Memory flubs
If Gov. Rick Perry's candidacy survives until the N.C. presidential primary in May, he won't be my choice. But that won't be because he forgot in a November debate that Energy was one of the three Cabinet departments he would target for elimination.
Gerald Ford and Mike Dukakis weren't my preferences, either. But how many aspiring contenders I might have endorsed declined to file for fear of suffering the same fate as those two? When any flub can prove fatal, why bother to throw your hat into the ring?
Perry is about the same age as I am. Usually my memory is as good as ever — maybe better. But then comes one of those confounded voids. I ask the person listening to me to give me a rain check and I go right on talking. A minute or two after I quit searching for the fugitive thought, it finds me. But I wouldn't have that luxury if I were running for president. And that's too bad.
Sometimes it seems that the idea that eludes me is the one that is most obvious or familiar. I believe that Perry considers energy one of his areas of expertise. So it is consistent with my experience that he lost the department he did. But there I go again, spoiling the fun with introspection.
I will vote against Rick Perry, but not because he went blank in a moment of stress. I will vote against Rick Perry because he isn't Rep. Ron Paul.
BARNEY W. HILL
Thomasville
Influential groups
The presidential election of 1964 was the beginning of my active interest in politics. As far back as 47 years ago there was great concern about the influence that "special-interest groups" had on the political process, but the grounds for our fears then seem benign compared to the angst many people now feel about what seems to be an all-out assault on our system of government.
With the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision in 2010, corporate spending became essentially unregulated, and it has seemed as though our government is now on auction, for sale to the highest bidder. In our state, Art Pope is the plutocrat-in-chief as he poured millions of dollars into the election of conservative candidates in 2010, and they are now in control of our state Legislature. What does he expect in return for his generosity?
On another front there is the American Legislative Exchange Council, which sponsors retreats where corporate leaders meet with state legislators to produce pre-packaged legislation that is then delivered to the respective state assemblies for instant passage. In that Thom Tillis, speaker of the House in North Carolina, was named one of ALEC's legislators of the year, what was the role of ALEC in the crazy legislation passed during the last session?
To whom are our elected lawmakers responsible? There is no concern about jobs and the dire economic conditions of too many of our citizens, but we can be comforted with a healthy portion of corporate-inspired ideology.
CHARLES FRANCIS WILSON
Winston-Salem
Learn from mistakes
Applause and thanks go to those who are willing to stand up to corporate greed and the terrible gap between the excessively wealthy and the suffering poor. A place of protest near wealthy economic centers in our city seems appropriate. The fat sheep are the ones that our Lord God will destroy and feed with justice (Ezekiel 34:16).
I don't understand the need to occupy and camp in a vacant city lot overnight ("Protesters want to set up camp at Civic Plaza," Nov. 22). We don't need to violate any city ordinances. Public gatherings after midnight do not generally invite safety and positive transformation. It seems to me that the bold "occupy" people would need to be home at night caring for their own families and residences. We do not need any temptations for legal protests to become violent or to cause sanitation problems for our city officials. We can learn from mistakes in other cities. Daytime, peaceful protests of self-indulgent incomes and profit that respect city property and keep it clean could be very helpful to our society's need to change.
THE REV. LAURA SPANGLER
PASTOR, LLOYD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Winston- Salem
Waiting
President Obama is waging a "we can't wait" war against Congress. While conducting his smear campaign, he has completely ignored some 17 already House-passed jobs bills stuck in the Senate awaiting action from the Democratic leadership. These bills, if passed, would reduce the red tape that is keeping small businesses from creating new jobs. An example of these bills is HR 2250, which passed the House with the support of 41 Democrats. Why has Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refused to bring these bills up for a debate and vote? Right there is a big part of the gridlock.
If the president is truly interested in creating jobs instead of just looking for someone to blame for his failed policies, he will tell Reid to take action on these bills immediately.
VON B. HAMRICK
Winston-Salem
If Gov. Rick Perry's candidacy survives until the N.C. presidential primary in May, he won't be my choice. But that won't be because he forgot in a November debate that Energy was one of the three Cabinet departments he would target for elimination.
Gerald Ford and Mike Dukakis weren't my preferences, either. But how many aspiring contenders I might have endorsed declined to file for fear of suffering the same fate as those two? When any flub can prove fatal, why bother to throw your hat into the ring?
Perry is about the same age as I am. Usually my memory is as good as ever — maybe better. But then comes one of those confounded voids. I ask the person listening to me to give me a rain check and I go right on talking. A minute or two after I quit searching for the fugitive thought, it finds me. But I wouldn't have that luxury if I were running for president. And that's too bad.
Sometimes it seems that the idea that eludes me is the one that is most obvious or familiar. I believe that Perry considers energy one of his areas of expertise. So it is consistent with my experience that he lost the department he did. But there I go again, spoiling the fun with introspection.
