Dart about Joe was way off target
In regards to the dart (Oct. 18), shame on you for criticizing Joe the Plumber, the question he asked and Senator McCain for bringing it back up! When in fact, the opinion held by people on my street and small business owners such as myself is that we would love to hear an answer to that question.
When asked a tough question, Senator Obama dodged, weaved and then eventually apologized for having to “pass Joe’s tax money on to people behind him’ and to ‘share the wealth.”
Now, where I come from that equals one thing ó socialism.
When I work for my money, I choose where my money goes. Not Senator Obama, not the government, and certainly not leftwing media outlets.
It truly is deplorable how these days, a hard-working person, desiring to get ahead, can’t simply question a political candidate without the wrath of that candidate’s party, the entire left wing media and many other surrogates questioning why Joe the Plumber wasn’t vetted, or investigated. Ridiculous and absurd!
Did Senator Obama care about Joe’s background before he stopped in Joe’s neighborhood asking for his vote? No.
And if Joe went on TV tomorrow and said he was rethinking his position, and leaning towards socialism, I do believe he would be on a private plane with Senator Obama before sundown, being wined, dined and offered caviar, lobster and anything else he desired.
Your dart was inappropriate, irresponsible and really only a thinly veiled attack on Joe and Senator McCain.
At least have the guts to state who you support. I know I do.
ó Alana Tomlin Denton
Linwood
Lifetime advocates
I am not famous or rich, or a celebrity at that. However, I am a teacher in Rowan County. As an educator, I feel it is my obligation to let you know who I think will be the best U.S. senator and N.C. governor to give me the tools to prepare your children for this ever-changing economy.
Kay Hagan and Bev Perdue have been lifetime advocates for our students in public education. Both Kay and Bev had the wisdom to make Smart Start a reality for children in all 100 counties. More children enter my classroom today with health insurance because Kay and Bev forged a partnership between insurance companies and our state government to build a program that insures all children up to 200 percent of poverty. I’ve also seen the investment made in surrounding low-wealth counties because of Kay’s and Bev’s leadership, an investment that would not be there had public schools not had an advocate in the state Senate all these years.
Now is not the time to import the failed policies of George W. Bush into my classroom. Whether it’s the voucher schemes that sound good on the surface or privatizing our Social Security, Dole and McCrory have nothing to offer Joe Six-Pack but Bush-Lite.
Take it from this teacher. My choices this election will be Kay Hagan for U.S. Senate and Bev Perdue for governor.
ó Sarah Drinkard
Salisbury
Drinkard is president of the Rowan Salisbury Association of Educators.High gas prices
I was talking to a gentleman from Fairfax, Va., the other day at Wal-Mart. The subject of gas prices came up, and he related to me how high gas prices in Salisbury were. I related to him that he wasn’t telling me anything, seeing as North Carolina ranks among the states with the highest gas prices.
He said he was sure glad that he had filled up before he arrived in Salisbury. I’ve been buying my gas in Mocksville.
ó Grady Holshouser
Salisbury
What you can do
A conservative president once said, “Ask not what your country can do for youóask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy would be surprised to learn that today’s Democratic Party has turned that around to “Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you.” Today’s Democrats seem to be made up of people who want something for nothing from their government and those who would exploit them for their votes and political power.
JFK also said that “we shall pay any price, bear any burden … in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” The party of Pelosi and Obama spent the last six years trying to secure defeat in Iraq as a strategy for winning the November election. Bush and our troops have many Democrat-inflicted stab wounds in their backs. Vote McCain/Palin!
ó Mike Safrit
China Grove