Winston-Salem Journal LTE TU 07/31/12

No critical thinking

A base that is not on good terms with critical thinking now influences the party of Lincoln. Despite facts to the contrary, according to a Gallup poll, 18 percent of Republicans think President Obama is Muslim and use their ignorance of the facts and of the Muslim religion to defame him. According to a Fox News poll, 37 percent of the GOP do not believe the president was born in the United States, which is another effort to delegitimize Obama's presidency. Scientists are laughed at by a large percentage of the GOP base: A Pew research poll shows that 53 percent of Republicans do not believe in global warming.

This lack of critical thinking allows GOP leaders to say that Obamacare is socialism, while in truth, the heart of the Affordable Care Act, the individual mandate, was the brainchild of a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, and was the central feature of Romneycare in Massachusetts.

Rush Limbaugh's dittoheads cry out, "Obama is out to confiscate your guns." If so, why did the Brady Campaign to Control Gun Violence give the president a failing grade on standing up to the NRA? Republican characterizations of Obama as a serial tax raiser do not hold water. According to the impartial Congressional Budget office, tax rates under Obama hit a 30-year low in 2009.

Obstructionist Republicans blocking programs for the middle class are the ones who should be soundly defeated on Nov. 6. The president deserves re-election.

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RUDY DIAMOND

Lewisville

A question of values

Susan Stamper Brown begins her July 26 column, "Boycotting Chick-fil-A solves nothing," with the sentence, "I ate at Chick-fil-A six times last week to do my part to show support for a company currently under attack for upholding wholesome values."

Please, what is wholesome about tearing families apart? What is wholesome about opposing commitment between two loving individuals? What is wholesome about creating second-class citizens who are denied the same privileges that every other American takes for granted? What is wholesome in telling lies about a whole class of people, falsely equating them with practitioners of bestiality, pedophilia and polygamy?

What value exactly — and I mean literally, not something vague like "traditional values"; segregation was traditional, slavery was traditional — is being upheld by keeping people apart? Is it fairness? No. Is it truth? Hell, no. It's certainly not freedom. Is there any positive value in telling loving people that they can't marry?

Chick-fil-A's president, Dan Cathy, has a right to uphold any values he chooses. Hatred is a value. Discrimination is a value. But if words have meaning, "wholesome" does not apply.

American Christians at some point had to adjust to the fact that their holy book's endorsement of slavery was wrong, and I've heard them back-pedal like crazy to deny it even exists. Someday soon they'll be doing the same with homosexuality. If, that is, conscience overrides dogma and wakes them to the truth.

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BONNIE G. VAUGHN

Winston-Salem

Taking a stand

It's great to read in the paper that businesses like Chick-fil-A stand their ground about same-sex marriage. My hat's off to anyone or any business that takes a stand and sticks to it. In the end, each and every one of us will stand before the same judge (God) whether we believe it or not, no matter our beliefs or what country we are from.

If everyone just followed the Golden Rule and did unto others as we'd like to be treated, what a more peaceful country we'd be living in.

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BEATRICE S. DALTON

Winston-Salem

Angelou and Chick-fil-A

Maya Angelou said one thing that I agree with when she joined Trayvon Martin's parents in Cincinnati on Wednesday ("Angelou at town hall with Martin's family," July 26). She said, "Please pray for justice."

Is that really what she wants, or does she just want a guilty verdict for George Zimmerman, whatever the circumstances were? Seems that she might be like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who went to Florida the day after shooting because they were convinced that Zimmerman was guilty. Zimmerman told his story recently on TV, and it sounds like it was self-defense.

The most shocking thing Angelou said Wednesday in Cincinnati was, "I don't want to see five more Trayvons and five Trayvettes get killed by police who've been waiting for that chance." She needs to realize that police make everything safer each day. Does she really want justice?

Also want to say that I am so thankful that we have a few people who will still take a stand for truth. Let's all go to Chick-fil-A Wednesday to show our support for the stand its president, Dan Cathy, is taking for family and marriage. Ha, let's eat with them every day, where the atmosphere is more family-friendly. Biblical truth will always win, especially in the end.

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LEE JOHNSON

Yadkinville

As much concern

When the Revs. Billy Graham and Mike Huckabee show as much concern that 6,000 rounds of ammunition can be secured, no questions asked, on the Internet as they have shown for chicken and biscuits ("Chick-fil-A becomes political flashpoint," July 27), then the gospel of Jesus Christ might actually begin stirring again in our violence-plagued nation.

