Reveille
April
2003
|
Reveille April 2003 |
|
Published by
International Press Service
A nail in political coffins Two-way streets bungled Never have so many suffered for the benefit of so few
Chattanooga is a nice place to live.
It is an excellent location for business.
It has been blessed with scenic mountains lakeside recreation and a
stable, progressive government—until now.
Former Mayor Gene Roberts and former County Executive Dalton
Roberts put the city and county on the path to development of resources
downtown and throughout Hamilton County.
Industrial parks, revitalization of the city’s infrastructure and
a buoyant enthusiasm were put on the fast lane by them.
Following them were former Mayor Jon Kinsey and current County
Executive Claude Ramsey who continued with the upward movement. The
city government now has people of business and political experience.
Mayor Bob Corker is a successful businessman, has run for statewide
office and served in a state office.
Yusuf Hakeem and Leamon Pierce and John Lively are political
veterans. They know how an
issue can make or sink a candidate.
That makes it all the harder to understand how a two-way street
change is being forced on a reluctant public.
It’s like benefiting the few at the cost of many.
Selection of a city judge was put before a committee for advice.
No one even questioned the change of Bailey and McCallie from
one-way to two-way streets.
A businessman recently called Chattanooga a beautiful city, but one
that’s hard to get around in. Wait
until he sees the two-way street mess.
Every time a man is late going down town through bottlenecked
traffic on McCallie, he will curse the city fathers who dreamed up this
scheme. Every time someone misses a plan because he couldn’t move
on Bailey-M.L. King, he will wonder who had this nightmare.
There will be a political toll a price to be paid.
The vehemence will show at the polls.
Some future administration will have more common sense , funding
another million dollars to pay for the blunder.
Social engineers have the idea they know better than the people
what is good for them. They
made a costly mistake on street changes.
There will be suspicions of favoritism and political payoffs. More importantly is how it translates to the ballot box. ******** Blue Star Banner
American Legion Post 95 set up April 18 for presentation of Blue
Star Banners to relatives of troops in Iraq.
Information can be obtained from post Commander Charles at
698-1496. Maj. Gen. Bill
Raines was chosen to make the presentations. ******** 54th
annual Armed Forces Day
“The Most Patriotic City in America” began its Armed Forces Day
Parade in 1949. This year the
only continuous running of honoring the military by a larger city will
take place on Friday, May 9, at 11:30 AM in Chattanooga.
The date was moved a week ahead of national observance to include
school participation as students will be released early this year.
Bill Knowles is serving as parade chairman and Gary Petty is the
military advisory officer. The
Coast Guard is the branch of service being featured this year in rotation.
Candace Underwood is parade committee secretary.
The Chattanooga Area Veterans Council voted in 1994 under Bill
Carman’s chairmanship to take over sponsorship when organizers planned
to discontinue the observance.
The first year, in 1995, veterans were honored.
Planning was rapid and simple.
Edith Adkins was first chairperson and Col. Bill Raines was
military project officer. He
is now a major general.
A free brunch was held at Warner Park the morning of the parade.
Gen. Ron Griffith, a leader in Desert Storm, was guest speaker in
the outdoor ceremony.
Now a more elaborate lunch ceremony is held at the Read House with
$150 tables, which raises funds for the organization.
Ralph Astin was vice-chairman for the first parade sponsorship. Ralph Wilson was, and still is, Honor Guard commander.
Publicity was handled by Earl Freudenberg and Pete Chaney.
Applications for participation in this year’s parade were mailed
out in March and had to be returned by April 9. ******** Vet's View . . . pete chaney
Somewhere along the way some people got their “Ps” mixed up.
They have given politics and patriotism the same meaning.
These zealots proclaim loudly that it is unpatriotic not to think
in lockstep with the political party in power.
In Iraq if you weren’t “patriotic”
for the party in power—Saddam Hussein—you would face a firing squad or
worse.
Patriotism is supporting America’s way of life and honoring the
men and women who fight to preserve our freedom.
And one of those most important freedoms is the right to dissent. They are not on foreign shores risking their life and limb
for Americans to be restricted in their freedom of speech and belief.
If Americans had not separated politics and patriotism in President
Lyndon Johnson’s administration, where troops were hamstrung, our troops
might still be dying in Vietnam jungles.
It wasn’t their fault that Washington bungled. Politics change from administration to administration, with shifting views and goals. America is always America and patriotism is patriotism. ******** Protest politics, not the troops Keirl
King breathed a sigh of relief when the draft ended for the Vietnam War.
