Letter to the editor (published March 27, 2008)

March 26, 2008 05:48 pm

— I disagree with the March 20, Glade Sun letter "Non-profits need help." My neighbor suggests, as others have done, that those who support People Against Peavine Advertising (PAPA) have nothing better to do with their time, time that could be better spent in charitable works. Folks are free to promote, on their own merits, organizations in which they believe, but it is wrong to do so by denigrating the efforts of people who are committed to other organizations. Charitable work is vitally important and promoting it is a good thing, but not at the expense of good-faith efforts to reasonably limit business activities.
Business has many options to operate and be profitable without damaging the environment and lowering the public's quality of life. If there were no limitations on business making a profit, we could have mountaintop removal or clear-cut logging in Fairfield Glade. I am confident that my neighbor would oppose those things even though they could be profitable for the companies, plus they would like us more for allowing it.
I support PAPA's efforts to keep Tennessee beautiful; an effort that, if successful, will benefit us all. Citizens will benefit from an improved quality of life, and business will benefit from increased tourism and in-migration. We each have a job to do to improve individual lives and also the environment. Let us work together to achieve these mutually-beneficial goals without criticizing efforts that are dear to other people’s hearts.
Cathy Tipton
Fairfield Glade