Does VW have a death wish?
A few years ago a group of area citizens were either unemployed or had jobs with poor pay and no future. Things changed for them. Thanks to area taxpayers, Volkswagen entered the picture. Now those folks are employed in careers with pay and benefits more desirable than industry standards.
Surprisingly, some of those same people forgot their recent employment history, and voted to be represented by a union. Not just any union, but one which has proved to be an organization that has inflicted grievous harm to our economy.
Why did those folks vote for the UAW? An obvious reason was that VW actually allowed union officials to solicit membership on their premises. Here, we might compare VW to the late Rev. Coots. While he knew the consequences, he continued his association with snakes until it was too late. Surely VW knows Detroit's tragic story; or better yet has it forgotten its own experience in East Huntingdon, Pa.?
Now that the vote has been challenged it would be wise for this company, which hopes to improve its market share, to remember that if you play with a snake you will get bitten - or do they have a corporate death wish?
GORDON FLEMING
What's normal temperature?
They say the earth is 4 or 5 billion years old and has been through many different climate changes. If the earth is warming a few degrees, maybe it's correcting itself to its normal warmer climate.
Evolution, it's been happening since the big bang theory/beginning of time. The Earth changes in some way every day. How can the Democrats tell us what the normal climate of the earth should be?
Antarctica was once covered in palm trees. Maybe the warmer climate is part of earth's evolution master plan; who are we to say different? I know one thing for sure, there is no way the Democrats are going to lower the earth's temperature by spreading our tax money around the world.
The Democrats tell us if we don't believe in global warming we are ignorant and stupid, which makes me skeptical. Let them tell us what the normal climate should be since they are the climate experts.
Can the Democrats guarantee us if we totally destroy our economy and our way of life the planet will cool down one degree?
WAYNE WEST, Ringgold, Ga.
What about crime victims?
The murderer is complaining about pain when he is executed, and there are money-hungry lawyers there to defend them.
What about the victim and the victim's wife/husband/children? What about their pain? That is not mentioned.
What about the children left fatherless or motherless when a murderer takes their life in robbery or for drugs?
RAY MILLER, Rossville
In defense of UT's Sex Week
State Rep. Richard Floyd condemns Sex Week at UTK by saying "you don't have the right to drag the UTK brand through the mud." I assume Rep. Floyd is OK with guns on campus, just not sex education. In my opinion, Rep. Floyd's upcoming retirement is long overdue.
The mission of Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee (SEAT), the group that puts on Sex Week at UTK, "strives to foster a comprehensive and academically informed conversation about sex, sexuality and relationships with the purpose of educating the University of Tennessee student body and the Knoxville community through innovative, collaborative, and entertaining programming and events."
How is this dragging the UTK brand through the mud? A college education should explore all facets of life, sexual and otherwise. Rep. Gerald McCormick said "what kind of people are up there doing this stuff?" What stuff? On the SEAT schedule are talks about abstinence, preventing sexual assault, longtime intimacy and understanding sexual identity, to mention just a few.
The Tennessee legislators need to mind their own business. Their message is that guns are OK but sex is not.
PAT HAGAN, Fort Oglethorpe
The Bible and snakes
With all the fuss and terrible tragedy over the religion of snakes in the name of God almighty, know this; with the Aramaic version of the Holy Bible, the language Jesus Christ spoke here on earth of the handling of snakes in Mark 16:18 is an Aramaic idiom for enemies. It means to handle your foe in the name of the Lord's protection, no matter what they try to do, even to the point of poison.
Mark 16 did not and does not condone literal snakes or poison. True Christians are supposed to pray for the Holy Spirit to help them understand scripture before they read. Also, you definitely do not tempt the Lord thy God.
ROBERT D. HENRY, Red Bank
Let's have a Petty party
Now that seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty has said "yes" to Tony Stewart's suggestion for a one-on-one race between the King and Danica Patrick, I have a better idea.
Tony should supply a third car for Richard's son Kyle, who also demeans the young lady on national TV. That race should shut up both Pettys.
BILL MARKHAM