Might that be, in Jonathan Edwards' words, "a surprising work of God"?

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BILL J. LEONARD

Winston-Salem

Overreacting

It might surprise Journal readers to know that a fair number of North Carolinians have been quietly boycotting Chick-fil-A for years. Quietly, without vilifying anyone or making harsh accusations, because they felt it was the right thing to do.

I agree completely with Chick-fil-A Senior Vice President Donald M. ("Bubba") Cathy's statement that "Healthy marriages are good for people, good for children, and good for the country" (Philanthropy Magazine, Oct. 2007). I simply do not agree that legal marriage should be denied any couple who wants to make that commitment.

The Chick-fil-A company has given significant financial support to certain organizations that don't approve of same-sex marriage. That is a fact. While I don't think it's necessarily fair to say these groups are anti-anything, I do think it's accurate to say they do not support equality.

You can disagree with someone's personal beliefs, but it's wrong to ridicule or chastise them for holding them. I think there are people on both sides of this who are overreacting and behaving badly.

You don't have to be an activist or part of some advocacy group to make your own personal stand. So, even though I absolutely love those animated cow billboards, I'll continue my own five-year boycott and will patronize other businesses.

We can all vote with our wallets, and our conscience, every day. We don't have to engage in character assassination or grandstanding to do it.

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MELODY THOMSON

Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem Journal LTE MO 07/30/12

Deeply saddened

As I read my newspaper on July 19, I can't describe in words the emotions I felt as I read "Kitten attacked by children euthanized." As an animal lover, I am deeply saddened at the thought of what this small, defenseless kitten suffered through. My condolences go out to the kitten's family (human and feline). In my wildest dreams, I could not imagine losing a pet in this manner.

I truly hope these children realize the magnitude of their actions and this never happens again. I cannot decide on a punishment to fit this crime.

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SHEILA ELLEDGE

Jonesville

A misunderstanding

There is definitely a misconnect by wealthy Republicans who think middle-class Democrats are jealous of their wealth and therefore want them to be punished and pay more taxes. President Obama's plan to raise their taxes by allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire is more about fairness and having the wealthy pay an equal or greater percentage than those earning considerably less.

Shouldn't the wealthy "job creators" pay at least their fair share of taxes, as do those who work for them? We are not jealous.

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ROBERT C. DILLON

Clemmons

Harming many

When the few can harm the many so easily, there needs to be better regulation ("Gunman's motive unclear in Colo. attack," July 21). Automatic weapons are made to kill people and provide a thrill — those two things should not be linked together in a civilized world.

I've been working with the public on a quasi-social basis for decades, and I can tell you there are a few in every large gathering who are potentially dangerous and should never have access to weapons. Can anyone tell me why they are available to the public in the first place?

I think the Second Amendment gives us the right to have local militia; not to turn our country into an armed camp where everyone is a potential killer. Then we would revert to a kill-or-be-killed mindset, which is a self-fulfilling way of thinking.

Does the right to bear arms include automatic weapons, bazookas and atomic bombs?

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TONY TAMER

Winston-Salem

Invalid views

The letter "A deep insight" (July 19) repeats invalid views. Raising taxes on "rich" people inhibits economic recovery? Where have they been? The fact is that businesses have failed to expand, and hiring has stagnated, despite high cash reserves and ultra-high executive incomes. Increased hiring awaits increased demand for products and services. With high unemployment, demand remains lacking. Federal deficit spending designed to get people back to work can make an important difference. Following recovery, spending can gradually be reined in, as it must. Meantime, our structural differences from the Euro countries continue to underpin U.S. command of rock-bottom interest rates. Premature cutting of financial support for the states, with consequent layoffs by cities and school systems, does more harm than good.

Moving on: The president's management of the economy has been miserable? Bear in mind that President Obama inherited this recession from the wars, tax cuts, deregulation and disastrous banking practices of the George W. Bush era.

The Obama administration's efforts to speed a turnaround, and the president's willingness to seek common ground with his opponents, have been met with a policy of persistent, uncompromising obstruction in Congress. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declared that his top priority was to make Obama a one-term president.