I will vote against Rick Perry, but not because he went blank in a moment of stress. I will vote against Rick Perry because he isn't Rep. Ron Paul.
BARNEY W. HILL
Thomasville
Influential groups
The presidential election of 1964 was the beginning of my active interest in politics. As far back as 47 years ago there was great concern about the influence that "special-interest groups" had on the political process, but the grounds for our fears then seem benign compared to the angst many people now feel about what seems to be an all-out assault on our system of government.
With the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision in 2010, corporate spending became essentially unregulated, and it has seemed as though our government is now on auction, for sale to the highest bidder. In our state, Art Pope is the plutocrat-in-chief as he poured millions of dollars into the election of conservative candidates in 2010, and they are now in control of our state Legislature. What does he expect in return for his generosity?
On another front there is the American Legislative Exchange Council, which sponsors retreats where corporate leaders meet with state legislators to produce pre-packaged legislation that is then delivered to the respective state assemblies for instant passage. In that Thom Tillis, speaker of the House in North Carolina, was named one of ALEC's legislators of the year, what was the role of ALEC in the crazy legislation passed during the last session?
To whom are our elected lawmakers responsible? There is no concern about jobs and the dire economic conditions of too many of our citizens, but we can be comforted with a healthy portion of corporate-inspired ideology.
CHARLES FRANCIS WILSON
Winston-Salem
Learn from mistakes
Applause and thanks go to those who are willing to stand up to corporate greed and the terrible gap between the excessively wealthy and the suffering poor. A place of protest near wealthy economic centers in our city seems appropriate. The fat sheep are the ones that our Lord God will destroy and feed with justice (Ezekiel 34:16).
I don't understand the need to occupy and camp in a vacant city lot overnight ("Protesters want to set up camp at Civic Plaza," Nov. 22). We don't need to violate any city ordinances. Public gatherings after midnight do not generally invite safety and positive transformation. It seems to me that the bold "occupy" people would need to be home at night caring for their own families and residences. We do not need any temptations for legal protests to become violent or to cause sanitation problems for our city officials. We can learn from mistakes in other cities. Daytime, peaceful protests of self-indulgent incomes and profit that respect city property and keep it clean could be very helpful to our society's need to change.
THE REV. LAURA SPANGLER
PASTOR, LLOYD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Winston- Salem
Waiting
President Obama is waging a "we can't wait" war against Congress. While conducting his smear campaign, he has completely ignored some 17 already House-passed jobs bills stuck in the Senate awaiting action from the Democratic leadership. These bills, if passed, would reduce the red tape that is keeping small businesses from creating new jobs. An example of these bills is HR 2250, which passed the House with the support of 41 Democrats. Why has Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refused to bring these bills up for a debate and vote? Right there is a big part of the gridlock.
If the president is truly interested in creating jobs instead of just looking for someone to blame for his failed policies, he will tell Reid to take action on these bills immediately.
VON B. HAMRICK
Winston-Salem
Memory flubs. After a certain age we tend to have them and yes DOE was a good agency to target. I understand Perry is not your candidate and not because of a memory flub. If Ron Paul is your candidate, then chalk it up to a mind flub instead.
ReplyDeleteInfluential groups. As government has grown larger and more invasive in our daily lives, don't be surprised by the growing number of lobbyists that follow. Some lobbyists are there to pay protection money because it is the easiest path to prevent government from doing more harm as it tries to "help" everyone. Our current president Goldman Sachs managed to win election before the 2010 Court ruling. You like growing corrupt government only when your side holds the cards but all is lost if the other side now holds some cards too? Get used to it. Art Pope is your new bogey man? Paranoid much?
ReplyDeleteLearn from mistakes. You offer some wise counsel to the local Occupy folks. However, what you caution them about is not what this movement is about. Not by a long shot. Reverend, did you take part in any TEA Party rallies in the last two years? It was in line with your peaceful orderly public assembly and nobody has to be arrested.
ReplyDeleteWaiting. The governing phase of the Obama term ended after 2 years. He, his party, his media and all their associates are running a year long narrative complete with divisive rhetoric designed to cause envy and division. He wants no job creation outside of public sector jobs and union jobs. He wants to maintain the "do nothing Congress" mantra because that is all he is left with. The new Congress was sent there to stop him from doing nothing more to harm this economy. The "we can't wait" is phase two of any authoritarian demagogue and Lord Cromwell seems to have no need for his Parliament. Meantime, his Occupy minions are acting like the next group of pawns and cannon fodder. Every decade or so, these anarchists and Lefties act out when an opportunity arises. This is the first one here since the end of the Cold War. They are just remnants of the old days with new faces and technology.
ReplyDelete