Syria policy spells trouble
President Obama said "It's not my red line. It's the world's red line." So all 300 million of us misunderstood him several months ago? Wrong.
"My credibility is not on the line," he also said. Wrong again. In his mind, everything is about him. This president ignores 70 percent of the will of the American people, ignores Congress, ignores our Constitution, and ignores all basic "rules of engagement." Now the Senate panel has approved this idiotic intervention into what is actually a Syrian civil war.
This president railed against former president George W. Bush for engaging our military in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet it is now quite obvious that Saddam Hussein secretly hid chemical weapons in Syria, just as Bush claimed. These horrible weapons have now been used at least 13 times, and killed over 1400 people, including 426 children. But who actually used the chemical weapons? Consider this: al-Qaida could gas their own people, blame Assad, and accomplish exactly what is happening right now - a civil war that would eventually involve America via an inept, bungling, egotistical, and completely ignorant Obama. The man is a worldwide embarrassment. May God help us all.
JOHN BERGEN
Stop gun violence now
I have read several articles in your newspaper over the last several months and I am still unsure where your papers stand in our fight against gun violence. Chattanooga with all its gangs needs to be up front and speaking out against gun violence.
Debates and meetings are good venting arenas but laws need to pass and the community, must get more involved. Being a large newspaper you have the resources to speak and reach tens of thousands of people across this great state.
Our President has taken several measures to help states and communities that are having trouble passing effective gun laws. A lot of folks in our state think all he wants to do is take our guns and that is not the case. Some of President Obama's undertakings need to be disseminated as a reminder until major restrictions and laws have been taken.
The President has: closed background check loopholes, issued a presidential memorandum directing research into the causes and prevention of gun violence, made our schools safer and increased mental health services.
Please do whatever you can to get the word out to our different communities to stop the gun violence.
PAMELA MULDREW, East Ridge
Medicare funded if shutdown occurs
If the federal government is shut down, existing law requires that Social Security, veterans retirement, active duty military pay, Medicare and Medicaid, and certain other expenses be met. Liberals should check the facts before commencing their expected demagoguery.
House Joint Resolution 62, sponsored by Congressman Tom Graves (R-Ga.), provides all funds approved for fiscal year. It does not provide funds for the implementation of Obamacare. The bill, which I have read, is available online. Everyone should read it before making incorrect statements.
The Constitution specifies that all spending bills originate in the House and HR 62 does this. If it passes the House, it must go to the Senate. If Harry Reid, the majority leader, refuses to consider it for a vote, he will be the one shutting down the government. If he allows a vote and HR62 is defeated, those Senators voting no will shut down the government. A third of them, including some Republicans, are up for election next year, as are all members of the House.
HORTON HERRIN, Dalton, Ga.
Hurry up and hire an editor
Why do I care what the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has to say about anything? The last two editorials from the ADG read more like some old Lee Anderson vitriol. Please find a new editor soon!
PAT HAGAN, Fort Oglethorpe
Zinn commentary unfair to history
Free Press guest commentary writer Roger Smith had harsh words for historian Howard Zinn in a column Sept. 7 titled "The Cardinal Zinn of Anti-Americanism."
Apparently Smith does not appreciate criticism of America. Regarding Zinn, it would be hard to believe we are referring to a "good guy" when as Smith insists, "He was a member of the communist party since 1949." Smith is smelling smoke and crying fire; Zinn preferred Socialism, knew some "commies," and the FBI during the "Red Scare" took out a file on him in 1949. Here's some unarguable facts: Zinn was a bombardier in the Eighth Air Force (WWII European Campaign), an early and active supporter of civil rights, spoke against our involvement in Vietnam and Iraq, and was a successful writer. His "A People's History of the United States" is a hard and perhaps tiresome read as he recalls unpleasant truths. While our story as a nation is positive and amazing, Zinn reminds us that not everything was perfect. Smith appears to prefer simplistic versions of history. I find him quoting Cicero ("Not to know what happened before you were born is to be forever a child") the height of irony.
BYRON CHAPIN, Hixson