The writer of "A deep insight" insinuates that the president promotes class warfare to keep his job, that he's just another unprincipled politician who'll do anything for re-election. The record suggests otherwise. Historians are likely to reach quite a different judgment.

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ALBERT "AL" HARBURY

Clemmons

Guns and the public

In the 2007 movie "In the Valley of Elah," at the end of the movie after Tommy Lee Jones' character finds out how his son died, he has the school-yard flag hung upside-down.

Why do we allow the NRA and the gun lobby to frustrate the will of the American people? Most gun owners and the general public agree that we need gun-control laws. Assault weapons and 90-round magazines are not for defense but for aggression.

We will never be able to identify those among us who may one day go on a killing frenzy.

The president needs to get out in front on this. Let Congress explain how it is that we need assault rifles in the hands of the general public. We need a national ban on assault weapons. Only then should we hang the flag proudly.

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JIM PADDEN

Ararat, Va.

Winston-Salem Journal LTE SU 07/29/12

Hard workers in Congress

Having just returned from a Teacher in Congress intern program in the House of Representatives, I want to share how amazed I was at the tremendous amount of work that is undertaken by many members of Congress and their staffs.

Sometimes, visitors to the House gallery and/or viewers of C-Span may wonder when and where legislative labor actually occurs. One can see the impressive activity of the clerks — reading, timing, recording; the parliamentarians — guiding debate and correct procedures; the Capitol Police — protecting visitors and members of the House, but not the representatives. A visitor will not see the significant amount of preparation that occurs behind the scenes by members of Congress and their staff. A visitor might leave with a misunderstanding about the serious efforts of Congress people and their assistants.

Congress people work long days; Rep. Virginia Foxx worked 12 to 16 hours per day while I interned. In addition, legislative staff for each member of Congress not only assist constituents with requests for services and meet with interest groups, but they also gather information from a variety of neutral and partisan sources about relevant issues, assist members of Congress as long as Congress is in session (even until midnight!), and run the office while members of Congress return to their home districts.

I am grateful to Rep. Foxx and her staff for their diligent efforts to educate me about the legislative process and to serve the people of the Fifth District.

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KIRSTEN RUSS

Clemmons

Russ teaches at West Forsyth High School. — the editor.

Smear tactics

Those who are planning on watching television in the upcoming months need to brace themselves for a relentless barrage of name-calling, misinterpreted or completely falsified data, and, above all, the ultimate in immaturity. Already President Obama is claiming that former Gov. Mitt Romney pioneered outsourcing while at Bain Capital, and Romney is claiming that Obama's health care reform is ruining the prospects of America's posterity. These two grown men, previously content to focus on issues that matter, such as finding and bringing to justice Osama bin Laden (in the case of the president) or maintaining the state of Massachusetts (in the case of the former governor), have instead resorted to presenting potentially baseless claims as fact in order to tarnish each other's reputation.

What happened? History happened. It's no surprise that in the past politicians have resorted to smear tactics to win campaigns, and that's because smear tactics work on an apathetic populace. The thing about history, however, is that it is, by definition, the past. We don't have to continue on this path.

If Romney is so dedicated to restoring American ethics, then why waste time impersonating a 6-year-old? If Obama wants to lead with precedent, he should do so: Spreading unchecked gossip is not the act of any adult I'd care to know.

Leaders take on the responsibility of a difficult choice between doing what is right and what is easy. The difference between children and presidents is this choice. Their demeanor determines the fate of this nation.

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JOHN BELMONT

Winston-Salem

Sum It Up

Do you think America needs tighter gun-control laws?

Compensation due

It was incredibly disheartening to read about the sterilization victims' plight of rejections to receive impending compensation for an injustice that was clearly inhumane and wrongfully induced through no faults of their own ("The legislature turns its back," July 10). I can only imagine their physical and mental anguish over the years, to comprehend the totality of the eugenics process, while coping with the fact that their lives were permanently altered and they were denied the right to procreate as God intended.

The recent decision by state officials to withhold compensation for the victims, in my view, was shameful and unfounded. I also believe that if there had been earnest endeavors to see justice served, every effort within their power would have been pursued. Seemingly, the victims are being victimized all over again.

Should they continue to be treated as if their suffering doesn't matter?

Sadly, for them, it will be a hard fight, and rightfully so, for the compensation they deserve is due.