He was number 50 on the list and didn’t want to go.
Thinking back, he wishes he had served his country, wishes he could
feel that he had done his part for his country.
Recently he was wearing an American flag lapel pin when a Marine
and his wife, who was also in service, complimented him for the display. They
had just returned from duty in Japan and were met at the airport by
protesters who got in their faces. The
lady Marine responded in kind. A
rally in support of American troops in Iraq was held at UTC in
Chattanooga. It was intended
not as a political statement, not to support or criticize the war.
It was sponsored by students to show support of Americans in
uniform fighting there. Everyone,
especially the media, took pains to emphasize confrontation.
Gen. Bill Raines was the main speaker and he brought home the need
to stand behind our military regardless of political feelings.
Much of his message was overlooked by those who wanted to put their
own philosophy onto the scene—for or against the invasion, for or
against President George Bush. That
has nothing to do with it. A
soldier takes an oath to obey commands given him.
Their political, religious or mental views don’t enter into it.
Discipline is the backbone of the military, unquestioning obedience
to orders. A soldier in
combat cannot pause from an attack to consider whether he agrees with an
order or not. He may reflect
later, but acceptance of a command is inviolate.
To blame a soldier for a military action is to criticize him or her
for something beyond his control. There’s
no problem with protests. That’s
the American way. Men and
women in the military fight for the right for Americans to protest.
Freedom of speech is a guaranteed right.
But aim the protest where it belongs.
Someone can disagree with a policy without blaming the soldier. War
or peace is decided by world leaders.
Be it a prime minister, dictator, monarch or president, they make
the call. It is the duty of
the military to follow orders. No
matter what political differences there may be, we should all honor our
military men and women who serve us faithfully and without question. ******** Post Script
Some people just won’t get the message.
In the last gubernatorial campaign, VAN HILLEARY had a one
plank platform: no income taxes. That
wasn’t good enough. He
lost. Now the GOP website
calls for a resolution that would bind the Tennessee legislature to a
pledge that the state will never have an income tax.
Extreme stands to the far right or far left won’t win an election
in the volunteer state. Moderates
swing the ballot box. ********
That’s the dignity of the court, at least in Chattanooga’s City
Court. Attorney MITCHELL
BYRD accused Judge WALTER WILLIAMS of trying to handpick his
successor on the bench, calling him an emperor with nothing under the
robe. The judge responded by
saying that Mitchell’s elevator doesn’t go to the top floor. Well,
Judge William’s court has always been anything but dull. ********
No doubt BOB DAVIS will make a competent chairman of the
Hamilton County Democratic Party. STUART
JAMES would have made a more moderate choice, appealing to the
centrist of both parties and independents.
Stuart is chairman of a new, moderate group called Blue Dogs.
You can visit the site at www.bluedogstn.org. ********
A good staff makes the job easier.
Sen. BILL FRIST picked the best with EMILY REYNOLDS and
TYLER OWENS. Now the
U.S. Senate realizes Emily’s value.
She is Secretary of the Senate. ********
How do you repay a man who takes a business with a $25-million loss
and puts it in the black? Erlanger
Hospital’s board knows how. Ask
DENNIS PETTIGREW who got the axe.
Many say petty differences gnaw at the board with micromanagement
led by DAVID COPELAND. ********
If Sen. TRENT LOTT had studied his history, he might have
survived his goof at Sen. STROM THURMOND’s birthday party.
Everyone thinks of Thurmond as the arch segregationist.
Although his Dixiecrat Party was anti-civil rights, he was
considered a liberal in his day—for Southern Democrats.
He fought for education funds for black and white schools.
He was an innovator in equal pay for equal work by men and women.
For IPS Features and other articles, go to Pace Magazine. For humor and inspiration, take a look at Dalton Roberts' website: www.daltonroberts.com.
Reveille is being sent out to readers of varied interests and especially political views. If you are receiving Reveille and do not wish it, let us know and your e-mail address will be removed. If you know of someone who might like to receive it, send us the address and that will be added. Reveille welcomes contributions of news items, opinions, pictures. Whether they agree or conflict with our comments, they will be considered for publication based on content. Any submission must be signed. The name will be withheld if the writer requests it. A hard copy is also printed and distributed on a limited basis. The e-mail edition includes more information along with color pictures which are not possible with the hard copy. |
