Occupy Wall Street (and other places)
I confess Iím a little confused.
The ěOccupy Wall Streetî gang are proclaiming themselves to represent 99 percent of Americans.
99 percent of Americans can afford to take off work for weeks at a time? Not me!
99 percent of Americans engage in immoral behavior in public parks? Not me!
99 percent of Americans defecate and urinate on public property and refuse to allow cleanup? Not me!
99 percent of Americans protest against nebulous enemies they canít clearly describe? Not me!
99 percent of Americans refuse to vacate private property when asked to leave? Not me!
99 percent of Americans depend on Blackberries, laptops, Facebook and Twitter while condemning the corporations that made them possible? Thatís not me!
I hear interviews with protesters that go something like:
ěWhat are you protesting?î ěThe system.î
ěWhat kind of system do you want?î ěSomething differentî
ěDifferent how?î ěNot like what we have now.î
ěWhat do you personally want?î ěMy student loans forgiven.î
ěWhat kind of job do you have?î ěI’m unemployed right now.î
ěWhere do you live?î ěWith my parents.î
ěHow old are you?î ě36.î
Am I really part of the 1 percent? I didnít think so, but somebody is surely confused. I’m certainly not a part of the Occupy Wall Street percentage. If this bunch of losers represents 99 percent of Americans, we are in worse shape that I suspected.
ó Charles Baker
Trinity
This bullet is for you
I recently read an article by Brad Drake, a Florida Republican state representative. Mr. Drake vented about the death penalty and the methods used to exact the fulfillment of punishment doled out for those who have been convicted and await their just reward.
Representative Drake has introduced HB325, which would eliminate lethal injection and replace it with electrocution or … firing squad.
Florida still has ěOld Sparky,î its electric chair, waiting in the wings. Just plug it in.
Should a death row resident not be too fond of frying, he/she could opt for a blindfold, a chair and a select group of marksmen armed with rifles and, you guessed it, bullets.
There would probably be six shooters but only one with live ammunition. That way, they would never know who fired the shot that did the deed.
Death by firing squad, as opposed to electrocution, would be less costly; and weíre all trying to cut back on expenses these days, arenít we?
One thing Representative Drake and I donít agree on is the part about giving those convicted a ěchoiceî of how to pay for the crime that got them into this situation in the first place.
If the crime was a brutal murder, did the perpetrator ask the victim, ěHow would you prefer to die?î
I doubt it.
Maybe itís a serial rapist/murderer. I repeat: Did the innocent victims say, ěOK, go ahead with what you have planned for me?î Again, I have my doubts.
Why give a choice? Let Florida, as well as the rest of us, just say, ěHereís how youíre leaving this world, and hereís when.î No choice. Just do it.
Thank you, Brad Drake. The firing squad sounds good.
ó Bruce Pethel
Landis
Greedy rate hike
It seems that corporate greed is at it again. Duke power wants a 17 percent rate increase.
Can I as a customer get a ride on the new $32 million jet that the CEO just bought?
It seems to me that Duke power has enough already.
ó Michael Avery
Rockwell
Re-elect Blackwell
We have some wonderfully dedicated candidates running for Salisbury City Council this year, but one whom I fervently hope gets everyoneís vote is Maggie Blackwell.
Maggie ran for City Council for the first time two years ago and soared to second place, becoming mayor pro tem. And in these two years, I have never seen a public servant work harder, research issues more diligently, listen more intently, make decisions more wisely, reach out more sincerely or care more deeply about this city and its future.
I have often seen Maggie have the courage to take a stand or cast a vote against the tide because her conscience and integrity would not allow her to do otherwise. (And while I generally agree with her positions, I find I canít possibly be angry when I donít Ö because she always impresses me with the logic of her thought process!)
Maggie is also everywhereóthis I know from either seeing her personally or reading it in the paper ó in an effort to stay engaged with her constituents. And mind you, this has been her practice from the start, not just as Election Day nears.
In short, Salisbury needs Maggie Blackwell back on City Council for a second term!
ó Mary James
Salisbury
Vote for Kersey
A vote for Rip Kersey for City Council is a vote for conservative fiscal responsibility for the city of Salisbury. Our city needs new leadership. There have been decisions made that has greatly added to our cityís debt, which could ultimately need to be supported by higher taxes.
Rip is a neighbor and community leader whot has done an outstanding job. I urge you to vote for Rip Kersey for City Council.
ó Rick Montgomery
Salisbury
Kersey for council
It is a pleasure and responsibility to endorse Rip Kersey for Salisbury City Council. While I believe that generally the council members are all very fine folks, as with everything in life, when folks do the same activity year after year, they become more dependent on others and also tend to assume more authority than was ever intended. This is not necessarily a character flaw, but a human one. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the electorate to administer the discipline with more frequency. Now is definitely one of those times when it would be wise to take advantage of the wisdom, knowledge, and experience of fresh new conservative leadership.
ó Darlene Blount
Salisbury
Re-elect Roger Haas
Having worked in the banking industry for all of my career, I have served as treasurer for Roger Haasí campaign committee for several elections. It gives me the opportunity to see the way in which he handles finances. In these tough economic times, he is exactly who we need to be making financial decisions for our city.
He has always said that his first job is to remember that this is not money that belongs to the city but belongs to the taxpayers. He makes sound financial decisions and reviews all the facts regarding an issue before settling on a response.
City budgets will be extremely tight for the foreseeable future. We need people on City Council who have the experience of being a part of the budget process to make the most effective use of our funds. Roger is that type of person. I urge you to support Roger Haas for Kannapolis City Council and keep him working for us.
ó Jim Moore
Kannapolis
Vote for Dayvault
It is my privilege to write in support of Ryan Dayvault, who is a candidate for the City Council of Kannapolis. I first met Ryan when he enrolled as a freshman at Catawba College. Ryanís maturity was impressive even as an 18-year-old student. When I asked him how he had attained this level of maturity at such a young age, he credited his parents.
In a short time, Ryan was known by students, staff and faculty for his work ethic, involvement on campus and, again, his maturity. Ryan is a very capable young man, and his youth is an advantage to the citizens of Kannapolis. His love of Kannapolis is well known, and his vision, talents and enthusiasm would be invaluable to the city. Ryan has gained more experience through the civic organizations in which he is involved than many older individuals. His dependability and accessibility are additional assets that would be important to the citizens of Kannapolis.
It is my hope that Kannapolis voters will acquaint themselves with this young man and then vote for Ryan Dayvault on Nov. 8 as a member of the Kannapolis City Council.
ó Dorothy Earle
Salisbury
Endorsement deadline
Letters endorsing candidates in the Nov. 8 elections must be received in the Salisbury Post newsroom by 5 p.m. today (Oct. 31) for publication before the election.