the U.S. than illegal immigration. Like Australia and New Zealand, who have recognized the threat to their countries, we too must end Muslim immigration. Why?
First, because Muslims hate Christians and Jews in the same murderous way Hitler hated the Jews. Further, Muslims do not integrate into societies other than their own. And hating democracy, they insist on Sharia law.
The Quran teaches that those who do not convert to Islam should be killed. Read the foreign press! Islam approves of lying to further its cause. Muslim men are permitted to beat their wives and children and to stone women caught in adultery, while men go free.
Islam has infiltrated every facet of American society, our Secret Service agencies included, with the purpose of subjugating us in the same manner they have cowed Europe into silence.
I urge all to write to Gov. Bredesen to end Muslim immigration into Tennessee, specifically to not allow mosques to be built, because they are not just places of prayer, but they teach hatred for America and are used to hide radical jihadists.
JOSEPH G. KING Signal Mountain