Winston-Salem Journal LTE WE 11/14/12

Post-election haze

Republicans aren’t really such sore losers. But the election is fresh and they’ll need a little time to calm down and realize that the sky hasn’t fallen on them. When that happens, I’m sure they’ll understand that:

Nobody sees President Obama as a “savior.”

Nobody thinks they’re not going to have to work hard anymore.

Nobody thinks they’re going to get a bunch of “free stuff.”

These are all exaggerated clichés that baffle liberals who hear them. We can’t imagine who they’re talking about.

The truth is that we admire a good leader, just like they do; we want a just reward for our hard work, just like they do; and we don’t think families should be thrown out into the streets because of a medical bill, just like — well, I’m not sure how they feel about that anymore. But they have to say something to make themselves feel better. Even if it makes their fellow hard-working Americans, neighbors and relatives sound like a bunch of moochers.

Of course, losing hurts. I felt the same way after those two elections we lost to George W. Bush. We survived Bush; they’ll survive Obama. Still, I can promise my conservative friends this: Every good thing we receive as a result of President Obama’s leadership, we’ll share with you.

We didn’t vote so we could “take America back” — we voted so that we could share it.

TOMMY H. SIMMONS

Winston-Salem

A different letter

After wading through what seemed like several weeks of the daily flow of well-organized supporters pouring forth the virtues of Elisabeth Motsinger, it was delightfully refreshing to read the thankful (dare I say, heart-warming) letter “Heart-warming story?” (Oct. 30) discussing the Journal’s Oct. 14 article “Saying goodbye to the old digs,” about the Christensens selling their stately 14,000-squarefoot Georgian residence.

The letter was a much-needed antidote for what ails us. Good to see that the Journal appreciates the folks out there who “get it.”

PETER W. MINGES

Clemmons

R.I.P.

Death notice of the United States of America. Born: 4 July 1776. Died: 6 November 2012.

Rest in peace.

HAROLD J. SCHAFFER

Pfafftown

Separating church and state

The writer of the letter “The flag fight” (Nov. 8) wonders how someone who practices a religion can separate church and state while serving in government. That’s a good question.

If one runs for office, presumably one expects to serve the community and to represent all of his constituents, not just those who agree with him. If such a representative is Christian, perhaps he should take inspiration from Colossians 3:23, 24, which reads, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

So for a Christian, serving the Lord Christ as a public official would mean being the best public official he could be — and that means he would take seriously the responsibility of serving everyone and putting the community’s will above his own.

If an official can’t separate his personal beliefs from serving a community, he shouldn’t run for office.

Incidentally, in reply to the writer’s next question, I’d love to see a bunch of atheists running our government. In my experience, they tend to be very rational but caring people who don’t fly off the handle just because someone disagrees with them.

RICKY S. PHILLIPS

Winston-Salem

A conservative mandate

Journal reporter Richard Craver cautions newly-elected Gov. Pat McCrory about taking the state in a more conservative economic and social direction, comparing it to a “major shadow” looming over McCrory's shoulder (“State’s direction,” Nov. 8). That conclusion ignores what voters have said in every recent election.

In the 2010 election, voters gave the economically and socially conservative Republican Party control of the N.C. House and Senate for the first time since 1896.

In May 2012, voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment One (61 percent to 39 percent). Gay marriage is perhaps the most hotly contested social issue of the day, and North Carolina voters rejected it in a decisive way.

On Nov. 6, the Republican Party moved from having control of the N.C. House and Senate to having supermajorities in both bodies, and voters elected the first Republican governor in 20 years. Finally, voters rejected the liberal, big government policies of President Obama and gave the state's 15 electoral votes to Gov. Mitt Romney.

Gov. Pat McCrory has been given a strong mandate to lead our state in a more conservative economic and social direction. That mandate is a directive from the voters, not some “major shadow” looming over his shoulder. McCrory would be wise not to turn too sharply to the right, and I don't expect he will, but his constituents have given him a clear directive to steer our ship of state on a course that is more in tune with our conservative economic and social values.

MIKE PHILLIPS

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