Phargo's Countdown SA 12/22/12

Winston-Salem Journal LTE SA 12/22/12

The enemy

About the 27 slain in Newtown, Conn.:

Pogo said it best several years ago: We have met the enemy and he is us.

BENJAMIN C. WILSON SR.

Winston-Salem

Evil in the world

Several times in my tenure as a pastor I have been asked the question “Why?” Sitting with parents who awoke to find their daughter dead in her crib. Or another mother who went through hours of labor only to have her baby son stillborn. I watched the horror of 9/11/2001, and earlier the horror of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Tragedies big and small, all with a one-word response: Why?

One answer my mind keeps coming back to in this most recent tragedy is simple (some might think simplistic). There is evil in the world. Satan is alive and well, and he and his minions are working very hard to drive people away from the source of peace, the Prince of Peace.

Some will blame hardware (guns) and others will blame software (the shooters’ mental difficulties), but let's lay the blame at the feet of the one to whom it should ultimately go. He is the one who has come to steal, kill and destroy. Let's also run to the one who offers that peace beyond understanding. He is the one who came bringing life more abundantly.

JERRY OBERG

Winston-Salem

Asking the right question

It seems with each passing day Americans find themselves horrified with the violence that surrounds our culture. Taking the life of one innocent person shocks our sense of morality and justice. And now we have awoken to the grim reality that young children just starting school have fallen prey to an emotional sickness that seems be growing in our country.

President Obama was eloquent when speaking about the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School during the prayer vigil Sunday night. But I was bothered by his question, “Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm?”

His conclusion was that we were not. I think he missed the point. The question should have been, “Why are we having to protect our children?”

Let the discussion begin.

MERLE WHITNEY III

Advance

Our business climate

The Journal reported on Dec. 14 that Forbes magazine ranks North Carolina as the fourth best business climate in the country. Looks like Gov. Bev Purdue did something right!

It will be interesting to see the ranking after four years of Pope/McCrory.

KEN JAMES

Winston-Salem

Thoughtful and kind

This is in response to the Dec. 9 article “Hospice supports families over holidays,” about Tandra and Thurmond Chandler. My mother-in-law passed away in 2005 and she died at home as she wished and Hospice was such a blessing to us. Tandra was on her Hospice team and she was part of our family. She was wonderful; we were always glad to see her coming and she was so thoughtful and kind to us and to my mother-in-law. I do not know what we would have done without her. We just want to thank her and Hospice for all they do and tell Tandra that she and her husband are in our prayers.

I hate that she and her husband are going through the health problems they are having and so glad that Hospice is helping them, too. She was an angel to us and we will never forget her or Hospice for the kindness they gave to us and to our family.

JANICE CROW

Winston-Salem

Fiscal-cliff comedians

Discussion of baseline budgeting is not surprisingly missing from “fiscal-cliff” negotiations. Baseline budgeting is the gimmick Republicans and Democrats in Washington have used to establish the following year's budget by taking the total amount of spending for the current year, multiplying it by a percentage, and using that total as the following year's budget. So federal spending automatically grows year after year, and has since 1985.

Any reduction of the increase in spending is touted as a “budget cut,” when it is really only a reduction in how much spending is to be increased. Even worse, they authorize more spending than they automatically get with baseline budgeting.

Federal spending in 2011 was $3,603.1 trillion, resulting in a spending growth of over $252 billion for 2012.

Neither House Speaker John Boehner nor the administration in fiscal-cliff negotiations has proposed to cut any amount close to federal spending automatic growth in 2012 or 2013. About $6.4 trillion is forecasted to be the 2013 spending.

However, actual or pretended spending cuts isn't the main sticking point in this Kabuki comedy called fiscal-cliff negotiations — it's increased taxation. Boehner wants tax increases to come from eliminating loopholes or reducing deductions, while the administration wants to raise tax rates, supposedly only on the top 2 percent of taxpayers.

These Kabuki comedians should fly off the fiscal cliff arm-in-arm. We might, then, get an actual reduction in federal spending. However, getting more taxes is a certainty from Republicans and Democrats in Washington.

TOM SEAMAN

Pfafftown

Finish the Thought

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

“The holiday season is the perfect time to ...”

Phargo's Countdown FR 12/21/12

Winston-Salem Journal LTE FR 12/21/12

Another group grieves

I suppose a lot of us cried ourselves to sleep Friday night. And will perhaps more nights to come.

But, grieve for one group I haven't even seen mentioned: the grandparents.

Thankfully our grandchildren have all reached adulthood. But we would be devastated if something happened to one of them.

If you haven't been a proud, doting grandparent, you may not understand. Pray that if you get to be one, you won't have to grieve like the ones in Newtown are doing now.

God bless the little children. And comfort the grieving survivors.

CHARLIE WEAVER

Winston-Salem

A taxing problem

The Republicans like to say, “We don’t have a taxing problem, we have a spending problem.” That’s the exact opposite of reality.

