Gangs will like the idea of cutting school officers
It is no secret that there is gang activity in Salisbury and Rowan County. A troubling truth to this problem is recruitment of a select group of new members. Many that join seek to belong to something or to fit in, some seek to achieve a higher level of respect from others through more violent means.
At any rate, these gangs are setting their sights on children very young, but especially those in the range of 12, 13 and 14 years old. How interesting that these are our middle-school children. I guess it makes sense that we just get rid of our school resource officers from all of the county’s middle schools for the next school year. These young people are very impressionable and can easily be misled by the hype and glamour of gang membership. In many cases some of the strongest and most positive role models in these younsters’ lives are our teachers and school resource officers.
I certainly acknowledge the extreme difficulty being experienced by our current economic situation. Ask youself is it worth losing the important role the officers provide. We can ill afford to allow our children to be led to the slaughter as lambs. I pray that the powers that be carefully reconsider removing all of the resource officers from the county’s middle schools, as has been proposed.
The next time you see or hear of a 12-, 13- or 14-year old being arrested or, even worse, gunned down from gang association, remember that it affects us all!
ó Chaplain (Lt.) Mark Williams
Faith
Williams is a member of the U.S. Corps of Chaplains and adjutant with Faith American Legion Post 327.Don’t forget first tea party
The recent organized political gatherings nationwide known as “tea parties” have given voice to and raised awareness of the growing discontent concerning the government’s handling of economic matters.
The moniker “tea party” effectively evokes images of the birth of our nation, the desire for liberty and so on. However, the name is more appropriate today than is immediately apparent; the original Boston Tea Party of 1773 was motivated by more than the hatred of a tax on tea. Colonists chafed at the tax on principle, but it was the monopoly in the American tea trade given by Parliament to the East India Company that was seen as a palpable threat to American liberty. The East India Company (which already had a monopoly in India) was in danger of financial collapse and Britain desired to prop them up by giving them the right to export duty-free tea to America.
The brazen desire of the government to effectively control and manipulate a large portion of the private sector as a matter of course was appalling to Americans and an important part of the rationale for open resistance. When we look at the growing number of tea parties gathering across the country, we would do well to remember that the motives haven’t changed.
ó Mike Mincher
Salisbury
Dangerous intersection
Yesterday (March 23) yet another serious accident occurred at the intersection of N.C. 150 and Airport Road. This intersection is getting busier and busier, yet nothing has been done to make it safer. Will it take a fatality before something is done?
There is not even an overhead street light at the intersection! We need to have turn lanes and a traffic light to make it safe, or, at the very least, a flashing warning light.
ó David J. Bush
Salisbury