Five years ago today, the lives of all Chattanoogans changed forever. A lone gunman attacked a military recruiting site and nearby naval operations center. Our local law enforcement neutralized the attacker swiftly, but not before five servicemen had been killed.
We remember; Sergeant Carson Holmquist. Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Sullivan. Staff Sergeant David Wyatt. Lance Corporal Skip Wells. Petty Officer Second Class Randall Smith.
There are a lot of things nobody tells you about being mayor, and how to lead your city forward in the aftermath of a lethal domestic terrorist attack is one of them.
One thing I knew is that our response could not lead to further radicalization and violence. Terrorism is about provocation: provoking fear, outrage, and hate. Its goal is to drive divisions and create irresistible traps that let us see other people as less than fully human.
I worry about the continued propensity for radicalization in this moment. Extremists would like nothing better than to see Americans turned hopelessly and intractably against one another.
The path forward now looks much the same as it did after the July 16 attacks. We have to try to look past our anger and despair to see what kind of community we can build together on the other side. Working towards peace, prosperity, and resilience is how I’m remembering the lives of the valiant servicemen we lost that day, and I hope that you will join me.
One of the great American duties is your civic responsibility to elect your representatives. Early voting for the August election begins tomorrow, Friday, July 17 and will continue through Saturday, August 1. If you want to vote in person, I strongly encourage you to vote early. This gives you a buffer in case you have a personal emergency on Election Day. Crowds are also smaller during early voting, which gives you more protection against COVID exposure.
All Tennessee voters also have the option to vote by mail with an absentee ballot this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You must submit your absentee ballot request to the Election Commission by July 30 if you want to vote by mail in the August election. To learn more about absentee voting, text ‘HC ABSENTEE’ to 97779.
We want you to be informed and safe while voting, regardless of how you choose to vote or who you vote for. You can text ‘CHAVOTES’ to 97779 for text updates or visit cha.city/vote for more info.
Lastly, I want to thank you all for complying with the new mask mandate in Hamilton County. I’m proud of how well our community is adhering to this mandate. Mayor Jim Coppinger has done the right thing by issuing a mask mandate for our community, and if we all continue to do our part, we can prevent Tennessee from seeing the kinds of numbers that are present in places like Florida and Arizona.
As we adjust to this new mask mandate in our community, I hope you’ll share your mask selfie with me via Twitter or Facebook and use the hashtag #MaskUpCHA. You can also email me at mayor@chattanooga.gov.