Winston-Salem Journal LTE's FR 10/07/11

Established a record

Harvard Ayers, professor emeritus at Appalachian State University, wonders in his Sept. 25 guest column which Obama we will get ("Which Obama will we get?"). In 2008, candidate Obama had little experience and no track record, so the "hope and change" slogan appealed to many young voters like the students Professor Ayers boasts about registering and delivering to the Democrats in Watauga County.

Now that President Obama has established a record, we see that this glib community organizer has no clue about how the economy works; he never ran a business, met a budget or made a payroll; and believes the solution to every problem is more regulations, more taxes, more spending and bigger government.

So which Obama will we get? Unfortunately, the one we already have whose "considerable oratorical skills" fill the air with speeches that fewer and fewer people listen to. We have learned that his promises are too easily made and even more easily broken.

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AUSTIN COAN
Clemmons
Appreciation
I really don't understand why those people who are in favor of the DREAM Act claim that those opposed "don't have a heart" ("Church hears speakers for DREAM Act," Sept. 26). Give me a break. Illegal immigrants want to have all the rights of being an American just because they crossed the border (or their parents did). Those who want to become an American could serve in the military for a period of time and would know how very precious our freedoms are and what it is like fighting for those freedoms.
Then they can stand proudly in line to become one of us — proud legal Americans. And only then would they really appreciate what it is like to be free and a life member of the greatest country in the world.

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JIM SCHALLER

COMMANDER CHAPTER 638

MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART
Winston-Salem
Focus on one cause
This letter is in response to my interest in reading your Sept. 25 story "Stepping up to protect women," about the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event to bring awareness to violence against women.
Only one day later, on Sept. 26, I opened my newspaper to read the front-page headline "Man charged with murder," about a man accused of fatally shooting his wife.
The statistics aren't pretty, and no gender, education level, economic status or class escapes the problem of domestic violence. In some instances, our loved ones are being hunted down like prey.
For me, reading these painful experiences illustrated a need that many families have for increased protection and support. A few years ago, I decided to focus on one cause that was near and dear to my heart.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I made a personal commitment to hold my annual Halloween party as a benefit for Domestic Violence Services in Davie County. I alone cannot make a difference, but, if every person were to inspire someone else to take action, we could collectively create change.

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STEPHANIE WILLIAMS DEAN
Mocksville
Dictionary definition

The writer of the Sept. 29 letter "Name-calling" is a bigot despite his statements to the contrary. The dictionary defines a bigot as "a person who is intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, especially on religion, politics, or race." The writer relies on his selective interpretation of his Bible to justify his bigoted comments as they relate to homosexuality, and he further transgresses by not acknowledging that everyone does not rely on his Bible for their beliefs. He and others like him are entitled to their personal beliefs, but their failure to tolerate the beliefs of others does, by definition, make them bigots.

Our community is blessed with people of many faiths and beliefs from which we all benefit. What is required is tolerance, understanding and, most importantly, appreciation of our differences rather than bigoted attempts to make us all adhere to the beliefs of a self-selected few.

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JOHN WIGODSKY
Winston-Salem
Works for a few
With all this talk about "socialism," it's easy to escape the fact that capitalism isn't working all that great these days. Millions of Americans who want to work are unemployed, and projections are that jobs won't be available for years to come. Yet corporate profits have never been higher; there's plenty of room at the top for executive bonuses. So it seems like capitalism only works for a few Americans. What good is it, then?
This is all out of whack. I'm very interested in the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Maybe it'll bring a little sanity to the situation.

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JAMESON B. HALL
Winston-Salem