Glad people feel free to speak out
I read recent letters in which people express their opinons freely. Hurrah! That is the way it should be. I am intimidated when I talk to “Once a Democrat, always a Democrat.” It seems like they are out of this world, not knowing what has happened for the last four years. Also, they vote for the party and not the candidate.
I feel that this president has divided this country with party affiliations. I do not feel like I can even express my opinions with some people. Not one Republican voted for “Obamacare.” Is that any way to pass health care?
(So there goes “free speech.” ) There are so many senior citizens who are not informed or up to date with the mess this country is in. At least I am voicing my opinion. I vote for the person I think is the best for the job. Being president has to be one of the worst jobs, and I am thankful some people are willing to tackle it. Still, I feel intimidated when I try to voice my opinion.  Maybe I am talking to the wrong people.
The negative campaign ads on TV are making me sick, and I grab the remote and change channels. But still there are more, and I have heard them over and over! I will be so glad when it’s over.
— Helen Baker
Kannapolis

Case for Obama …
Contrary to the belief of some, I try to avoid political involvement via letters to the editor. Obama’s campaign, presidency and this election season encouraged the bending of that rule. Since 2008, Barack Obama has been viciously smeared with lies, rumors and questions about his character, place of birth, patriotism, religion, and qualifications to be president. I haven’t witnessed such hate and mean-spiritedness in the last four years of our nation’s history in my lifetime. We need to be reminded of what our president accomplished in spite of the partisan recalcitrance of those dedicated to his failure.
The following are 10 of more than 200 accomplishments made by our president.
1. The Affordable Care Act to provide health insurance for over 32 million Americans beginning in 2014. One of many reasons for this law was 20,000-40,000 Americans dying each year due to no health insurance.
2. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to re-regulate the financial sector that caused the Great Recession
3. Ended the Iraqi War and began troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.
4. Eliminated Osama bin laden.
5. Removed banks from the federal student loan program and increased Pell Grants as part of Affordable Care Act.
6. Increased the 2010 and 2011 Department of Veterans budget by 16 percent and 10 percent.
7. Signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act to stop credit card companies from raising rates without advance notice.
8. Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, giving women who are paid less than men for the same work the right to sue their employers after discovering discrimination.
9. Signed the 2009 Children’s Health Insurance Authorization Act to cover an additional 4 million children.
10. Decreased the unemployment rate with annual positive job growth rates.
See  Why Obama Now? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9G8XREyG0Q&feature=youtube.
— Reginald W. Brown
Salisbury

… And case against
We’ve all heard the “47 percent” figure from the ambush spy video obtained by Jimmy Carter’s nephew. Seems Carter wants to continue ruining the nation. How many recall Carter’s 21 percent interest rates or how he started the destruction of the Middle East, beginning with Iran?
So, who was president and caused half the United States to keep up the other half — Obama or Romney?
What has Obama done for America? For instance, security: Millions of illegal immigrants have eclipsed blacks as our main minority. An American ambassador was murdered on the anniversary of 9/11. Beginning in January, $500 billion in defense cuts are scheduled.
The economy: 63 percent of companies have missed their projected earnings, and the Dow recently had its biggest drop since June. The $16 trillion national debt now exceeds our total gross national product. We spend $1.1 trillion more than the government takes in. A year of public college costs more than $17,000; private college exceeds $39,000. Half of graduates can’t find full-time jobs after college. Forty-nine percent of all Americans now get some type of government aid. U.S. homeownership is at a 50-year low. U.S. median income has declined the last four years. Food stamps are at a record 47 million recipients.
If this isn’t bad enough, because of the looming “fiscal cliff,” the Congressional Budget Office says another recession is likely next year, with the loss of 2 million more jobs. Will yours be one?
Education:?Student loans total almost $1 trillion. SAT reading scores (2012) were the lowest in 40 years! The cost to raise a child, not including college, averages $234,000. There were 3 million dropouts in 2010.
Still want to re-elect Obama? Reread this article slowly. Understand?
Buy a bicycle, since gas in California was recently as high as $5.99 a gallon. Also, buy insurance — a lot, since funerals cost an average of more than $7,000, and the possibility of surviving another four years of Obama seems grave.
— W.F. Owens
Spencer

