Mayor Berke exercised authority at the most extreme, threatening the full force and power of the government to prevent citizens from exercising the right to peaceable assembly and their right to freedom of religion by demanding people not congregate in church for the horrible damage that would be caused by the coronavirus.
But with regard to protesters who place extreme pressure on our community, vandalize, scare, threaten and destroy public and private property, Mayor Berke's response is that he "encourages everyone in Chattanooga to exercise their First Amendment rights and express themselves in a safe way."
The real problem with Mayor Berke and other leaders like him is that he doesn't even see the problem with this. I think it is the perfect example of how his tenure as mayor should be remembered.
Jerry Yates
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For Mayor Andy Berke and Police Chief David Roddy to apparently agree and state that a curfew is "unnecessary and practically unenforceable" in Chattanooga I would suggest the following: Both should consider finding another job and occupation.
Gerald Presley