Health-care interests contribute to Coble
I read with interest Congressman Howard Coble’s effort to rally against a national healthcare plan.
Afterward, I went to OpenSecrets.com and looked at his campaign donors. I was able to list the following sources directly or through lobbyists. I felt it important to share this with the readers, as Rep. Coble forgot to mention this at Dan Nicholas Park.
The list: BRP Pharmaceuticals, Advanced Medical Technologies Assoc., Coventry Healthcare, BioTechnology Industry Organization, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Bristol Myers Squibb, Roche Biomedical, May Memorial Hospital, Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Terumo Medical Corp., along with numerous doctors.
Coincidence? I think not.
ó Dave Lannon
Salisbury
Enriching the community
Thanks to the Salisbury Post for the coverage it is giving to the projects throughout the community that enrich the lives of youth and adults as they work, learn and play together. Readers who have not had an oppotunity to be part of the activities covered by the Post can not appreciate the energy and sensitivity a reporter has to put into a story.
Katie Scarvy’s coverage of the Barnabas Camp gave insight into the satisfaction and positive change gained when youth and adults from different backgrounds work and play together. The thought that budget cuts may take the chance for programs like the After School Barnabas Connection and the Barnabus Camp to continue is troublesome to those who see the need for youth-adult interaction.
Equally troublesome is the possibility that community apathy could take away the chance for Katie and others to give readers insight into valuable programs available to the youth of the community.
ó Sue Davis
Salisbury
Way to go, West!
I would like to say a big congratulations to the faculty, staff and students of West Rowan High School for having the highest graduation percentage, 81.5, of all the high schools in Rowan County! I guess the “farm kids,” as we are so often referred to, didn’t do so badly after all. Not only do we have a great football team, but we also excel in academics! Way to go, West! Keep up the good work. We in the West area are proud of you.
ó Julia Wetmore
Woodleaf
Speak up in Cleveland
I urge the residents of Cleveland to be at the next Town Hall meeting, Aug. 10, 7 p.m. Let’s not make Jason Josey stand alone in a fight against higher taxes for all of us taxpayers. Aside from the town’s reluctance to remind residents of upcoming meetings in the town letter, the limited attendance that Mayor Brown spoke of is more than likely not due to satisfaction with how the town is run, but may be more due to the ridicule and intimidation from town officials toward a resident who would dare speak of something other than what is in agreement with their views.
If you doubt this, go back and check the town’s history. You will not have to go back very far. We need to stay involed all the way from our local to Washington. They all look out for themselves and need our oversight. For the record, I have never met Mr. Josey but appreciate his interest.
ó Donna Kesler
Cleveland
The Founders & religion
Regarding Michael Young’s Aug. 2 letter, how can government remain neutral? You say that neither religion nor secularism can be promoted by government. Using that contradictory philosophy, by not promoting religion, secularism is promoted. You claim that government may not recognize one religious faith as more valid than another. Our founders disagree …
– “It is rightly impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.” ó George Washington
– “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” ó Patrick Henry
“By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion; and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed upon the same equal footing, and are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty.” ó Samuel Chase
“No nation has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it the sanction of my example.” ó Thomas Jefferson
Our founders were not neutral, boldly promoting Christianity! The First Amendment protects the people from government establishing laws that will restrict their religious freedoms, or force them to worship a certain way. It does not restrict government from promoting a certain religion, or praying according to conviction. For if so, our founders violated repeatedly the very Constitution they forged! You claim that praying in Jesus’ name while on a city or county board is disrespectful and un-Christlike! Consider His words … “But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 10:33)
ó Frank Carpenter
Landis