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IMA LAWSON

Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem Journal LTE SA 07/28/12

God's creation

I read the July 19 article "Kitten attacked by children euthanized" regarding the 3-month-old kitten Heaven that was attacked and hurt so badly that she had to be euthanized. This is one of the most horrible things I have heard of. To some people, animals are not important and they are just breathing our air and have no purpose in life. Well, people like that are wrong! The innocent little animals are God's creation as well as we are. They are loved and needed by families.

People who do not have pets in their homes may not understand how these pets become members of the family.

The children involved in this horrible act should be punished extremely for their deeds. Children like these apparently haven't had any rearing or they would have known better.

These children need to be in detention and should have at least 1,000 hours of chores assigned by the courts to do in and around the community and they should help Heaven's owner, Kayce "Kat" Jenkins, around her home. They should be required to replace Heaven with another 3-month-old kitten and make restitution to Jenkins.

We have a 3-year-old toy poodle, Rascal, that we treat like our children. He goes everywhere we go and even has his own car seat. Adults as well as children need to love and respect not only their own pets, but other people's pets as well.

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GLENDA FARRINGTON

Winston-Salem

Unbelievable

I am surprised and saddened by Maya Angelou's recent comment, "I don't want to see five more Trayvons and five Trayvettes get killed by police who've been waiting for that chance" ("Angelou at town hall with Martin's family," July 26). I never believed until now that I would ever hear Angelou say anything so blatantly biased.

I have long respected her talent and intellect and if asked would have strongly stated that she was intellectually and morally above that sort of street-level bigotry. I would really like to think she was misquoted or taken out of context, but the entire statement was printed and the context appears clear.

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HERBERT OSMON

Winston-Salem

Help

In reference to the article "Kitten attacked by children euthanized" (July 19), I cannot believe a child would hurt an innocent kitten. I hope the parents seek help for this child.

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CHRISSY GALLAHER

Winston-Salem

Not for the front page

I was extremely disturbed to see the Journal's idea of front-page news on July 19. The headline "Kitten attacked by children euthanized" is entirely inappropriate and disturbing to be on the front page. Not only was the headline upsetting, but the article itself went into immense detail describing the way the animal was mistreated.

I understand the article being newsworthy, but I can be sure that it caused a great deal of distress among fellow readers who might not have even planned to read the paper but were just passing by and saw it sitting on the kitchen table. A poorly placed front-page story such as this is no way to draw in readers, and I disagree with the graphic content being positioned in such prominent view. The lead alone, I'm sure, was unbelievably offensive to animal lovers such as me.

By placing this controversial article on the front page, the Journal forced all readers to visualize explicit images. Furthermore, innocent children might have stumbled upon the article and then proceeded to ask their parents the meaning of the word "euthanize," consequently putting the parents and children in an awkward position. These problems could easily have been avoided had the article been placed in a more appropriate area, perhaps even the inside of the front page, where it was out of sight from unsuspecting readers.

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RACHEL FRAGAPANE

Clemmons

Gaining insight

Thank you so much for realizing that animal abuse is front-page news by publishing the poor story of the kitty Heaven ("Kitten attacked by children euthanized," July 19). That poor animal suffered a horrific death, and the child responsible needs to be punished. It should not be a choice. An apology is not enough, and community service is not going to change the behavior.

This child is obviously deeply disturbed and in need of major psychiatric help. His parents and the other neighbors should be afraid; very afraid. This is a child. Children do not do things like this. An immediate psychiatric evaluation needs to be ordered and demanded.

I just hope they do get the help they need as soon as possible. As for the children who were present with this child, I bet they have been threatened and were themselves terrified. That does not excuse their inactions; but fear of harm is powerful to a child.

The kitten is gone forever, but maybe since you published Heaven's story, we can all gain insight into what is happening around us and act before it is too late. We must all remember to respect and care for all living things. We must also demand punishment for those who do not — even when it is a child.

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GAIL POPLIN

Tobaccoville

Finish the Thought

Briefly complete the sentence below and send it to us atletters@wsjournal.com. We'll print some of the results in a few days. Only signed entries, please — no anonymous ones.

"People continue to abuse animals because ..."

Winston-Salem Journal LTE FR 07/27/12

A devastating impact

I am a retired principal of both Brunson and Wiley middle schools over a span of 32 years. The proposed football stadium bordering Hanes Park would have a devastating impact on the park, Wiley School and the surrounding area.

