Jail time too good for church vandal - and more letters to the editors

Jail time too good for church vandal

For the crime of practically destroying Valley Memorial Baptist Church and causing so much pain to the congregation, Garrett Michael Belanger should suffer real punishment instead of a few weeks of jail time.

This is clearly a case where the stupid rule against "cruel and unusual" punishment should be waived and some real pain inflicted on this fool to teach him and others that society will not tolerate this behavior.

He should receive 10 strokes from a half-inch cane across his bare buttocks in public. And by "in public," I mean exactly that. A live, uncensored telecast of the entire thing in front of the county courthouse.

For punishment to work, it should cause the criminal to suffer, and it must be unusual or it will simply be forgotten.

If Belanger has to look at ugly scars for the rest of his life and remember the pain he suffered when he got them, he'll know that his fun wasn't worth it.

RICHARD SCHULTZ


No faith in parties working together

This is about the editorial "If there is a GOP Senate ..." from Nov. 4.

It is very hard to see the government becoming any less partisan through these next two years. It may be best for both sides to work together because it certainly seemed to bite the Democrats this election.

I feel that partisan politics are really too deeply entrenched now to really have people go back to being able to work with the other party.

It is sad that I cannot have faith in either party being willing to work with the other.

NATHAN LEFFEW, Collegedale


Support Smithsonian cultural efforts

I was a consultant with the Chattanooga African American Museum eight years ago when it was designated the fifth best African American Museum in the country. I later worked for the Chattanooga Multicultural Chamber of Commerce until it was destroyed by Ron Littlefield.

My interest in local African American history has continued, and I have recently become a charter member of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture that will open on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in 2016.

This is going to be an outstanding museum and already has more than 18,000 items, including interesting and diverse things as the shawl given to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria, the dress Rosa Parks was sewing the day she was arrested in Montgomery, Nat Turner's Bible, a dress worn by Pearl Bailey, a segregated railroad car from Chattanooga used by blacks during the Jim Crow years, and a guard tower and complete cell from the notorious Angola prison in Louisiana.

Anyone who would like to show support or donate items to the museum should contact: Founding Director Lonnie Bunch, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 96832, Washington, D.C. 20090-6832.

E. RAYMOND EVANS


Amendment passage will open the door

In response to "New era for abortion in Tennessee; voters open door for more regulation": I can't say I'm surprised that this amendment went through, but I am.

People are opening the door for more and more regulation in people's private lives. Specifically women's lives.

This is just the first step in placing more and more restrictions on abortion and a woman's right to choose what to do with her body.

This is not going to lead to safe regulations and more funding, just increasing difficulty in what should be the private decision of a woman. This could lead to banning abortions completely with no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the woman.

This isn't just about being pro-choice or abortions; it's about a woman's right to choose what happens with her body, for whatever reason.

SHIVANI WARD

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