Susan Cox for board
In my opinion, choosing candidates for the Board of Education is one of the most important responsibilities that we as voters have. The decisions made by the school board affect how our students learn, what teachers are chosen for the privilege of educating our children, and how our tax money is used—whether effectively or not.
Susan Cox has impressed me with her desire to bring control of the Rowan-Salisbury school system to our local community rather than having our state and federal governments dictating decisions. We do not need government bureaucrats crafting programs for our children. My belief is that our educators, along with parents, are better able to make choices that will enable our children to grow and learn in such an environment. Susan has extensive experience as a special education teacher and has taught in both public and private schools. She will bring fresh ideas and new enthusiasm to the Board.
Please take time to learn more about her and when you go to the polls, vote for Susan Cox, Seat 7.
— Melanie Earle
Salisbury

Why I am a Democrat
When asked why I am a Democrat, some might say it is because I am Jewish. It is not. Some might say it is because I’m young or because my parents are Democrats. That would also be wrong. I am a Democrat because the party speaks to my morals. I believe that everyone, regardless of their unique attributes, deserves a level playing field and equal rights.
I have lived my whole life in Salisbury, and going to Salisbury High School I have the pleasure of being friends with many people who consider themselves Republicans. It may seem odd that I am able to be so outspoken about my views, even though my entire life I have been immersed in a Republican majority, but I attribute this to my genuine beliefs. I believe that making sure people have access to Pell Grants allows for college to be a real possibility for all economic classes. I believe helping people when they are struggling to make ends meet is nothing to be frowned on. I see absolutely nothing wrong with guaranteeing everyone access to health care. I believe everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, has the right to marriage. Marriage is a legal contract which should not be influenced by the religious beliefs of others.
I support President Obama because the economy is showing signs of recovery; 5.2 million jobs have been created, and the jobless rate has dropped to 7.8 percent. These, along with the Lily Ledbetter Act, the downfall of Osama bin Laden, his commitment to equal rights for all and the Affordable Care Act, are but a few of the reasons I believe he is the most qualified candidate.
When it all comes down to it, I am a Democrat because I believe at the end of the day, love thy neighbor as if they were thy own.
— Emma Labovitz
Salisbury

Benghazi coverup
On Sept. 11, our nation was once again attacked by terrorists, and four brave Americans were killed. The details of what really happened that day are emerging, despite the administration’s desperate attempt to keep it covered up, especially until after the election.
In a recent letter, Col. Grey Medinger wrote that it is a travesty how the White House is misleading the families of the four fallen heroes as well as the American public. Another travesty is the silence from the media in their attempt to keep this story quiet and to keep us in the dark. There has been virtually no coverage from the network news outlets or from most newspapers. How much have you seen in print concerning this scandal? For those of you who rely on the major networks for your news, what have you been told? If this story was being reported truthfully, it would most likely have resulted in a sure defeat for President Obama. Whether you are for or against our current president, the truth is the truth, and it is the media’s job to report it, not to protect their candidate of choice.
Can you imagine the magnitude of the reporting if the current president was a Republican?  Journalists would be relentless in their demand for answers, front page stories would appear in giant print daily and the women on daytime talk shows would be ranting and raving daily.
The silence from the so-called jounalists is deafening and disgraceful. Please pray for our nation.  We need our integrity restored.
— Elizabeth Landry
Salisbury

The silent threat
While Americans are living the best they can in these uncertain times, there is a silent jihad taking  place in America. This movement is being promoted even from the White House. In a highly anticipated address to the Muslim world from Cairo (in 2009), President Obama presented himself as a defender of Islam, declaring, “I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.” This is a strange duty for an American president to embrace.
But Islam gives its testimony weekly, with more than 14,000 attacks by Muslim jihadists since 9-11. Acts of terrorism are only the most dramatic and visible front in our war with radical Islam. We also face a cultural jihad from Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, who hide behind so-called civil rights organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which press for special legal, social and cultural concessions for Muslim Americans.
The brotherhood’s goal is the gradual imposition of Sharia law, erosion of our freedoms in the West and, ultimately, the downfall of America. Islam is not just their religion; this is what they want to impose on the American way of life.
These silent jihadists take advantage of Western openness and deeply ingrained political correctness to chip away at some of our precious liberties, like free speech — for example, rendering criticism of Islam off limits.
Another way Islam is gaining ground in America is through Sharia-compliant finance, or Islamic banking. Impossible, you say? Some of America’s leading financial institutions have created Sharia advisory boards to keep their financial practices in compliance with Islamic law.
What are they waiting for? An opportunity — could “Obamacare” open that door of opportunity, with the probability of many small businesses, family businesses and middle-class households going for broke? Think about it.
— Jeff Karriker
Mooresville