• Several thousand cars cannot park anywhere near that field, no matter what the Reynolds High School booster club implies.

• The $3 million outlay and the ongoing maintenance of the stadium are expenses the school system should not undertake at this time.

• A gym/field house for the stadium could not serve as Wiley's gymnasium as well — nor should it. There is a reason that sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders are given their own buildings and facilities during this fragile time of their development. Wiley should retain its own renovated gym.

The quality of education at Wiley School would only be further degraded by this football stadium. Its presence would not enhance a child's experience there. Perhaps the return of the Highly Academically Gifted program to Wiley would improve the numbers of students applying and the achievement scores. But a football stadium would not.

The proposed stadium would be a crime against nature — literally. If the boosters must have their own stadium, let them find another location. The green space needs to remain green for Wiley School and for the community.

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JAY WISE

Winston-Salem

Misquoted?

Surely Maya Angelou was misquoted when she said, "I don't want to see five more Trayvons and five Travettes get killed by police who've been waiting for that chance" ("Angelou at town hall with Martin's family," July 26). Somehow I pictured our policemen as strapping on bullet-proof vests every day to keep from being killed, not lurking behind every bush just waiting for a black teenager they can shoot.

As tragic as the killing of Trayvon Martin was, it was not done by the police. I do hope to find that Maya Angelou did not say that. It is a disgraceful remark, and it certainly is not conciliatory. It is unworthy of a woman of her stature.

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ROMAINE POINDEXTER

Kernersville

Kitten abuse

It was so appalling to me to read of young children left home alone without adult supervision committing such a crime ("Kitten attacked by children euthanized," July 19). Yes, crime. These children begin this behavior when they are bored and form "gangs" in their neighborhoods.

This boy who caused the abuse of this defenseless kitten shows no signs of empathy, which should be a warning sign to the citizens of Thomasville. I truly see a future sociopath. Punishment must be enforced.

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BETH McMULLAN

Lewisville

Sum It Up

The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Is it possible for a third major political party to rise in America today?

* * * * *

It already has. It's called ... the libertarian Tea Party. It is just masquerading under the Republican Party at the present.

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DAVID STOCKMEISTER

* * * * *

Yes, indeed, given the excesses and unfairness of the other two, I vote Libertarian. Need I say more?

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WILLIAM SAMS

* * * * *

I have a better idea. How about a no-party system? Washington is more concerned about what is good for its parties than what is good for America.

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DARRELL DAVIS

* * * * *

No. Political systems like ours, which is an overly long-term, single-member, district-plurality system, never have more than two parties. In contrast, a system based on districts and pluralities with proportional representation will usually have four or even more parties.

Simply put; we have the wrong system for more than two parties.

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KAM BENFIELD

* * * * *

With pathetic non-voters and voter apathy reigning, no.

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LLOYD V. EVANS II

* * * * *

Yes, but only if they could come up with the billions of dollars it would take to compete with the other two.

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FRANK SCISM

Winston-Salem Journal LTE TH 07/26/12

Finish the Thought

Saturday, we asked readers to complete the sentence:

"Critics say Obama is un-American because ..."

* * * * *

"... his skin color is different from his critics and from their deep belief that 'he is not one of us.' "

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BOON T. LEE

* * * * *

" 'Critics say Obama is un-American because …'? What an offensive and obviously loaded thought. Here's a good opportunity for wing-nut libel.

"What's next, 'Critics say Obama is the anti-Christ because …'? How about, 'Critics say Mitt Romney's religion is a cult because …'? Would you print that?"

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JANE FREEMONT GIBSON

* * * * *

"… of the color of his skin. This reason is refuted and dare not be spoken aloud, but in my opinion it is the sole reason."

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ANNE GRIFFIS WILSON

* * * * *

"You would have to ask them specifically, but I suppose it is easy to be leery of someone of mixed race who has a funny-sounding name and a life history with which few can identify.

"It cannot be based on policy disagreements, as those frequently cited, the health-care individual mandate and socialization of the Wall Street losses, were actually Republican ideas to begin with.

"It does not help that the rabid bigots (tea partiers and Donald Trump come to mind) have a ready platform in Fox News, and that no mainstream Republican of national prominence has called these idiots to account."