The reason we are in the hole is that we cut taxes for the rich and we created a bunch of tax loopholes for them and borrowed money to go to war.

And now the Republicans want us to give up Medicare and Social Security benefits so we can balance the budget? They don’t seem to realize that they’re talking about real-life people who are among the most vulnerable in our society — our parents and grandparents — and we’re supposed to just agree to let them suffer?

It's time we stop giving the rich welfare and make them pay back the money they took from us to run up the debt.

I’m willing for my taxes to go up if it will end the Bush tax cuts. I'm willing to pay more if it will make them pay their share. But it’s time they took responsibility for the mess they put the country in and pay for it.

ALBERT SELTZ

Winston-Salem

Control

In the wake of the mass shooting in Connecticut, gun control may yet again enter into our national conversation. Might I suggest self-control?

WILLIAM K. ACH

Winston-Salem

A modest proposal

I was thrilled to see the editorial in the Journal supporting a stadium for Reynolds High School (“Long-sought project deserves wide support,” Dec. 7). Finally, after 89 years, these faithful folks should have the stadium they want, and school officials should do everything in their power to make it happen. If that means slicing off a huge chunk of land on the edge of Hanes Park, so what? Nothing is too good for our kids.

But why stop there? Why not finish the job and make Hanes Park the envy of every municipality in North Carolina? It's simple. School officials need only convince city officials to hand over land the school has already appropriated for football and baseball practice, then level it and pave it to the creek. The so-called parking problem would be eliminated. Roughly 1,200 cars could fit easily onto what is now just scruffy old grass. People going to games will park there anyway.

Then there will be plenty of parking for everybody, plus a good hard surface for skateboard competitions, go-cart races, flea markets, you name it. Kids could learn to drive there on weekends. No need to mow grass. There would be no grass. Only asphalt and artificial turf.

As for those who come to Hanes Park to walk their dogs or play Frisbee, have picnics or just read a book under a tree, let them find someplace else.

Instead of Hanes Park, call it Hanes Parking.

BECKY GIBSON

Winston-Salem

No reason

I believe with all my heart in our nation and our Constitution, including the Second Amendment. That said, there is absolutely no reason for, nor any constitutional guarantee of the right to own, a magazine that will hold 30 rounds of ammunition; much less multiples of such. There is likewise no guarantee, nor a reason, for a civilian to own a gun capable of such destruction.

There are people who would argue with me. They live in fear that our government or our military will attempt to take away their freedom, and they are armed and ready to defend their freedom. As if, were the government or the military to take such action, a Bushmaster rifle and 10,000 30-round clips would make any difference. Ask David Koresh.

It is beyond time for our leaders to stand up to the unreasonable demands of the NRA that there should be absolutely no limits on the ownership of weapons and ammunition whose sole intent is the carnage we witnessed Friday in Newtown, Conn.

We have heard all the argument: Guns don't kill people; people kill people. Yet a killer armed with a firearm limited to six rounds, or even nine rounds, stands a chance of being stopped before 20 innocent children and six adults trying to protect them are gunned down. At the end of 18 rounds, he would have to put something down to reload giving someone a chance to overpower him, or the intended victims a chance to flee.

ALLEN DANIEL

Clemmons

Sum It Up

The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Do you think the economy will continue to improve in 2013?

I will stick my neck out to say, “Yes, it will.” The economy has moved in the right direction since the stimulus plan took effect in 2009, albeit a slow-moving recovery in spite of the obstructions thrown in the path by the GOP.

I think the housing market is a better economic gauge. There is report that the housing market sees increased activities. If the Fed and the Obama administration take aggressive steps to rescue the underwater homeowners, the recovery would be further strengthened.

I paint a rosy picture, notwithstanding the warning by economists and pundits that if the Congress plunges over the “fiscal cliff,” there will be another recession or at best an economic disruption.

BOON T. LEE

The economy is as much psychological as it is financial. People like stability. People want to see problems being addresses.

If legitimate actions, and not the normal D.C. kick-the-can actions, are taken, then yes, I see it getting better. I believe this only because I believe our country is better, smarter and stronger than the boobs we send to D.C.

Congress should stop spending our money, stay out of our lives and let us go back to work, fixing the mess it made.

KEN HOGLUND

Economy? Improve? In the same sentence? Surely you jest.

MONA POTTS

The economy has improved? With the current administration in office, I see four more years of the same, and our economy continuing to head south.

KELLIENE FISHER

After Dec. 21, all fiscal concerns will have faded into an eternal oblivion.

LLOYD V. EVANS II

No, the premise is flawed. The economy is not improving. Newly created jobs are far less than new claims for unemployment and population growth. The percentage rate of unemployment drops because of the hundreds of thousands moved into the category of “leaving the work force.” With the exception of government jobs, private jobs created in 2013 will be largely part-time to escape the cost of Obamacare.

