While 250,000 US families will have an empty chair at Thanksgiving this year due to COVID, Senator Marsha Blackburn is concerned about Chattanooga’s relationship with our Sister City: Wuxi, China.
According to her, Chattanoogans are victims of “espionage” by that sister city.
Instead of working to get federal aid to keep our restaurants open, instead of working to get help to those unemployed, instead of helping families without enough food or helping our school systems remain open, not to mention the 150,000 new cases of COVID daily, Marsha is worried about Chattanooga’s relationship with Wuxi, China. According to Senator Blackburn, the citizens of Wuxi could be performing “espionage” right under our “mask-covered” noses.
As most people who read know, the Sister City Program is a cultural exchange program.
It’s been around since Eisenhower. As Ex-Mayor Ron Littlefield expressed, the Sister City Program “is just establishing a face-to-face, culture-to-culture relationship between average citizens.” Wow. Sounds sinister.
“Marsha, Marsha, Marsha,” believes the Sister City program promotes “academic and industrial espionage”. Be afraid, be very afraid.
What is next on Marsha’s list? The Student Foreign Exchange program that we have in our school system? That program allows foreign students to spend a school year or two with a local family. Sounds to me like a great idea for so many reasons.
But in Marsha Blackburn’s warped mind, these foreign high schoolers are really spies sent from foreign countries to wreak havoc upon us through “academic” espionage.
It’s so sad. But with our country facing so many challenges right now, it’s almost criminal to think an elected Senator would waste time on anything other than saving lives.
250,000 dead from COVID. When will Marsha Blackburn get busy on something real instead of something make-believe?
C. Mark Warren
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Mr Warren, the Senate used to be an institution where intellect was valued more than ideology. Now one can gain office with a high school diploma in knowledge, a master’s in ideology, and as a must, a doctorate in ignorance.
I wrote a most similar criticism of our Senator in April or May to no avail. Test results for COVID in August took 38 hours to arrive. Last week it was 5 1/2 days. In New Orleans a friend got his in two hours. Two education institutions in this area have their labs in house. They have the means to set up.
Why public health has to stand by to partisan dictates is beyond me. Of course, our leaders have good health care so what do they need to worry about. Too bad rural counties in Tennessee can’t provide six doctors in white coats to staff each press conference about each patient under their care. With the care and oversight that comes to keep our legislative and executive safe from themselves.
Prentice Hicks