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JAMES McGRATH

* * * * *

"… they can't stand to see a black man as president and will say and do anything to delegitimize his presidency."

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RUDY DIAMOND

* * * * *

"… Fox News political pundits told them to believe it, and they do without any hesitation, or without any further fact-checking."

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DENNIS WINNICKI

* * * * *

"… they have no life, and nothing better to do."

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WILLIAM SAMS

* * * * *

"Critics say, and rightfully so, the president is un-American because of his actions and occasional slips of the tongue, which give us insight into his philosophy.

"Being un-American does not mean being anti-American. He has an image of America, regardless of the source, that is the antithesis of the capitalistic system we have. He is not a socialist per se, but he believes in a socialistic approach to government, akin to the European model.

"The people have a chance to choose between two competing philosophies in November. I for one disagree with his vision and I hope the economic issues in Europe will convince his supporters that the model he admires does not work."

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KEN HOGLUND

* * * * *

"... they see all that he's done to destroy it."

---

STANLEY G. SIMM

* * * * *

"… he has pushed the United States toward being a fiscal Leviathan State where the government absorbs more of our wealth and decreases our productive capability."

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BRAD CRAIG

* * * * *

"… they are Republicans, conservatives and bigots who just want him out of office at any cost to our country."

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DAVID HOSTETLER

* * * * *

"Obama said in 2008 that President Bush adding $4 trillion in debt in eight years was irresponsible and 'unpatriotic.' Then after getting elected, he has added $5 trillion in less than four years. He is un-American by his own definition."

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ANTHONY FLETCHER

* * * * *

"… he is so far left, Fidel Castro would not even want to associate with him."

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FRANK SCISM

* * * * *

"… of nothing related to reality."

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CHARLES FRANCIS WILSON

Winston-Salem Journal LTE WE 07/25/12

Lead from the front

Your editorial "Chief should leave policing to officers" (July 18) shows a complete lack of understanding of the dynamics of police administration. As a veteran of over 50 years in public safety, including service as police chief or commissioner of three departments, I can tell you that an effective police chief must lead from the front.

There is a difference between being an administrator and a leader, and police officers quickly recognize a true leader. They respond most effectively to a chief who leads by example, frequently answering calls and inspiring their officers rather than sitting behind a desk all day.

I have known and been guided by the examples of great police chiefs. They made every effort to spend time on patrol in spite of their hectic schedules. I remember a four-star chief of the NYPD asking a rookie cop, "Officer, can I walk your post with you?"

Chiefs who follow your advice to "stay out of field work" will never know their city and its people, and never command the respect of their officers.

Unless a chief has "day-to-day experience to deal best with the calls they receive," he should not be a chief. As I always told my officers, my badge says "chief" in small letters and "POLICE" in big letters. A chief is a cop first, and responding to calls is part of any cop's job. The chief who doesn't do that is shortchanging both the city and the officers who look to him for leadership.

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ANTHONY N. POTTER

Winston-Salem

Potter is senior director of public safety for Novant Health. — the editor

Undoing the damage

The July 14 letter "A compelling public interest" angered me immensely. The writer tries to pin the blame for the state's eugenics program on what he calls "progressives" in an attempt to demonize progressives today. He writes about "an elite oligarchy of academics, bureaucrats and politicians" and says that the Journal trumpets their causes.

I don't know that what he calls "progressives" were responsible for the program, but there's no doubt that progressives have done more to undo the damage than conservatives have.

Rep. Larry Womble's involvement is the only reason our legislators were even aware of the problem. It was Gov. Mike Easley who apologized for the state being involved in the program and set up a committee to study compensation. And the "progressive" Journal has been trumpeting this cause foryears — why doesn't the letter writer give a little credit where it's due?

All this in the face of some conservative readers who have said, "Enough, already," or, "They don't deserve compensation." I remember all the letters we used to read in the Journal from conservatives who not only said that the program was right, but that it should be continued today!

So it would seem that conservatives were for it before they were against it. Now this writer is trying to place the blame for it on progressives, the very people who oppose it.

Typical conservative tactics. Get in line with Mitt Romney.

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RON F. SLATER

Winston-Salem

Guilty in DUI

My reaction to the story of Kaitlin Smith Slater ("Woman pleads guilty in DUI," July 17) was, "Why isn't this woman on death row?" I believe that when a person gets behind the wheel of a car after drinking too much, he or she has decided to murder, although not whom, where or when.

