7ee7 Time to rethink military draft and other letters to the editors | Times Free Press

Time to rethink military draft and other letters to the editors

Time to rethink military draft and other letters to the editors

April 7th, 2013 in Opinion Letters

Time to rethink military draft

Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, China, North Korea, Libya, Syria, North Africa, Egypt, Somalia - the list goes on. Let's face it, we live in a very vile world!

We cannot continue sending our troops in our all-volunteer military on multiple deployments. It is not right, and simply not fair. Where is the pride in and accountability to one's country? I believe we should reinstate our selective service system so the majority must serve; not just remain fair-weather citizens post 9-11-01.

Our commander-in-chief (who is not a veteran) advocates peace through diplomacy and reducing our military budget; a policy for a perfect world. In reality, there are people out there who want to slaughter us. We must have a military so powerful that no country would dare to approach us.

BENJAMIN W. SUTTON, Hiawassee, Ga.

City's actions are unethical

I have owned and operated Park Place Restaurant in Fort Oglethorpe for over 21 years. I am appalled at the recent controversial actions of the elected city officials on March 22. These very unpopular and most unethical decisions of our mayor and portion of our council in forcing the resignation of the city manager, and subsequent firing of two loyal, long-term city employees, was a gross abuse and misuse of power. These despicable actions were not for the betterment of this city, but for the advancement of mayoral control, feeding his obsession for power, driven by jealousy and greed.

I have written a letter requesting the attorney general of Georgia to perform a thorough investigation into the actions taken by our elected officials. I pray that the attorney general of Georgia steps forward and becomes a champion of justice by rescuing this city from the tyrannical dictatorship mentality that it now operates under.

JACK GOODLET, Fort Oglethorpe

Assessments should be fair

I just got my statement from the assessor, Bill Bennett, for my new property taxes. Did he come by my house? Did he do "comps'' like real estate agents do to see what the neighboring property was selling for? Did he take into consideration the Fannie Mae/Freddy Mac debacle and the depressed market?

I paid $15,000 less than my neighbor for my house in Manchester Park. She painted her house and put a roof on it. After the market went south, she had to move because of her business. She lost $40,000-$50,000.

What planet is Bill Bennett living on? I can make an appointment to challenge it. Does that make sense? Isn't it the local governments' job to be fair and equitable without challenge?

After the city raised taxes before the recession, I think it would be in order for us to reassess the taxes after that debacle. Otherwise, there will be many more rental properties and people defaulting on their loans.


Against? It's selfish, mean

Same-sex marriage? Gun rights? Abortion? Immigration reform? If there's a dispute, let's err on the side of kindness. Too often, if we think we have the power to enforce our will on others in a bigoted kind of way, we flex our muscles and do it. Makes us feel righteous and powerful. In the old days, public opinion was against giving women the right to vote, against mixed-race marriage, against giving black people equal rights, and against letting women have control of their own reproductive rights. Against, against, against.

One by one, these bastions of inequality have fallen, and we have become a kinder nation. Now comes marriage between gays. Allowing everyone the same rights to marriage doesn't diminish heterosexual marriage or affect it in the least. To do otherwise is just selfish and mean.

About guns: Why do you even want to own one? Machismo? For protection (you say), or to kill an innocent animal or bird? Why gun ownership is unregulated is the same reason cigarettes are, the all powerful NRA and tobacco lobbies, and money is at the root of it. Because of that, thousands of Americans die every year.

What would Jesus do? Be kind.


Glass Street area used to be vibrant

Speaking of Glass Street: I remember as a boy we had two banks, A post office, eight full-service gas stations, three large grocery stores, three drug stores, four clothing stores, a large five-and-dime, a bakery, a coal yard, a lumber company, a saddlery, two hardware stores, two barber shops, two restaurants, an ice house, two used car lots, two theaters, three ice cream parlors, a dentist, two grammar schools, a junior high school, a furniture store, a Masonic temple, three churches, a thrift store, two auto parts stores, a Henley's beer joint and three full-time bootleggers.

There were no parking meters, and we never saw a policeman. Our water bills came very three months and were less than $2. A bus was 5 cents, phone 5 cents, gas 23 cents, pack of smokes 23 cents, ice cream was 10 cents and rolling papers, a penny a pack.

I'm happy to hear we hope to revive my old neighborhood when East Chattanooga was a little self-contained city.

A grocery store, post office and a drug store would be a good start.


About 4,000 died at Chickamauga

Your fyi Chattanooga insert is a very nice magazine. Thank you for producing it and distributing it for free. Unfortunately the piece about the battle of Chickamauga by Tim Omarzu contains a glaring but common mistake. There were 34,000 total (combined) casualties at the battle, but that figure includes killed, wounded and captured. "Only" about 4,000 actually died, not the 34,000 as stated in the article.


Foster Grandparent group earns thanks

The Foster Grandparent Program is a federal grant program authorized under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973. It is a part of Senior Corps and is funded through the Corporation for National and Community Service. It is sponsored locally by the Chattanooga Department of Human Services and provides volunteer opportunities to qualified seniors who are 55 or older.

We currently have more than 100 volunteers who serve at least 20 hours a week, partnering with 41 nonprofit agencies, working with children who have documented special and exceptional needs and require one-on-one mentoring.

As we approach National Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 21-27, we want to express our gratitude to our volunteers for their service and compassion for children. We encourage members of the community to send letters of appreciation if their lives, or the lives of their children, have been touched by a foster grandparent. Letters may be sent to the following address:

Foster Grandparent Program, Department of Human Services, 501 W. 12th St., Chattanooga TN 37402.

This amazing group of volunteers continues to strengthen our communities and build bridges across generations by extending a helping hand to children in need. Please join us in saying "Thank you!"

BILLIE WRIGHT, Director, Foster Grandparent Program

GOP capitulating on immigration

Looks like the "Gang-of-Eight" is marching lockstep to the Obama administration's immigration directive: Grant quick amnesty to all 12 million illegals here in this country, so that they may be recruited as Democratic voters, effectively ending all future Republican opposition. It's called "Probationary Legal Status," and Sens. Shummer, McCain and Graham have "come to a basic agreement," which always turns out to be complete Republican capitulation.

My question to legalized immigrants is simple. If you waited between the standard five to eight years to complete the extensive proper application, testing, paperwork, approval and validation to finally become a legal U.S. citizen, why are you not absolutely enraged? All you had to do was sneak over the border and you would have gotten free health care, free education, food stamps etc. All that is required is to vote the straight liberal Democrat ticket. Account paid in full.

So, once again, the Republican Party has sold its supporters down the river, just so they won't be pilloried by the liberal media. Welcome to one-party rule. Disgusting.