Letters to the editor – Friday (3-2-2012)

Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 1, 2012

President isn’t held accountable for policies
Where is the outrage? Can this president do anything that the vain-stream press would find worthy of a column or two of criticism?
Just to list a few of his major accomplishments: He takes from those that have to give to those that do not have, as if he is a modern day Robin Hood, shuts down drilling for oil then lifts the ban but will not issue drilling permits while bankrolling South American dictators so they can drill, trashes our only Middle East ally while apologizing and curtsying to a less than dependable or honorable “partner” in “our” war in Afghanistan, trembles at Iran’s blustering, ignores mass murders in Syria, trifles with our northern neighbor by banning a job-making, energy rush of pipeline oil, plans to pick the pockets of military veterans and active duty members by raising their medical copayments while shying away from applying the same sacrifices to unionized government employees, sues states trying to do a job he is responsible for doing but fails to do, supports an attorney general who refuses to obey the laws he is sworn to uphold (election poll intimidation by the New Panther party and the “Fast & Furious” gun fiasco into Mexico).
Oh, yeah, I forgot, he is a really cool rapper.
How one, two, 20, 50 or 100 Democrats in Congress can turn a blind eye to his policies might be understandable. However, the fact that most of the 243 Democrat members of Congress close their eyes and march to the beat of his socialistic drum beat, is beyond comprehension.
Did I miss a comma anyplace?
— Chuck Hughes
Salisbury
A few observations
With all the talk about prayer at the county commissioners’ meetings, I would like to make some observations.
No American politician in his official capacity has the authority to proclaim any religion the official state religion of the United States — or of Rowan County — and that, in effect, is what commissioners are doing when they pray in Jesus’ name.
That’s what keeps us different from Saudi Arabia or Spain under the Inquisition.
And I imagine if they were praying to Allah, people would be supportive of the ACLU. Imagine half the legislative bodies in the country praying to Allah.
The Bible says nothing about freedom of religion. In fact, Deuteronomy 13:6, 8-15, says to kill anyone who follows after other gods. The Bible says nothing about democracy, habeus corpus, trial by jury, freedom of the press, due process or equality of the sexes.
Parting shots:
“My feeling as a Christian points me to my lord and savior as a fighter.” — Adolph Hitler (April 12, 1922, speech in Munich).
“Think not that I have come to send peace on earth. I have come not to send peace but a sword.” — Jesus (Matthew 10:34).
“Pray, v., to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.” — Ambrose Bierce (“The Devil’s Dictionary”).
— R. Howard Andrews
Kannapolis
Constitution protects all
To all of you who are outraged by limiting prayer at public meetings , how about listening to the words spoken by Jesus in Mathew 6 starting at verse 5: “And when you pray you must not be like the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret: and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” And further on “ do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words.”
The First Amendment of the Constitution was written to protect all citizens from being forced into worshipping in a way not of their own faith. In no way does the ACLU state that we may not pray; it just argues that the First Amendment of the Constitution protects the rights of all religions and all are to be respected. Therefore it follows that in a public meeting including all citizens (Jews Muslims, agnostics and atheists), we may not impose our faith on them. Our forefathers came here to escape being forced by government to believe in one way and one way only.
We are not a theocracy. Why can’t we begin a meeting with a moment of silence that allows each to privately ask for wisdom and guidance, or not, as each pleases? I, as a Christian and an American citizen, am willing to respect the rights of all, therefore knowing that my religion is also protected by our Constitution.
— Marion McLaughlin
Salisbury