This woman had prior DUI convictions, had used drugs, one of them illegal, which would impair her judgment, had been drinking for several hours and did not have a valid driver's license. Why did she receive a mere slap on the wrist?

She murdered a young man using a car, not a gun or a knife, but murdered him nonetheless. Why is she not on death row, or at least in prison for life without the possibility of parole? Can someone explain this to me?

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DONNA JAFFE

Winston-Salem

Slater was sentenced to a total of seven years and five months to nine years and eight months in prison. When she gets out of prison, she will be on supervised probation for three years and be required to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and perform 100 hours of community service. She will be prohibited from taking illegal drugs and drinking alcohol while on probation. — the editor. 

Winston-Salem Journal LTE TU 07//24/12

The right direction

In response to the July 14 letter "No sustainable program," the Affordable Health Care Act is not a single-payer health care system like the U.K.'s National Health Service. The ACA seeks to regulate the practice of insurance companies so that they may not run amok with inflated costs or arbitrary rations of care. The ACA exists within the existing infrastructure of for-profit insurance companies providing health care to citizens.

I think this is a step in the right direction, though health care is not an ordinary "commodity," and therefore cannot be adequately distributed through a for-profit entity.

I lived in the U.K. for several years and, in my experience, found the quality of health care to be superior to what we experience here in the U.S. It is not a perfect system, though it is able to provide adequate care for all of its citizens at a fraction of the cost. Yes, there has to be discernment about what procedures are necessary, but this does not mean that people were denied the care they needed for life-threatening situations.

The World Health Organization states that for 2009, the adult mortality rates of the U.K. and the U.S. were 77 and 106 out of 1,000, respectively. The life expectancy in the U.K. is only slightly higher, however, and the U.K. spends 9.6 percent of its GDP on health costs, as compared to our 17.9 percent. Clearly, they are "getting their money's worth," and with even better results.

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CATHERINE KNOTT

Clemmons

The greater tragedy

The July 19 Journal told the tragedy of a kitten who had to be euthanized after being stoned and held under water by a group of children ("Kitten attacked by children euthanized"). The greater tragedy is the adults those children will become.

Thomasville social services said that there wasn't evidence to support a case of child neglect, but obviously the children's parents were negligent. Compassion has to be taught, and the parents failed in this duty.

With hope, the judge who hears the case will require parenting classes for the parents as well as appropriate punishment for the children. Otherwise, in 10 or 20 years we will have a group of adults who see nothing wrong with torture and who will be able to amuse themselves with animals larger than kittens — maybe animals as large as humans.

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DOROTHY MATHEWS

Rural Hall

Planning board strikes again

It was disheartening to read in the July 13 Journal that the City-County Planning Board had approved rezoning for more construction on Hanes Mall Boulevard ("Board OKs rezoning proposal").

Yes, certainly that is what we need; make it so congested that more people will want to go there. And to put it on the Lowe's corner is plain stupidity. Obviously, none of the board members ever drive or try to drive down that stretch of road. I do everything I can, and I doubt that I am the only one, to stay away from that area, especially on weekends and holidays.

I guess I will begin going to the readily available Lowe's in Mocksville.

Don't they or anybody else care about quality of life anymore? Those two big buildings on the corner across from Lowe's are ridiculous. I won't shop there or come anywhere close to them, either.

It really is good that they are going to add a connector to the Babies R Us area. Now they screw up two areas.

All they want to do is build in the name of money. Good luck with getting people there.

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DON WITTE

Advance

Private enterprise

This spoiled child "occupying" the White House has really stepped in it this time. To say our entrepreneurs (job creators) owe their success to government is insane. President Obama totally fails to understand that government could not provide one single road, bridge or service without the taxes levied on private enterprise.

Why can't we see that government is the problem — not the answer? Just ask any small-business person. Ever-increasing federal rules, regulations and taxes are killing their ability to succeed and create jobs.

Look at Europe. High taxes and correspondingly low corporate output have effectively destroyed job opportunities. The "social welfare" countries of the EU are now drowning in unsustainable debt with little prospect of avoiding drastically lower standards of living in the future. We are next.

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PETER T. WILSON

Winston-Salem