Tea Party could use a little more humility
Donald Schumacher’s My Turn column, headlined “Tea Party vilification distorts reality” (Oct. 3, 2011), strikes me as a self-righteous justification of a group that cannot see the errors of its ways. The reality is, Tea Party members are more concerned about themselves than the common good of us all. The reality is, they are a minority on the political far right who like the life of yesteryear. The reality is that many things in our past are good and should be saved. But, some things need to be tweaked. The reality is, the Tea Party stands in opposition to almost any change to better the common good.
Mr. Schumacher insinuated that his opposition included the freeloaders, wasteful spenders, dishonest, immoral, fraudulent, corrupted, lazy, dependent, financially irresponsible, unpatriotic, irreligious people of this country who are bent on destroying the country. He tried to persuade his readers to believe the Tea Party is a group of humble, patriotic, God-fearing, hard working, family oriented, well-intentioned people who want to save the country. He may be right about most of his self-evaluation, but he is not as humble as he wants to be.
What the Tea Party is missing is that all of us want to save the goose that laid the golden egg known as the U.S.A. We differ in our methodology. All agree we are in a mess. But no one has a lock on all knowledge and wisdom this side of heaven. Not the Tea Party! The same goes for the liberals, conservatives, Republicans or Democrats. Unless we can come to a common solution, the common good will suffer.
The greatest man on Earth once said, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” The Tea Party is not perfect. Mr. Schumacher may self-righteously defend the Tea Party from attack, and then counterattack. But attacks from all sides need to stop so we can work together.
— James A. Huyck
Salisbury
Bravo for library
The Sept. 30 Salisbury Post supplemental issue regarding the centennial celebration of the Rowan Public Library was well written and should be required for high school reading.
I commend the people who put it together; there is much history contained in these few pages. I have vivid memories of librarian Edith Clark in the old Community Building. She had a look that could freeze you in your tracks, even if you stepped on a squeaky board, and there were a lot of squeaky boards in that old building.
We are indebted to the sponsors of the centennial issue as well as the tireless efforts of former library director Phil Barton and current library director Jeff Hall. Keep up the good work.
— C.A. Peacock
Salisbury