Letters to the editor – Monday (12-21-09)

Published 12:00 am Sunday, December 20, 2009

Stick to the truth in debate over sheriff’s job
The debate over filling the Rowan County Sheriff’s seat is so full of half-truths it is unbelieveable. I didn’t hear threats to the county commissioners if they didn’t support the Republican Party recommendations, and I was there. What I do know is that increasingly, candidates for office at all levels run on a ticket and often when questions occur which require that you stand behind the rules which are in place, folks tend to want to vascillate.
All candidates are being put on notice that, come election time, their votes will be considered in their level of support from their party as well as the public.
Tradition and regulations have allowed candidates who vacate an office to have their seats filled by someone selected by their party. This is what happened when Bobbie Earnhardt resigned as register of deeds and the Democrats put in a man who subsequently ran for that seat.
It is even rumored that one candidate for the state house might step down if successful to allow that person’s party to fill that seat. Why shouldn’t Republicans follow longstanding rules, procedures and precedent?
As a supporter of Tony Yon for sheriff, it was important to me that he was competent, experienced and from outside of the present Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and the Police Department, given that the investigations into alleged misconduct are ongoing. It isn’t clear who if anyone might be implicated in these probes.
It also doesn’t hurt that Mr. Yon did a good job in bringing together a divergent group of Republicans, some of whom seem bent on working outside the party if they don’t get their way while going public with business which should be kept in-house.
The process used by the Rowan County Republican Party to select a replacement candidate was done by the books.
ó Dr. Ada M. Fisher
Salisbury
Fisher is a precinct vice chairman and a N.C. Republican national committeewoman.
Be careful with history
I would like to compliment you on the article about the documents in the cardboard box (“A treasure trove of history,” Dec. 10). When a person finds something like this, it is truly exciting. I started reading the article as soon as I got it out of the paper box. It was chocked full of facts and historical events, but you know with all these compliments there had to be a “but.”
The “but” is at the end of the article. You wrote that a free boy of color was working as an apprentice to a blacksmith. You went on to write that it was important to know that there were some freed slaves in Salisbury.
How do we know he was a former slave? There were thousands of free blacks in the South, some having been freed by their former owner and some were free on their own accord. I know this was a quote from a librarian, but I do believe this is not entirely accurate. I think it is important to tell history as near true as possible, not what we want it to be or what we think it might have been.
ó John Garmon
China Grove
Get new pets at shelter
I just returned from visiting the Rowan County Animal Shelter and just had to contact you. They have some of the most beautiful puppies I have seen. I thought it would be a great idea to put an article in the paper for Christmas to get some of these gorgeous animals homes for the holidays.
I had the honor of working with Clai Martin this year for a short period as an officer, but I had to leave because I just couldn’t take looking at all the animals that would not get homes every day.
They all are awesome people at the shelter, and I believe they do not get enough credit for what they have to do on a daily basis.
I think that if you could run an article including the animals that need homes, this would not only give an animal a chance at life but also make everyone’s day at the shelter. What a great gift of seeing all of these animals find their forever homes! Any help I believe would be great.
ó Samantha Allen
Salisbury