Recent editorials from Tennessee newspapers:
___
April 18
The Commercial Appeal on the Tennessee legislature’s response to Memphis’ removal of Confederate statues:
Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and his trusty bronzed steed, part of a Jim Crow monument removed late last year from a Memphis park, apparently are riding again through their old stomping grounds in rural West Tennessee.
Our West Tennessee neighbors in Dresden and Parkers Crossroads, two of the locations of Forrest’s legendary Civil War raids, might want to be on the lookout.
Forrest, a longtime Dixiecrat, desperate to restore the Confederacy, seems to have enlisted the support of two area Republicans.
Rep. Andy Holt of Dresden, who drew national attention two years ago when he offered to give away gun permits and two military-style assault rifles.
Rep. Steve McDaniel of Parkers Crossroads, who two years ago gave the Tennessee Historical Society authority to occupy any Memphis park with a Confederate statue.
Tuesday, Capt. McDaniel and Lt. Holt raided the state budget, removing $250,000 that had been earmarked to help Memphis celebrate its bicentennial next year.
“Bad actions” have “bad consequences,” explained Holt, who has amply demonstrated that throughout his legislative career.
“If you recall, back in December, Memphis did something that removed historical markers in the city,” McDaniel reminded his fellow legislators. “It was the city of Memphis that did this, and it was full knowing it was not the will of the legislature.”
The will of this legislature is often confused - by legislators like Holt and McDaniel - with God’s will.
This is the legislature that mandated “In God We Trust” signs be placed in all public schools.
This is the legislature that tried to make the Christian Bible the state book of Tennessee the same year it made the Barrett .50 caliber the official state rifle.
Blessed are the gunmakers.
As for Holt and McDaniel, well, bless their hearts.
Memphians who couldn’t have cared less about the 2019 bicentennial already are rallying to restore the quarter-million Forrest’s defenders took in their temper tantrum.
Brittney Block organized a GoFundMe account to replenish the Memphis-bound funds that were cut by Holt, McDaniel and their confederates. “Our city should not be punished by the legislature for making decisions in the best interest of its community and citizens,” she wrote.
No lost causes here. Memphis won’t surrender.
Meanwhile, fellow West Tennesseans in Dresden and Parkers Crossroads, if you happen to see Gen. Forrest and his mount, please invite them to stay. They are not welcome here.
Online: https://www.commercialappeal.com/
___
April 13
The Daily Times of Maryville on the safe haven law:
The annual “Rock the Cradle” fundraiser for A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee is one of those times that reminds us why we’re inspired by tragedy born of innocence. Why people wipe away tears and say “never again, not if I can help it.” Why legislators sometimes pass laws with regular folks in mind. And why Gov. Bill Haslam signed a proclamation on Feb. 2 designating April as “Safe Haven Month in Tennessee” and encouraging “all citizens to join me in this worthy observance.”
One of those people who made “never again” her mantra was the late Anna C. Irwin, a Daily Times reporter who covered the story of a 14-year-old girl from Townsend who was so afraid people would find out she was pregnant that she abandoned her newborn baby girl in a shed.
Anna covered the story like she covered every story, straight up and full speed ahead, including reporting on the decision to charge the teen with first-degree murder. She just wrote the facts when the infant was found dead in a wooden box in October 2000. That didn’t mean she wasn’t affected by it. She wrote the news without fear or favor, but she had feelings. In May 2004, Anna wrote these words:
“Imagine being 13 years old or 15, 17 or 19. You’re pregnant. You’re not a bad girl, but you made a serious mistake, and now you don’t know what to do. You’ve tried to pretend there wasn’t a baby on the way and managed to hide the situation, but as the birth approaches, you are faced with the question of what will happen to the baby.
“What are the options and how can you find out about the possibilities without revealing your secret? How can you be sure your secret and your baby, once it arrives, will be safe?
“Answers are available at A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee Inc. help line, 982-4224. All calls are confidential, never recorded and not connected to a caller identification system.”
Anna died three years later, but that phone number is still good. So is the cause. To help make sure A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee is always ready when needed, let’s “Rock the Cradle.”
Proceeds go to fund education and awareness to women across the state about the Safe Haven Law. It’s a way to save a baby’s life and a mother a lifetime of guilt. It’s a way to “Rock the Cradle.”
Online: https://www.thedailytimes.com/
___
April 15
Johnson City Press on helping local farmers:
Knowledge is power. That’s particularly true when it comes to knowing where the things we eat and drink come from.
Labeling dairy products, fruits and vegetables and meats to let people know where their food comes from and how it is produced is beneficial to both farmers and consumers.
The Tennessee General Assembly took an admittedly small step to meeting that end this month, as well as helping beleaguered dairy producers in our region. Lawmakers have passed legislation that will help state residents find milk produced in Tennessee on their grocery shelves. The bill allows the labeling of “Local Tennessee Milk” for milk actually produced in this state.
The idea is to promote the state’s milk industry, which is going through some very troubling times. Press staff writer Zach Vance reports passage of the bill comes more than a month after national dairy company Dean Foods announced it was ending its purchasing contracts with more than 100 dairy farmers nationwide, including three in Greeneville and two in Morristown.
“Concern about losing these milk contracts is on every dairy farmer’s mind, not only in East Tennessee, but the fear is moving across Tennessee that ’we may be next’ in other parts of the state,” said state Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, who is one of the sponsors of the bill.
The legislation puts no mandates on bottlers to label their products, but it is the first step to branding Tennessee milk as the dairy industry has done successfully in states like California and Wisconsin. Milk currently sold in grocery stores do have codes printed near the top of their containers and lids identifying where the milk originated, but consumers have to locate the code and punch it into a website, like whereismymilkfrom.com, to find its location.
Agriculture plays a significant role in Tennessee, so much so it is listed (along with commerce) on the state’s seal. That’s why talk of a possible trade war with China and other countries over tariffs is disappointing to Tennessee farmers.
Tennessee’s top agricultural commodities are soybeans, corn, cattle and greenhouse/nursery products. The state is also a leading producer of tobacco and hardwood in the United States.
More Tennessee residents are looking to buy meat, vegetables and dairy foods that are produced locally and without growth hormones or preservatives. Consumers should enter into a partnership with farmers in their communities to learn how they grow the fruits and vegetables that end up on their dinner tables.
Online: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/
Please read our comment policy before commenting.