Dan's defense
Folks can relax: City Hall will remain public property, and no one is proposing otherwise — certainly not me.
I'm writing to clear up a misunderstanding about my proposed temporary clarifications to city rules about meetings and protests on city property.
First, the proposed rule about City Hall property is just the legal language equivalent of a "keep off the grass" sign.
It would mean only that "open-air public meetings" and pickets on City Hall grounds had to stay on the paved steps, walkways and sidewalks. The landscaped parts of the small City Hall grounds are ornamental and not designed to accommodate heavy use. There's not even a rail between the small grassed area and a long drop to the sidewalk.
The other proposal would limit the hours for outdoor meetings on city property to between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. (Sidewalk pickets and vigils could continue to go all night.)
Finally, both of those limitations would expire March 27 unless renewed or modified further by the city council.
This proposal is intended to head off further confusion and confrontations while the city council addresses these issues on a long-term basis with full public review and input.
We all value and respect public debate and our American rights of free speech and assembly. Clear and reasonable rules about "time, place and manner" for protest activities on public property help protect public safety in the process.
DAN BESSE
Winston-Salem
Differences
Rudeness is a human characteristic shared by conservatives and liberals alike. So are kindness and generosity — no one has a patent on those qualities. Nevertheless, I see differences between conservatives and liberals that I think are more important.
One of the main differences is that, when exposed to new knowledge or hard truths, liberals try to understand and assimilate them. Conservatives, on the other hand, tend to get upset that someone is telling them something they don't want to hear and claim that the person telling them "thinks he's smarter than me." Well, maybe he is — but that possibility isn't important to them. They're conservative — they've already made up their minds — and they resent being challenged.
Another difference is that liberals believe in equality — they think all people should have the same rights. Conservatives tend to see a threat in other people having the rights they have and fight to prevent it.
And while liberals are quite willing to accept the fact that other people are different, and would like to associate with smart conservatives, conservatives tend to think that everyone should be like they are and are upset that they're not.
Jesus, as portrayed in the Gospels, was a classic liberal, and I'm baffled that conservatives honor him at all. He's nothing like them.
Of course, there are exceptions. And I'd be glad to be proved wrong.
WILLIAM B. PERRY
Winston-Salem
Most interesting
Listening to the fray going on in the Republican Party primary, I find the discussion about Newt Gingrich's business dealings with Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac most interesting.
My thoughts go in a different direction from that of others. I don't question his right to make this money, though it gives me heartburn. What I find most interesting is that these government agencies have so much money to waste on getting outside advice. Then, when you consider that the leaders of these agencies supposedly were doing such a great job that they deserved $13 million in bonuses, just why did these brilliant people need help from anyone, much less "a right-wing nut" like Gingrich? Something is just wrong here.
It makes as much sense as the state of North Carolina planting flowers to beautify .01 percent of the state highways when it can't afford to mow the grass that makes the other 99.99 percent of the highways look so bad.
Skip the flowers and mow the grass.
TONY GAGLIARDI
East Bend
Christmastime
Merry Christmas, everybody! As I arrange my nativity, that awesome feeling of "It's Christmas!" fills my soul.
It has been a long year of surgeries and sickness, but I am still here. I was blessed with my caretakers on Forsyth Hospital's second floor. There is always going to be illness, death, hate, tragedy and the wrath of nature, but we all pull together for each other. 2 Corinthians 4:17 states that our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
The Holy Spirit spills out extra at Christmastime because He wants us to share, give, love, feed, comfort, forgive; anything that makes us give of ourselves to others.
I can't get around so well anymore, but my granddaughter and I can string popcorn and make ornaments, and we decorated gingerbread cookies.
Take a minute to feel blessed and loved; you are worth it. So live life fully, love joyfully, sing just because, laugh out loud and dance daily.
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
TERI WILSON MABE
Walkertown
Sum It Up
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Differing with Dan
CORRESPONDENT OF THE WEEK
Differing with Dan
It's amazing that our city government is attempting to shut down peaceful protests on citizen-owned property by imposing absurd rules such as that protestors cannot "recline." If that weren't confusing enough, I read about Winston-Salem City Councilman Dan Besse's attempt to rationalize these absurdities by claiming a "quasi-fascist group" may suddenly show up and create a "screaming argument" ("Change eyed in assembly rule," Dec. 20).
Dan is usually one of my favorite councilmen, but on this issue, I think he must have missed his daily long run and didn't have time to process his thoughts before speaking.
People can disagree without being labeled as quasi-fascist, screaming extremists. As far as I can tell, the Occupy protestors are pretty normal folks who feel like exercising their civil liberties.
Using inflammatory language like "fascism" is uncalled for. The only thing at risk here is the grass on City Hall lawn, and I think that can go.
JESSICA HARRIS TELLIGMAN
Winston-Salem
"One of the main differences is that, when exposed to new knowledge or hard truths, liberals try to understand and assimilate them. Conservatives, on the other hand, tend to get upset that someone is telling them something they don't want to hear and claim that the person telling them "thinks he's smarter than me." Well, maybe he is — but that possibility isn't important to them. They're conservative — they've already made up their minds — and they resent being challenged." William Perry
ReplyDelete___________
And let me add in, liberals drop food off at food banks daily, while conservatives curse at old ladies when they cross the street.
The sad thing is that there are millions of people that think like Mr. Perry out there. And we wonder how Barack Obama got elected.
Merry Christmas anyway, Mr. Perry.