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TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti plays politics on transgender health case | Letters

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TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti plays politics on transgender health case | Letters


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Editor’s note: Letters to the editor reflect the views of individual readers. Scroll to the bottom to see how you can add your voice, whether you agree or disagree. We welcome diverse viewpoints.

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Re: “AG Skrmetti: TN transgender minor care law is about regulation not discrimination,” by Jonathan Skrmetti, Dec. 4 (online), Dec. 8 (print).

In his defense of S.B. 1 which bans transgender minor care, Skrmetti writes, “As Tennesseans, we’ve always believed in putting children first…Tennessee has always had the right, and the solemn obligation, to protect its kids.”

Really Mr. AG? If that is what you and our super majority Republican legislators truly believe, why is it that Tennessee has continually scored miserably in the national Kids Count data?

For the year 2023 here is our state’s national ranking for the key markers associated with children’s wellbeing: Education 30th, Health 41st, Family and Community 38th. Does that sound like a state that believes in putting children first? I do not recall any of these topics being highlighted during the recent campaign season, and certainly no one suggested concrete steps to fix them.

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Skrmetti spends his entire column attacking these “life-altering medical procedures,” which he believes “can cause kids great and irreversible physical harm.”

And yet according to another columnist, during legislative hearings no Tennessean claimed harm. Let’s just call this for what it is: fear of trans gender identity, which is clearly misunderstood by Skrmetti and others in the legislature.

One last point. While there are sincere and honest questions about minor transgender care, nowhere in his column does our AG acknowledge that the courts have routinely upheld the existence of constitutionally protected sovereign parental rights. We should be very careful about allowing our state government to interfere with these rights.

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Thomas Riss, Mt. Juliet 37122

Agree or disagree? Or have a view on another topic entirely? Send a letter of 250 words or fewer to letters@tennessean.com. Include your full name, city/town, ZIP and contact information for verification. Thanks for adding to the public conversation.



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Man wanted for double homicide in Georgia captured in Tennessee

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Man wanted for double homicide in Georgia captured in Tennessee


A man wanted for a double homicide out of Georgia is arrested in Middle Tennessee.

Two people were discovered shot in a vehicle near Harbins Road and Harbins Point in Lilburn, Georgia, just after 10 p.m. Friday night, said the Gwinnett County Police Department. Those two individuals died.

A man was also found injured on Windscape Village Lane in Norcross, GA, according to police. They determined the two scenes were related.

Police learned through their investigation that the suspect, 54-year-old Javier Aragon Ruiz, was en route to Tennessee.

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Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers located Ruiz’s vehicle in Robertson County on Saturday morning and took him into custody, according to police.

Ruiz is charged by the THP with reckless driving, driving under the influence, possession of gun under the influence and a being a fugitive from justice. He is being held without bond in the Robertson County Jail.

The homicide victims will be identified by police after the next of kin is notified.

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Anyone with information in this case is asked to call GCPD detectives at 770.513.5300. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 404.577.TIPS (8477).



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Where to watch No. 13 Tennessee-No. 14 Illinois college basketball game tonight free livestream

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Where to watch No. 13 Tennessee-No. 14 Illinois college basketball game tonight free livestream


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The No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers play against the No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini in a college basketball game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.

The Volunteers enter this matchup with a 7-2 record, but they have lost back-to-back games. In their most recent game, the Volunteers lost 62-60 against Syracuse.

In order to bounce back tonight, the Volunteers will need a great performance from their guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie. He leads the Tennessee offense in scoring this season, as he averages nearly 18 points per game.

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The Fighting Illini enter this matchup with a 6-2 record, and they are coming off a 74-61 loss against UConn.

In order to win tonight’s game, the Fighting Illini will need to rely on their guard Kylan Boswell. He leads the team in points and assists this year, which highlights his offensive prowess.

Fans can watch this college basketball game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.



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Police responding to pit bull mauling in Tennessee find grandfather and infant dead

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Police responding to pit bull mauling in Tennessee find grandfather and infant dead


A grandfather and his infant granddaughter were pronounced dead after authorities in Tennessee found pit bulls mauling the 3-month-old girl, officials said.

The district attorney general’s office for Tennessee’s 14th Judicial District said in a news release Wednesday that authorities are still trying to determine the cause of death for James Alexander Smith, 50, and his granddaughter, and whether the mauling occurred after they were already dead.

The prosecutor’s office said it isn’t clear if criminal charges will be filed in the case.

A 50-year-old man and his 3-month-old granddaughter were found dead after police said they were attacked by their family dogs at their Tullahoma, Tenn., home on Wednesday.via WSMV

The apparent attack occurred at a residential address in Tullahoma, roughly 75 miles southeast of Nashville. Responding police officers killed the dogs to stop the attack, according to the release.

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“Regrettably, it was obvious that both victims were deceased,” the release states.

District Attorney Craig Northcutt said the dogs stayed at the home where the mauling occurred but it wasn’t clear whom they belonged to.

NBC affiliate WSMV of Nashville reported that the animals were among seven pit bulls that lived there.

A neighbor, Rebecca Adams, told the station that dogs routinely escaped from the family’s yard and chased other neighborhood pets. But she said she’d never seen them be aggressive toward people, the station reported.

The district attorney general’s office said investigators are examining the animals’ history and “other potential issues that may have contributed to this situation.”

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According to the release, the other dogs in the home were taken by the local animal control agency.



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