Not Reasonable?
The “reasoning” employed by Brent Taylor (Viewpoint, August 2nd issue) continues a well-defined political ploy: Say one thing when you mean the other. Or perhaps he truly believes that reducing the number of precincts from 200 to 50 will make voting more convenient and less troublesome. Of course, a disconnect with the general population may have something to do with this misfire. When he describes Memphis as a “mobile population,” I doubt he is referring to the lady standing at the bus stop, rain or 104-degree shine, trying to get to work, much less a polling booth.
If Taylor is interested in making voting easier and more efficient, he could look to Oregon. In 1981, the Oregon legislature tried out something called vote-by-mail. Due to its overwhelming success, state law was amended. Since the year 2000, all primary and general elections have been conducted entirely by mail. A ballot is sent to the home of every registered voter, which they mark and pop back into the mail (the homeless vote by provisional ballot, I suspect). Thereby, no costly polling booths, no lines, and, to top it off, the added bonus of a “paper trail.” Oh, right, some people don’t want a paper trail …
Tim Prudhomme
Memphis
Chick-Fil-A
What I’m gathering from the recent Chick-fil-A spectacle is that people don’t want to support a man who spends the money he makes selling us chicken supporting an organization that lobbies for something they don’t think is moral.
The Republicans aren’t wrong when they say they believe in the freedom of speech in America and that by supporting his company, they are asserting their right to speak openly and honestly about religion and our belief systems.
The flaw is the debate. What is the purpose of all this effort? Why are we fighting about having different beliefs? I know we all agree that we should have different beliefs, because it would be boring if we didn’t. So what’s the problem? There is no problem.
We should all have freedom of speech. And I’m glad we do, because now I know what types of organizations the CEO of Chick-fil-A supports with the money he makes selling chicken to me. And I will quietly stop giving him my money.
Cathi Holmes
Memphis
Recovery Signs
There are unmistakable signs that the U.S. economy is recovering from the recession. This resurgence is welcome news and should silence the harshest critics as it picks up steam in the second half of the year.
This is a natural recovery, not one produced by government intervention. A large capitalist economy operating in a free country has an inherent propensity to work its way out of a recession, provided the people in charge of the country don’t do anything foolish to prevent it. To his credit, President Obama and his administration have made the right moves.
So how are Mitt Romney and the Republicans going to explain away the improved economy? Their whole election strategy is based on a failed economy.
Ron Lowe
Nevada City, California
Democrats and Gay Marriage
It appears the Democratic Party will be adding a pro-gay-marriage stance to their platform. This removes all doubt as to where the Democratic Party stands. Very few people are interested in depriving anyone of the lifestyle they choose for themselves. It’s called freedom. However, no Christian who knows God’s word could possibly want to see the institution of marriage given to us by God so perverted by our society.
The pro-gay-marriage party is pro-abortion as well; they prefer to use the kinder and gentler term pro-choice, but it produces the same result: the killing of an unborn child, and, if we know God’s word, we know this is an abomination to God as well. Consider the following quote from George Washington’s pastor, Jedidiah Morse in 1799:
“To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys. In proportion as the genuine effects of Christianity are diminished in any nation, either through unbelief, or the corruption of its doctrines, or the neglect of its institutions, in the same proportion will the people of that nation recede from the blessings of genuine freedom … Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present Republican forms of government, and all the blessings which flow from them, must fall with them.”
David Nance
Gibson County, Tennessee
