Signal Mountain courtesy appreciated and other letters to the editors

Signal Mountain courtesy appreciated

After driving to Signal Mountain on the morning of Aug. 18, I asked a gentleman for directions to Alexian Village. He immediately turned his vehicle around on Mississippi Avenue, across from CVS Pharmacy, and led my wife and me several miles to our destination. We were not able to get his name, but we thank him for his time, patience and generosity.

REV. DONALD DANIELS


No One Is Going To Take Your Guns

I don't claim a political party affiliation. I am sick of the distorted rhetoric that is being shoved down the throats of the American people by some pro-gun groups., i.e., "Obama is Going To Take Away Your Guns!" What they fail to mention is that it takes 75 percent of the states to ratify a change to the Second Amendment, or any amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Can anyone imagine 38 states saying, "You have to give up your guns"? I am licensed to carry a gun, and I own several firearms, but I try to temper my gun rights with common sense. I refuse to join the NRA because it is singing from the same songbook as many of the fear mongers. The American people should look at the facts. If the gun laws could be changed that easily, don't you think the ultra liberals would have done so long ago? A president can't change the Constitution alone. Neither can the Senate nor the House. States can pass laws placing restrictions on gun owners but cannot change the Constitution. Thank the Founding Fathers for writing the Constitution the way they did.

JOHN M. WOODHAM, East Ridge


Kindergartners not tested in school

I would like to refer to an article in the TFP on Sept. 5, "Test Helps Tell If A 4-Year-Old Is Ready for Kindergarten." With all of the hoopla over the testing "epidemic," I felt it important to speak to the error in the title, even though the words "test" and "screening" are used simultaneously throughout the article. The difference needs to be understood since the word "test" was used in the headline. Having been a kindergarten teacher, I would like to clarify what "testing" is done upon entering kindergarten. There is no testing, defined as we know it, done in kindergarten. However, there are a number of assessments that teachers use to initially assess basic skills children have upon entering the classroom, then monitor their skill levels to see if they are advancing in learning. The initial entrance assessment is vital to help teachers know where to start with an individual child. Periodic assessment is invaluable as more skills are added as a school year progresses.

DONNA HORN


Republicans, Fox Weaken Obama

Tea party Republicans have done everything they could to undermine the president of the United States. Their only agenda has been to make our president fail. Now, we are all seeing the consequences of an American president that global terrorists have been repeatedly told to perceive as weak and unpopular, even though he isn't. Congressional Republicans and Fox News have been a decidedly disloyal opposition. Their lies, distortions and constant efforts to sabotage the president have encouraged global terrorists and complicated an already difficult job.

KATHERINE ZAMMIT, Sewanee, Tenn.

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