Dockham is clear choice
In the May primary, Republicans in District 80 will be asked to determine who will represent our party in the November election for the N.C. House of Representatives. The clear choice is Rep. Jerry Dockham.
Rep. Dockham and I have been friends since childhood. I well remember when he made the decision to serve in the N.C. General Assembly. He began a career of public service that has seen him rise to become the third-ranking Republican in the House. In addition to serving on a number of influential committees, he chairs the Insurance Committee and is vice chair of the Banking Committee.
As a retired Davidson County teacher, I hold education as a top priority. I know first-hand that Rep. Dockham is dedicated to supporting North Carolina's teachers and students. He has worked to allocate state funding to provide that support. Moreover, his having served as a trustee of Davidson County Community College for over 25 years has aided him in his efforts to bring both state and federal funding to the community colleges of North Carolina.
North Carolina can ill afford novice leadership to meet the challenges our state faces. Jerry Dockham has earned his reputation as a fiscal conservative who works tirelessly with all members of the House in making the difficult decisions that will ensure a brighter future for our state.
Primary voters, please cast your ballots for Jerry Dockham, a man of integrity, experience and proven leadership.
MARGARET FLOYD HARRIS
Denton
He knew me
Former Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., hosting a roundtable discussion on NBC's "Meet The Press" on April 1, told of the famous quote from the person who was weeping when he saw FDR's coffin go past. When asked, "Did you know him?" he answered, "No, but he knew me."
The first thought that came to my mind was if Mitt Romney and President Obama are our choices for president, which would best know the working people, the homeless, the children, the need for education and our veterans?
I've always admired Scarborough for the "high road" he takes regardless of the politics. I hope everyone reading this will ask themselves, "Which of these candidates best know me, my struggles and my admiration of our country?"
LEWIS N. CARROLL
King
The working poor
All we hear about are the rich and middle class. How about us working poor, like most people here in Wilkes County? Every week more and more of us have to choose between our medicines and groceries.
Gas is at $4 a gallon. You can throw a rock in Saudi Arabia or Iran or any of the oil countries and the price will immediately go up. Who is going to stop the speculators who keep running up oil prices?
The oil companies were making billions when gas was $2 a gallon.
No one gets my vote until we poor people get answers. I hope Rep. Virginia Foxx, Sen. Richard Burr, Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory and others are reading.
JAMES MINTON
Wilkesboro
One man, one woman
Over the centuries, virtually every society (whether founded on Judeo-Christian principles or otherwise) has naturally defined marriage as being between one man and one woman. This has been the time-honored definition of marriage in North Carolina since even before North Carolina was a state.
The North Carolina Marriage Protection Amendment will preserve North Carolina's historic and traditional definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Passage of the marriage protection amendment would ensure that the people of North Carolina decide how our state will define marriage in the future. Without a marriage amendment in our constitution, activist judges or politicians will impose their values on the citizens of North Carolina, which is exactly what has happened in other states that do not have a constitutional amendment that protects marriage.
When it comes to marriage in North Carolina, the people of North Carolina will decide on May 8. Vote for the Marriage Amendment on May 8.
JOEL STEPHENS
Westfield
Hate the sin
We have to realize that Amendment One has nothing to do with discrimination against individuals but has everything to do with standing up for what is written in God's Word.
Genesis 2:22-24 says that God made man and woman, and made woman out of man to be a companion and helpmate to man.
If it was all right for man to lay with man and woman with woman he would have made it possible to procreate that way.
But there is a reason he created Adam and Eve, and Eve was the mother of all living: Genesis 3:20.
But he allowed this "chosen" lifestyle, as stated in the letter "Defeating discrimination" (March 27), because of what is in Romans 1:26-28.
We don't hate the sinner, we just hate the sin. As a nation, we should want to please God. And pleasing to him would be not to recognize something as "OK and acceptable" that is clearly an abomination in his eyes.
PAUL RAKER JR.
Kernersville
The freedom to choose
In the debate over Amendment One, we need to remember that there are relational, civil and religious aspects of marriage. Primarily, marriage is about love. It happens when two people who love and care exclusively for one another decide to formalize their commitment to each other.
The couple goes to city hall and acquires a license to enter into a civil contract that will hold them accountable to each other and give them a multitude of legal rights and protections. The couple may or may not choose to have a church bless their civil union by bestowing upon them the religious sacrament of marriage.
A church is free to decide which couples it will marry. However, religious beliefs should never prevent a couple's access to a civil union. The United States' founding documents declare that all human beings are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every person, regardless of sexual orientation, should have the freedom to choose a life partner and enter into a civil union to legalize that relationship. However, Amendment One will deny that most basic civil right to same-gender couples by imposing religious beliefs upon a civil union.
If Amendment One wants to "protect marriage," it should declare adultery and divorce illegal. A loving, committed relationship between two people, regardless of sexual orientation, is never a threat to marriage.
Our family will be voting to protect the civil rights of all North Carolina families by voting against Amendment One.
STEVE AND JANE MOTSINGER
State Road
I just love it when people cherrypick Bible verses to justify their personal prejudices.
ReplyDeleteNot only is the Bible cherry picked, but because the Bible says it, it MUST be true.
ReplyDeleteI read the National Enquirer RELIGIOUSLY.
I follow the teachings of US Magazine.
DeleteThe OV (on-line version) is inspiring.
DeleteQuestion re cherry picking the bible: If I follow a belief system that I perceive to be the truth, and everyone on this earth believes their own to be the truth, whose truth is the truth?
