Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 8:01 pm

No time to sell OC Rest Home
To The Editor:
My wife was a resident in our Obion County Rest Home between the years of 2003 and 2006 and her needs were met on almost all occasions. I have had experience with over five other rest homes in our local area but this particular rest home is close to my heart. Mrs. (Marietta) Hardy was there some of that time and was an excellent manager.
Today, Tom Reddick is there and has made a wonderful reputation for himself.
I encourage those who have control not to sell the Obion County Rest Home because if it does sell, gone will be the care we need.
Remember, we could each be the next resident.
Pierce Criswell
Troy

Enough already
from writer
To The Editor:
Congratulations to Ronald Cooper for saying what many of us are thinking — “enough is enough, Glenda Caudle.” I was beginning to think that The Daily Messenger had been renamed to “Glenda Caudle, the Republican who thinks she knows what’s right for everyone.”
Just so you know, Glenda, there are a lot more of us than you think who feel the same as the letter writer and we are tired of reading your biased articles, your “going to hell if you are a Democrat” articles, your misinformed information articles. If you were a real Christian, you would be trying to work toward a common goal with everyone, instead of sitting at the top of the editorial staff judging them.
Teena Lairy
Union City
Tele-town hall
meetings helpful

To The Editor:
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Congressman John Tanner for having the kind of town hall meeting that lets other seniors and me participate. Because of my medical conditions, it is difficult for me to leave my home. I cannot easily get to the courthouse or up the high school steps to hear my congressman speak. After what I have seen on the news about how some of these people behave, I wouldn’t feel safe or comfortable anyway.
Senior citizens are directly affected by the current health care system and the efforts of reform. It seems to many of us that John Tanner sincerely wants to hear from us through these telephone town hall meetings he is conducting. For the first time in many years, I will be able to participate again in a town hall meeting and in the democratic process.
Thank you, Congressman Tanner.
Lynda Butler
Ripley
Criminals are
being protected

To The Editor:
I have been a citizen of Union City for about 12 years. My entire family has been very active in this community as long as I can remember. Many people know that I am a proud parent of two young children. I am also a soldier in the Tennessee Army National Guard and have now volunteered for two deployments in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I am a gun-supporting individual as is my family. I believe the city council should allow guns in city parks. Growing up in Union City, I was a patron of both Kiwanis Park and Graham Park for many years. I have had many instances where I have seen the need for handgun carry permit holders in these areas. I have seen robberies, drug deals and assaults, all at our so-called safe parks.
Many people say there is no need to carry a handgun in our parks but I disagree strongly. The previously stated observations are only a few of the reasons that I believe it should be allowed.
Another reason that I believe handgun permit holders should be allowed to carry in parks is because of the fact that I have these two children of such a young age in which I am obligated to protect with all means necessary.
Handgun-carrying citizens are the most law-abiding citizens in this town and it is a shame that people are willing to protect the criminals by taking away our rights.
Michael D. Clark
Union City


‘Fishy’ smell
needs probing

To The Editor:
Concerned citizens of America have been asked by the federal government to report “fishy” information found on the Web to “flag@whitehouse.gov.”
Recently, I tried to make a report to this e-mail address regarding a statement I heard from a health care promoter. I remain unsuccessful in my attempts. I concede, however, that I am not computer savvy. Often I call out “help” and my savvy husband will point me in the right direction.
The reporter stated that pediatricians were performing tonsillectomies just to boost their personal income. An ENT or general surgeon most often does this surgery. Recurrent sore throat or tonsillitis must be documented, documented and documented in the patient’s chart for insurance companies to approve the procedure. Without proper documentation, payment will be denied.
President Obama was the reporter that I heard making this false statement. It is alarming that our president is so badly misinformed.
The “fishy” smell is coming from the White House. Someone may be successful snitching on the president. We should all hope so. Common sense should prevail.
Physicians do not perform tonsillectomies, hysterectomies, vasectomies or any other ectomies without medical necessity. Medicare regulations and insurance requirements are currently in place to help prevent this type of fraud.
Everyone should empower himself or herself regarding health care by being well informed. However, we cannot listen to our president to receive factual information and our elected officials should be listening to those who elected them to office at town hall meetings.
On April 6 of this year, Mr. Obama proclaimed to the nation of Turkey that America was no longer a Judeo-Christian nation. When did we cease to be a Judeo-Christian nation?
Maybe members of Congress have not displayed an attitude of Christian love, kindness and compassion. If this is true, now may not be the time for healthcare reform. We need a House of Christians to reform our healthcare system.
God, grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change. Do we need change? Yes! We need acceptable health care change for every citizen.
God, grant me courage to change the things I can. Is it possible to change our current health care system? Yes! I admire the courage of our elected officials who are addressing this problem.
God, grant me wisdom to know the difference. Do members of Congress or the House of Representatives have the wisdom to make health care change? Yes! Well, maybe yes. One thousand and eighteen pages of health care change may not be wise.
This is a nation founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs and principles. We must stand up for our rights and freedoms on which this country was founded.
God bless America.
Mildred Hinson
Union City


Research more
on gun issue

To The Editor:
Every article I have seen printed has started with “Guns in Parks.” The resolution that the Union City Council passed, and other cities are considering, actually bans handgun permit holders from carrying their handgun in public municipal parks, natural areas, historic parks, nature trails, campgrounds, forests, greenways, waterways or other similar public places. This resolution is not true.
What the State of Tennessee “opt-out” clause states is “notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (b)(1)(I), and municipality or county may prohibit, by resolution adopted by a majority vote of its legislative body, persons authorized to carry a handgun pursuant to 39-17-1351, from possessing such handgun while within or on a public park that is owned or operated by a county, a municipality or instrumentality there of.”
Notice that everything the council listed in the resolution that passed, except “public park,” is not included in the code. I am not an attorney but I can read and do research, which is something the council should do before they pass a resolution.
I do not believe our city council practices discrimination on purpose, however, that is exactly what this resolution does.This resolution does not prohibit lawful possession of any handgun in accordance with T.C.A. 39-17-1311(b)(1)(A)-(H) including ROTC people conducting gun and knife shows, hunters crossing the park, people driving through to pick up or drop off passengers and at least nine other categories, except legal, law-abiding handgun permit holders.
Tennessee Constitution, Article 1, Section 26 states, “That the citizens of this State have a right to keep and bear arms for the common defense, but the legislature shall have the power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime.”
The Tennessee State Supreme Court (State vs. Andrews) ruled “The Enactment of the legislature on this subject must be guided by, and restrained to this end, and bear some well defined relation to the prevention of crime or else it is unauthorized by this clause of the constitution.”
The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture calls this case the single most important case regarding the right to bear arms under the Tennessee State Constitution, Article 1, Section 26.
Our Union City Council could put this issue to rest if, under the Freedom of Information Act, they would release any study that they conducted that proved barring handgun carry permit holders from exercising their constitutional rights would actually prevent crimes.
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, there were zero handgun carry permits revoked in Obion County in 2008. I would like to state again that handgun carry permit holders are legal, law-abiding citizens.
The federal and state government have declared that allowing permit holders to carry their handguns in parks (and similar areas) reduces crime and increases safety for everyone. This may be too much information for some of our city council members to grasp.
However, I would like to state that Mayor Terry Hailey, Councilwoman Judy Robinson and Councilman Johnny Bacon voted to uphold the constitutional rights of the citizens.
Thomas Jefferson said, “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”
Butch Butler
Obion County Chapter Leader
Tennessee Firearms Association
Union City
Published in The Messenger 8.26.09