Judge ruled right on soldier's case

I almost had a shouting spell as I praised the Lord for Chancellor Jeffrey Atherton's decision in ordering the city of Chattanooga to give Mickel Hoback the job back as a police officer with back pay.

This former police officer, who was named "Officer of the Year" in 2007, was fired in 2009 for having post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his combat duties in Iraq.

This officer was being treated, voluntarily, for more than two years for his condition, in contrast to most victims of PTSD, who self-medicate themselves with drugs and alcohol without seeking any counseling.

I recently did a lot of research in regard to victims of PTSD, and I learned that if they were also a victim of arrested development as a child, then they become highly suicidal, which we can clearly see is happening today.

I am praying about the $1.5 million lawsuit, and I hope that the city of Chattanooga will be penalized for its gross disrespect and the wounds that it inflicted on a real hero!

REV. BILL W. SMITH

Retired chaplain of Hamilton County Jail

We can't afford more tax breaks

I thank my Republican Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson for supporting Speaker of the House John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party's so-called plan of tax breaks that they held hostage and suckered Obama into signing.

As of March 1, the federal income tax on my husband's military retirement check will increase by $32.05. Now that's what I call tax relief; Republicans coercing Democrats to cave in to still another GOP way of "looking out for the middle class."

Washington, do us a favor in the future; no more tax breaks, we can't afford them.

BEVERLY M. HANKEN, Rocky Face, Ga.