ReplyDeleteDown through the ages, it has been the truth of the victors of the wars fought over whose truth was the "real" truth.
DeleteHuman beings who perceive the complete truth are theoretically possible, but almost completely non-existent. I figure we all see through a glass darkly, but should do our best to live a good life anyway. Nuts & bolts-wise, this means that morality should be learned through practice and observation rather than a book.
DeleteBut you shouldn't listen to me...I always sucked at philosophy.
Also, the sermon on the mount and the four noble truths of the Buddha are good starting points for me.
Delete@dotnet's 1051am: Ain't THAT the truth.
Delete@Arthur's 1053am: " . . . morality should be learned through practice and observation . . ." There's some slow learners out there.
True. You need to be honest with yourself, which is a lot to ask of some people.
DeleteGood afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: Endorsement
LTE 2: Personally, I prefer someone who understands what the critical issues are, the best approach to take for the issues, and possesses the leadership skills to steer Congress in the correct direction. There are millions who fully understand the struggles of the middle and working poor because they are living it, but I'm not sure any of them would be an effective President.
LTE 3: Voters should do their homework on the candidates and see the potential effect of each candidate's position instead of blindly punching the R or D. I'm not sure much can be done to curb speculating that would not cause more harm than good.
LTE 4: First sentence isn't true at all. Polygamy involving females of all ages including pre-teen has been recognized down through the ages by virtually every society leading up to the 20th century. All of those quoting the Bible to back their position fail to note that all of the male characters in the books of Moses had multiple wives. Passage of the amendment will also not "ensure that the people of North Carolina decide how our state will define marriage in the future." Even Rep. Tillis agrees the amendment, if passed would be overturned within 20 years.
LTE 5: "We have to realize that Amendment One ... has everything to do with standing up for what is written in God's Word" - that being the case, Amendment One is unconstitutional on its face. SCOTUS in Lemon stated all govt actions must have a secular purpose or it's in violation of the Establishment Clause.
LTE 6: Marriage for love is really a 20th century concept. Prior to that, it was mostly about economics with many marriages being pre-arranged by families seeking some economic gain. The Motsingers are correct that no church will be required to perform a gay marriage. I know of several churches that even refuse to allow marriage ceremonies involving a divorced person to be performed. That is well within their right as a free expression of their religion. However, I see no secular reason to deny marriage to a gay couple.
Got to love the parrots. Apparently the preachers at Calvary Baptist and other fascist churches are giving two handouts and the parrots are copying one or the other to send to the Journal.
ReplyDeleteLTE #3 - Everything in this letter is a lie, from the initial statement about definitions of marriage right through the business about activist judges.
If I were god and a preacher handed out such lies to his flock, I would zap him with a lightning bolt at that instant and send him immediately to the hottest corner of the lake of fire.
LTE #4 - Hmmm...we'll give Mr. Raker a job raking hot coals in hell's kitchen for "forgetting" to mention Genesis 1:27 in which "...God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.", a slightly different story than that spun in Genesis 2. Which one is the true story?
The first one makes man and woman equal. The second makes woman subservient to man. Is it any surprise that the fascist christians, especially the Southern Baptists, always cite the second version?
As to the last paragraph, don't try to slice and dice hate, Mr. Raker...you are hate personified.
Oh, and I'm sorry to see that Arthur and LaSombra get their truth from the National Enquirer and US magazine...I realize that both are highly accurate truth tellers, but why waste your time with them when the Onion is out there and every word the truth beyond truth.
ReplyDeleteThe ONION?!?!? That stuff STINKS!!!
DeleteBTW, Rush: You were talking about the KKK yesterday; did you happen to have read today's newswire on the Onion?
DeleteYep. I know how the guy feels...many times in my youth black people forced me to get drunk too, just as RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company had a guy following me around with a gun for years, a la George Zimmerman, forcing me to smoke Camel cigarettes.
DeleteI'll leave truth for another day but there is something poetic about the NC Republican party announcing Donald Trump will be speaking at their June convention on the same day that Donald Trump and Miss Universe, Inc. announced they will be allowing transgenders to compete for the title of Miss Universe, 04/10.
ReplyDelete"Donald Trump will be speaking at their June convention"
DeleteYou've got to be kidding me. Jesus...what a clown show.
Good evening, folks!
ReplyDeleteWW has been away because of a loss in his family. Our sympathies go out to him.
I have been busy in the wake of Susan's loss, handling various family members' tax returns, including Dad's (I did Susan's and my returns in late January), and lately wrangling various family cars to one repair shop or the other. I'll put in a plug for the service departments at the local Toyota and Ford (University Parkway) dealerships. I was once an award-winning service director. These departments are better than mine were.
As for the LTE's: what dotnet said.
I see Zimmerman has been booked on Murder 2 charges. That seems a bit tough, but probably leaves room to convict him for manslaughter, which appears to fit the situation as reported. Much has been made over Stand Your Ground, but Zimmerman wasn't standing his ground. The dispatcher had told him not to pursue Martin, thus he was not standing his ground. Someone needs to discuss the initial investigation of this shooting.
Hi Stab,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about WW's loss. Always tough.
I see that we have more in common than cousins...I have always been the family tax man and car wrangler as well.
A couple of days ago, a longish and thorough article was published detailing a long history of sloppy police work in Sanford, but in several of the cases cited, the real culprit appears to have been the state attorney's office.
Sloppy cops and lawyers
I have relatives and friends in Florida cracker country, some of whom know the special prosecutor. They say that she is tough and relentless, so we shall see how things come out.