DON WOLFE

What do you mean “continue to improve?” It is not improving. With the printing of more money, borrowing from China and increasing debt, it continues to get worse. The value of the dollar weakens every day. Our economy cannot survive the current trends, but maybe our socialist leaders are well aware of this.

STU HILE

Well, it has certainly improved for Wall Street, which is doing better than ever despite our “business-hating” president (I write with as much sarcasm as I can muster). And Main Street has made some strides.

But it will only continue to improve for the middle class if we can get the Republican Party to knock off its union-busting, corporate-appeasing tactics.

JANE FREEMONT GIBSON

Phargo's Countdown TH 12/20/12

Winston-Salem Journal LTE TH 12/20/12

Finish the Thought

Saturday, we asked readers to complete the sentence: “America’s mass shootings will end when ...”

“... there is a change in the gun culture and the violence culture in the society and the members of the NRA force a change in the philosophy and the leadership of the institution and the society tackle the complex problem of mental health.

“This is another way to say it will take us a long time to come to this point or it never will. So there will be repeated performances of this tragedy.”

BOON T. LEE

“… we get past our pride and agree to change. You know, there are places where this kind of thing is much less frequent. It makes sense to look and see what the people there are doing and at least try their formulas. Why in the world would we not do that?”

JANE FREEMONT GIBSON

“… there are no more people to be killed. Since the shooter does not have to suffer the consequences for his/her action because he/she is either killed by the police, commits suicide or is placed in a mental hospital for the rest of his/her life with the tab being picked up by the taxpayers, the shooter sees no reason for this type of behavior to stop.”

MONA POTTS

“… politicians stand up to the NRA and pass stringent gun-control laws like every other civilized nation.”

RUDY DIAMOND

“... there are stronger gun controls, and when the entertainment industry limits the gross amount of intensely graphic violence in films, on TV, in music lyrics and videos.

“There used to be limits on how much violence the general public (especially the young) was exposed to. Now there are no holds barred. Violence is disgustingly more graphic, with excesses of cruelty, sadism, gore and blood and body parts flying everywhere. The amount of violence in reel life has the result of hardening the senses to it, which ultimately results in more violence in real life.

“When will it end? When we, the people, get sick and tired of seeing such depravity and stop buying it.”

LINDA DIORIO

“… we give up some of our freedom.

“But we won't do that. Americans love their freedom. Americans love their firearms. And if there is an occasional school shooting and 20 kindergarteners must die to keep our freedom and guns, so be it. That's just the price we have to pay for our freedom and guns, right?

“Problem is, those who possess the freedom and the guns aren't the ones paying the price. On Friday we, that's right we, as a nation, failed to protect the most precious, innocent gift God has given us, and for what? The stupid right to have a gun? Are you kidding me? Shame on us! To hell with the Second Amendment (sorry, the Founding Fathers were wrong on this one) and those who have created this situation from which we cannot extract ourselves or even dare to contemplate the obvious solution.

“Those children paid the price for the freedom we think we must have. Enjoy your guns! Cherish your guns! The freedom to have one has been purchased for you at a very high price.”

KAM BENFIELD

“… this nation has a spiritual heart transplant. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,” etc. (Matthew 15:19)

“Because our nation no longer wants the Bible taught in our schools, organized prayer is no longer allowed, the Ten Commandments torn off the walls of our schools; we are reaping the benefits of our awful spiritual decay.

“Have we become a nation that has forgotten God? “The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalms 9:17)

“The wisest thing anyone could do is to seek Almighty God and ask forgiveness through his son Jesus Christ.”

REID JOYCE

“…there are no more masses to shoot.”

DON MANN

“Never. Our continued misuse of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution will guarantee that.”

KENNETH B. SCALF

“… we consider the lives and safety of our youngest, most vulnerable innocents at least as important as the gun-toting rights of U.S. citizens who believe they need automatic rifles and assault weapons to hunt a rabbit.”

THE REV. MICHAEL WEAVER

“… population zero is obtained. Sanity and morality cannot be legislated, only defined and abhorred after the fact.”

ED GAYLOR

“… human life is valued more than gun-industry profits.”

CHARLES E. WILSON

“There is no way to overstate the tragedy and horror of this mass shooting. However, every time something like this happens, the hand-wringing, we ‘must do something’ emerges. I understand the frustration and anger, but there is nothing we can do to stop this, unless we outlaw humans from our country.

“No humans means no mass killings, drunk-driving murders, drive-by shootings, gang wars, child abuse, mental-health problems — need I go on?

“These tragedies have nothing to do with laws nor their enforcement. It has to do with angry and/or sick people.

“The real solution to this is simple: everyone must take responsibility for themselves and for those closest to them. I am sure the killer’s mom knew he was in trouble, what did she do to avoid this? We will never know as she was one of his first victims.”

KEN HOGLUND

Phargo's Countdown WE 12/19/12