Obama presidency an embarrassment

At a time when our country, and the planet in general, is in complete turmoil, where is our esteemed president?

He's either campaigning, playing golf, fundraising, shooting hoops, vacationing, shopping, or appearing on ESPN to divulge to his adoring fans his NCAA basketball brackets. (Hint: bet against him; everything he has tried or predicted in the last two years has been a complete failure.)

A friend asked me to sum up President Obama's first two years in office in two words. It was easy: "worldwide embarrassment."

As a Jew, are you not embarrassed by his abandonment of Israel? As an Olympic follower, are you not stunned that he lost Chicago to Rio? As a supporter of the Nobel Peace Prize, is it not shameful that he was nominated for the award months before he was even sworn into office?

If you have been laid off, are you not disgusted that his hand-picked federal employees make twice what you do? As a taxpayer, don't you think another 16,000 IRS agents being hired to check up on you is frightening?

You know the answers; I just hope we can keep our country together till Nov. 6, 2012.

JOHN BERGEN

Don't make animals perform for us

This letter is in response to the one printed March 17 suggesting we need to see the big picture at the circus.

So the logic in that letter is let's ignore the suffering and unfair treatment of animals because a little child is smiling? We don't just look at the big picture; that will be totally irresponsible. We investigate, and there is certainly no shortage of evidence of the cruelty behind the show.

Plus putting animals to perform, that is not natural at all.

When you take kids to the circus, the message you are sending is that it is OK to take animals from their habitat, beat them and force them to entertain us.

When you teach kids compassion, they grow to be excellent human beings and great assets to society. What message are you sending to your kids?

MARTHA PRICE

East Ridge

'Peaceful' muslims kill in name of Allah

America's Chicken Littles cry the "sky-is-falling" over the congressional hearings of Muslim-related terrorism threats in the United States, equating them to the McCarthyism Cold War era of a Commie lurking behind every tree.

Muslims that American liberals portray as peaceful are committing acts of mayhem and murder against Coptic Christians in Egypt, killing 13 and injuring 140 in the latest violence.

Why aren't American protesters taking to the streets condemning their brother Muslims' criminal behavior?

Concluding from their ominous silence, Coptic Christians in Egypt apparently deserve such fate for daring to worship the Christian God, thus offending the poor, misunderstood Islamic followers.

How dare these Christians indulge in such inflammatory behavior wanting only to exist in peace with religious tolerance from their Muslim neighbors.

The Muslims harp on their peaceful demeanor and have obviously convinced the Obama administration.

In the interim, however, the Islamic suicide bombers continue to "peacefully" kill and maim in the name of Allah. And, the Egyptian government, following tenets of Sharia law, prohibits repairing or building Christian churches without presidential decree.

Islamic acceptance and coexistence with other religions is antithesis to the Koran and their beliefs.

Are we so gullible as to believe it would be any different here in the United States?

CHARLES DAVID SLIGER

Shelbyville, Tenn.

Driving course good for students

I support the Chattanooga city-sponsored drivers' education program. I have seen the positive benefits of this program, both as a parent and as a teacher.

My son completed the course at the Brainerd Recreation Center last year, his sophomore year in high school. The extended course with an instructor allowed him to truly understand the concepts, rather than just cramming for the test with the study guide.

As he was taking the course, he pointed out what he was learning as we drove around town. He was excited about what he was learning; he realized the knowledge would have immediate benefits to him. I can honestly say that the driving course he took through the city of Chattanooga was the most meaningful of all his classes during his sophomore year.

I am also a teacher at Notre Dame High School. Some of my students were also in my son's class. I think one student really summed up the experience when he said, "It's a class I never want to skip."

I cannot think of a better use for traffic-related revenue than to use it for a course that will keep our streets safer and potentially save many lives.

CANDY CORNELIUSSEN

Slashing weapons not the answer

Even though Gen. Petraeus is warning of more violence this summer in Afghanistan, many in Congress continue to soft-pedal the Army's modernization plans, slashing funding for critical new equipment.

The Pentagon already has eliminated new surveillance drones, ground sensors, and other equipment that was part of the Brigade Combat Team Modernization program. Soldiers who tested the equipment say it would have helped them track insurgent activity and save lives. Now Congress is poised to cut funding for BCTM's secure, mobile broadband network that our troops need to stay better connected during firefights and tense patrols.

Everyone understands the need to trim our budget, but pinching pennies at the expense of troop safety is just wrong. We must never repeat the deadly failure to provide the military with enough Kevlar vests and armored vehicles in 2004 in Iraq. Congress should fund the BCTM program.

ANTHONY T. HAWKINS

National Coordinator,

Congressional Black Caucus

Veterans Braintrust

Washington, D.C.

Republicans ignore campaign pledges

Tuesday's continuing resolution vote is a snapshot of contradiction. Despite the fears, there's no need for a government "shutdown." It's truthfully unnecessary.

Here's the problem. Five months ago, a sweeping election occurred across the nation that elected folks who ran on pledges of repealing/defunding ObamaCare, defunding Planned Parenthood, and overall conservative leadership. On Tuesday, there were only 54 conservative members of the U.S. House who voted the same way they campaigned.

A Democratically controlled U.S. House and Senate abdicated their constitutional duty to submit a budget for the 2011 calendar year by September 2010. That budget would have easily passed. Because of their failure, continuing resolutions for funding now have to originate in the current House to keep funding our government.

The "conservative" majority has had the opportunity to present proposals fulfilling their pledge to specifically "cut" spending in areas like the expansive health care law, that will add to the federal and states' deficits.

Wisconsin Democrats only mimicked action seen in Washington in fleeing their duties. Republicans hold the reins of leadership but act contrary to their campaign promises. Public distrust of elected officials only grows with such a bundle of contradiction. Borrowing a line from Wisconsin, "Shame, shame, shame!"

ROBIN SMITH

Hixson