I am saddened so many of the posts to Chattanoogan.com are filled with name calling and vitriolic language.
A couple of things occurred to me as I read these responses to recent headlines:
One defending Mrs. Clinton immediately went to insults and before concluding attacked the Tea Party, invoked racism and Jeb Bush who doesn't work for the U.S. Government. None of this had anything to do with the Clinton matter.
One of the posts critical of the senators' letter also invoked racism and the Tea Party and improperly cited a federal act that limits citizens from negotiating treaties on behalf of the federal government from 1798.
Another critical post showed little understanding in the Senate's roll in negotiating treaties. He apparently was unaware of Senator Kerry's solo negotiations with Nicaraguan Daniel Ortega in 1985 or former Speaker Pelosi grinning gleefully in photo ops as she squeezed the hand of bloody Syrian dictator Al-Asaad.
Things certainly didn't go well in the region after her visit did they?
And then comes Mr or Ms. Hatmaker with the usual comments like Looney Tunes conspiracies, birthers, racists, and the inevitable attack on the Tea Party.
How can important issues be discussed intelligently as long as one side only offers scathing attacks instead of civil dialogue?
Ralph Miller
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Mr. Miller,
It occurs to me that you may have a few small issues with strong, independent-minded, thinking women, such as Ms. Groves and Speaker Pelosi. In addition, from your complete misunderstanding of the nature of President Obama's negotiations with the government of Iran, it also occurs to me that you might be in tune with those people who only consider civil discourse to be waving around the Constitution like a bloody shirt, when they likely wouldn't even recognize a bronzed copy of it if it fell from the courthouse wall and hit them in the head.
Well, guess what, Mr. Miller? We're women; we're here to stay; we're "Ready for Hillary" and we vote - even in Tennessee.
Don't worry. You'll get over it. As women, we had to get over the two worst presidents of my 68 years, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, so you'll likely survive Madame President Clinton.
Celeste Holladay
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I agree 100 percent with my good friend Ralph Miller about the lack of civil discourse from the left side of the political spectrum. Not only do they show a lack of civility but also a lack of knowledge on many issues. I personally think the letter from the senators to Iran was ill advised, but this is not the first time members of Congress have entered into foreign affairs as Ralph mentioned. Clause 2 of Section 2 of the Constitution says, "he(the President) shall have Power by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided 2/3rds of the Senators present concur..." Clearly this clause gives senators the right, even if ill-advised, to enter into foreign affairs. The law has never been tested though on whether members of the House are exempt.
As for the racism accusations toward the Tea Party, I would merely point out that the Tea Party has as many black senators (one) as the Democrats. The Tea Party also has two governors of Indian descent (Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal) and its two most prominent senators (Cruz and Rubio) are of Hispanic descent. As the old saying goes, "everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts."
I also find it somewhat amusing that one of the biggest racist accusers lives on Signal Mountain, the whitest community in the state of Tennessee. If he really wants to improve race relations in the state I would suggest he move to Alton Park.
Douglas Jones
Oolewah