Roy Exum
I do not believe “Black Lives Matter.” Rather, I believe “All Lives Matter.” And using the latter over the former, I am mad too. The rioting that is taking place all over America is against the law. It restricts my freedoms, bridles my trusts, is contrary to my beliefs, and – if it still matters – is blatantly unconstitutional. That the President of the United States has no choice but to call out our military to restore peace – real peace – to our country is just as appalling to me as a rioter screaming inches from a police officer’s face, with an eye-to-eye glare daring our peace-keeper to do something about it so a nearby camera can take a picture, and that “The Legion of the Miserable” will whisk to the nearest television station for a top-of-the-news broadcast.
You bet your biffy I am mad.
I’m tired of the tag wagging the dog. I want anyone black or white, male or female, put in jail if they make the individual decision to break the law. I want anyone who flaunts freedom, as well as the other bandits who break-and-enter, commit robbery, destroy public and private property to pay stiff fines, serve sentences, and be demanded to pay restitution to anyone whose their selfish actions have hurt. Just as importantly, I want freedom to be restored to those in America by the same agenda-driven politicians who have allowed our worst riffraff to wreck The Great American Dream.
My God, how much more are the 95 percent of law-abiding American citizens – black, white, male, female, adults, children – going to be forced to endure? What has happened in the past 10 days is rank insanity. We have Hillary Clinton chiding President Trump for some “photo op” at a vandalized church, accusing him of deliberately scattering protesters with tear gas who were in his way. We’re having to use tear gas in darn near every state and Hillary blames it on a photo op? Please woman, sit down. Instead the egg-headed Dems ought to face reality and ask instead, “Why did that church parish burn?” and “Who did this?”
On the front of the Metro page in Tuesday’s local paper is a picture of some Picasso who is writing the words, “America Never Was Great” on a Confederate statue on our courthouse lawn. Nowhere in the article was the obvious mentioned: the guy is defacing public property in such an overt display of his misguided “rights” it is nauseating. Find the guy, shackle him, book him for a misdemeanor and serve him a no-nonsense fine. Then, one of our honorable judges – and they are every bit as miffed as I am – should direct Picasso with a bucket of soap and water to his defaced handiwork and tell the bum: “Have at it…”
That’s completely fair. Why should the taxpayers, which includes all the rest and best of us, foot the bill for the bashed courthouse fountain and other vandalism? I don’t know anybody who loves our city and its people who agrees with his limp, “America Never Was Great,” or wants to read it, or agrees that the you-and-me’s in “America” should foot the bill for his lawless actions.
In other words, who represents the great majority of us right now in Hamilton County? Nowhere in the article does it acknowledge the crime. The article also identified “protesters” for the vandalism, which is totally incorrect. They are vandals, heretofore punishable in any other day, month, or year in Chattanooga’s history. Protesters are legal and welcome. Criminals of any degree are not. Who dared to change our nation’s most basic rules? When? It never happened, then apply the letter of the law to everyone who deserves it. Believe if you will that this week the loathsome get a free pass, or … you do something to stop it.
Our state’s General Assembly should enact emergency legislation that would protect, safeguard, restore full credibility, and appropriate power to every law man or women in this state. I have first-hand knowledge from the wife of a Chattanooga police officer who kisses him goodbye at the door in the early dawn, fully knowing he is going to be defiled and verbally abused by the worst slime in this city. His strict orders are to “stand down.” That’s every day. But today there’s a bigger terror in the wife’s heart … now she doesn’t know if he is coming back or not at the end of the day. Stop … imagine the overwhelming significance of that. All it takes is one lunatic, this at a fragile time for mental health in a pandemic.
On Tuesday four uniformed police officers in St. Louis were shot by guns from a riot’s crowd. A Las Vegas officer was shot in the head by other “protesters.” You say it will never happen in Chattanooga? At 11:30 Monday night alert Chattanooga officers challenged and then apprehended Trevan Young, 29, of the Laurel Ridge Apartments, 4715 Bonny Oaks Dr., as he joined protesters at downtown’s Miller Park. In Trevor’s backpack was an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, and three full ammo clips (magazines). Yet all of the “the good guys” sit and say nothing. I don’t get it.
A police protection bill should include a “mutual respect” clause; if the protester respects an officer, the officer will respect protester. But if you riot, and destroy property, and further incite pandemonium, it will no longer be “disturbing the peace” with a slap on the wrist. No, we need to put teeth into it where Picasso and his beer swills will know it’s back to “crime doesn’t pay” and we could give a rat’s tail who your daddy or minister might be.
What happened to George Floyd, the Minnesota victim who was allegedly (a legal word) murdered in clear sight, was America at its worst. We all agree on that. What is happening in New York, Chicago, and every other city goes right into the same bucket. Billions of dollars in damages, small businesses – many owned by minorities – destroyed beyond repair, tears of anger and frustration by the tanker truck, and no one anywhere can show me the win on any scorecard.
A national political commentator, grave-faced, tell us to “get ready for a long hot summer.” Why do that, give in to people who want to ruin our nation? No sir-ree. Come down with a lead fist and a hob-nailed boot and – if it takes a Marine Division – halt this embarrassing travesty promptly, quickly, and finally. The liberal elite gasp, “You are going to send American troops to protesters?” No, absolutely not. I’m for sending troops in right now for only the criminals. When the city, county and state police are ordered to “stand down” because some jerk who got elected during easy times can’t seem to find his avowed pledge during hard times, the thugs and punks and other assorted vermin will bury our country when law-and-order is compromised.
That’s exactly what is happening. I’m mad. Who do I see about it?
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HOW YOU CAN PROTEST, LEGALLY, AND FREELY
Get an envelope, stamp, and piece of paper. Then write a hand-written note – no emails -- of your contempt and your solution to:
* -- The Honorable Bill Lee, Governor of Tennessee, State Capitol, 1st Floor, 600 Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37243
* -- State Legislators from Hamilton County: (use the “Find My Legislator” tool on the General Assembly’s website at capitol.tn.gov. It will give you the correct mailing address)
* -- Jim Coppinger, Mayor of Hamilton County, 208 Courthouse, 625 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37402
* -- Sabrena Smedley, Chair, Hamilton County Commission, County Commission office, 401 Courthouse, 625 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37402
* -- Andy Berke, Mayor of Chattanooga, Mayor's Office, 101 E. 11th Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402
* -- Chip Henderson, Chair, Chattanooga City Council, City Council office, 1000 Lindsay Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402
* -- Jim Hammond, Sheriff of Hamilton County, 600 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402
* -- David Roddy, Chief, Chattanooga Police Dept., 3410 Amnicola Hwy., Chattanooga, TN 37406
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THE BEST OF THE DAY – BY FAR
Jacob Frey, the mayor of strife-torn Minneapolis where many millions of dollars in damages have occurred since the shocking video of George Floyd’s murder surfaced last week and a week of continuous carnage has been done, has just issued this press release: “The city encourages everyone to exercise caution and stay safe while participating in demonstrations, including wearing masks and physical distancing as much as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The city has made hundreds of masks available to protect the protesters this week.”
There. Now you know.
royexum@aol.com