Domestic violence takes many forms
        
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and I just wanted folks to know that domestic violence is not just physical abuse. It takes on many other forms: psychological and emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial and economic abuse, and social abuse. These are all ways that the abuser tries to control the victim.
The Family Crisis Council of Rowan County (supported by the United Way) is doing an awesome job in providing services to domestic violence and sexual assault victims. Besides having an emergency temporary shelter for women, the council also has support groups for adults and children, a 24-hour crisis line, safety planning, a court advocacy program, a rape and sexual assault responder program and information and referral services. Assistance is provided in English and in Spanish.
As an animal lover, whenever I see the advertisement on television about abused animals, it makes me ill, and to think that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are treated just as badly or worse! Domestic violence is a crime that seriously affects our society. We need to do all we can to help these victims receive the care they need.
– Penny Blake
Salisbury
Penny Blake serves on the Family Crisis Council’s board of directors.

Thanks, but no thanks
 In response to Jack Burke’s Sept. 25 letter, “Who’d have bet on GM?”:
Jack Burke has suggested that I might be a rich investor who owns GM stock. Actually, I’ve never bought stocks or bonds, nor ever had a 401(k) or company-sponsored retirement plan. I live in a two-bedroom, one-bath house. My future retirement is iffy at best. But unlike my liberal adversaries, I’m not jealous, nor am I childish enough to accept President Obama’s premise that people will get more by wishing other people had less.
Mr. Burke wrote that I’m wrong about General Motors’ bailout. He claimed GM couldn’t have survived normal bankruptcy proceedings, and he “proved” this by comparing GM to WorldCom, Washington Mutual and Lehman Brothers, saying that “all three have been broken up and sold for parts.” But these companies had all been involved in fraud, theft, risky investments and/or fraudulent accounting, which caused their breakup. GM’s biggest problem was the unions, and that’s who got the bailout. Comparing apples to oranges won’t make apples taste like oranges.
He wrote that “non-union employees’ pensions were protected under ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act), contrary to Mr. Pender’s statement.” True, they were covered by ERISA, but President Obama “uncovered” them. ERISA is a government program, and what the government giveth, the government can taketh away (see the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. for more). Denying the facts won’t erase them.
He wrote that I’m wrong about TARP, pointing out “TARP has almost broken even, with $503.9B paid back out of $507.1B invested…” But I never said TARP wasn’t paid back; I said President Obama took the paid-back TARP money and used it as his personal bailout slush-fund. Changing the discussion won’t change the facts.
He wrote that the Chevy Volt isn’t losing money, because one day, eventually, over its lifetime, it “will still break roughly even.” This is classic Obama-nomics: Disguise the fact we’re losing money, claim we won’t always be losing money and then deny we’re losing money.
Thanks anyway, but I’m voting for Romney.
– Steve Pender
Rockwell

A better option
 After hearing presidential hopeful Gary Johnson speak to an audience of nearly 500 at Duke University’s Reynolds Theater on Sept. 20, I am convinced that the salvation of our country rests firmly in his hands, and in those of his selected administrators were he to be elected president.
As the former two-term governor of New Mexico, Mr. Johnson has well earned the reputation of being the most fiscally conservative, socially rational leader in the nation, having to his credit a legislative record of making at least 14 tax cuts under his administration, significantly reducing the overall size of government (without jeopardizing the unemployment status of any state worker), and taking the state of New Mexico from a billion dollar deficit at the time he entered office to a billion dollar surplus at the time he left.
This man is for real. So unlike the delusional grandiosity of the Barack Obama regime, Mr. Johnson’s personal demeanor is sane, coherent and compassionate, offering a down-to-earth intellect that is capable of overseeing a principled ideology which will ultimately restore this country to a land of revered prosperity – with liberty and justice for all!
He is a Libertarian. I urge you, for the sake of me, my children and grandchildren and possibly yours, to cast your vote for Gary Johnson.
– Ginny Godfrey
Morganton