A president for our grandchildren
In 1960 “they” said America would not elect a Catholic president. America fooled them and elected JFK. In 2008 many said America would not elect an African-American president, but America did. Remember MLK told us not to judge people based on their color but their character. Be proud; America did that.
Today, with a myriad of ads that not only misrepresent truths but make shady statements and produce a few lies for good measure, we Americans must decide who will lead us for the next four years.
Forget ads and claims coming from both sides; think about your personal situation today and vote based on that situation.
When Mr. Obama took office gasoline was $1.87/gallon. What have you paid for it since? Not only does it cost your family more to fill your car, but everything you buy, such as food, clothing and appliances, costs more due to increased transportation costs. The general economy remains stagnant, and the excuse is that it was inherited from President Bush. A lot of folks voted for Mr. Obama to shake what they deemed the fault of Republicans. Is not four years enough time to get an economy out of the depths?
Many things were tried to refresh the economy and did not work too well. Unfortunately, they were tried mostly with borrowed money; thus our $16.1 trillion national debt. Our government is increasingly becoming “big brother” much like the countries of Europe where we see a riot or two every day. (Check out Greece.) We certainly do not want such in America, and we are irresponsible if we pass this on (“kick the can down the road”) to our grandkids to deal with.
Protect my grandchildren and yours; give someone else (say, Mitt Romney) a chance to reinvigorate our economy.
— Ty Cobb Jr.
Salisbury

Walton for board
This letter is written to support Ralph Walton for a seat on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.
Ralph has lived in Rowan all of his life. He wants to help our county be the best it can possibly be. This is his agenda. He’s especially interested in helping our county grow and believes a business-friendly commission would play a tremendous part in helping growth happen. He has a positive outlook and pledges to do his best to work with the other four commissioners.
I first met Ralph when I was named director of elementary education for Rowan schools in 1981, and Ralph was principal of Morgan School. We worked together for 12 years. He previously had been a math teacher and assistant principal. I knew from the beginning that he was quite articulate about his beliefs and that he was (and is) a problem solver.
He was later transferred to Granite Quarry Elementary. When you’re principal of an 800-student school and supervise 80 employees, you are functioning as a CEO. You have to be a skillful organizer. You have to know about budgeting. You have to know about the programs you’re directing. This sounds like great training for the county commission!
Ralph is truly dedicated to serving his county. He is retired and has time to devote to being a commissioner. He wants to improve our reputation in the state. He wants us to be a positive county — focused on what we can do, not on what we can’t do.
Some of you may be thinking about voting a straight ticket after you vote for president. If you vote the straight Democratic ticket, you will automatically vote for Ralph. If you vote straight Republican, you can still mark your ballot for Ralph.
We need Ralph’s leadership, ability and open-minded attitude on the commission. Please join me in voting for him!
— Martha West
Salisbury

Re-elect Kissell
With all this talk about the top of the ticket, it’s important to remember the down-ticket races. For years, we’ve been blessed with a good man representing us in Congress — Howard Coble. Now, we have a man of the opposite party who is just as good, and I am writing to support him. Larry Kissell deserves another term in Congress.
In a time of economic hardship, who better to have advocating for us than a man who understands the struggles of the working class family? He’s a former textiles worker who knows the pain of shuttered factories and has led the “Buy American” campaign in the House. He’s a reformer who pushed to repeal automatic pay raises for Congress.
He’s a family man who values our senior citizens by defending Social Security and Medicare. He’s a former teacher who fights tirelessly for the needs of our kids in an environment that no longer seems to respect education. And for four years, he has been working hard for our local farmers on the Agriculture Committee.
To liberal Democrats, I say suck it up. No, he is not a hero of the far left, but he is far better to you than the alternative.
To the Republicans, Larry Kissell is a reasonable guy. He’s a moderate guy who has been endorsed by the NRA. He’s actually a nice guy, who is willing to keep an open mind. He has defied the Obama administration on a regular basis (including on Obamacare) at great political risk to himself. Give him a second thought. Don’t take away one of the last bridge-builders we have in Congress.
And to my fellow Blue Dog Democrats, there aren’t many moderate voices left. He’s one of them. He’s one of us. So put down the Obama signs and go knock on a door for Larry Kissell. 
— Jacob Morton
China Grove

Focused on issues
I support Larry Kissell for Congress because he has fought for our values in Washington and stood up to the dirty politics. He works to do what is right for the people. He has run a clean campaign and has stayed focused on the issues that are important to people here. He is a straight talker who puts his plans and policies in black and white and then stands by them. He has taken a vow to defend senior citizens and veterans and to keep the promises the country has made to them. He has taken grief from both political parties for holding his ground on these issues, and that is what we need more of in government.
Larry Kissell has been a good congressman and I know he is a good person. He works for what is best for the people back home, and I support him 100 percent. I hope you will vote for him this year, too.
— Jane M. Moulton
Concord

Dedicated educator
While I am not a voter in Rowan County, I care about the students and teachers of your county. As a retired superintendent of Cabarrus County Schools, I would like to speak up in support of Dr. Lynn Marsh for the Rowan-Salisbury School Board.
I worked with and respected this dedicated educator for 14 years in Cabarrus. During those years, Dr. Marsh has served as the principal of a large elementary school. She continually stressed high expectations of student achievement and teacher morale, successfully and smoothly managed the transition of a newly constructed elementary facility and did not hesitate to take the necessary steps to correct staff issues. Dr. Marsh has a heart not only for all students but also for her beloved home county. Her skills and knowledge would be a great asset to the Rowan-Salisbury School Board. I strongly encourage you to vote for Dr. Lynn Marsh.
— Dr. Harold Winkler
Concord

A loss of trust
Dear President Obama: After carefully weighing every aspect of this election I can think of, I regret to inform you I will not support you on Nov. 6. It’s not 9 percent N.C. unemployment, the debt or our anemic economy. It’s not the class warfare or the bogus “war on women.” No, Mr. President, it’s much worse.
The tragedy of Benghazi and the death of Americans occurred over six weeks ago, yet each and every day new information comes to light that indicates you had to know what was going down during those tragic hours almost from the beginning. The salient question in the aftermath of this blatant terrorist attack on Americans is no longer how did it happen, but rather who knew and when did they know?
And that’s the rub, Mr. President; “We the People” seem to have been lied to. When you and your vice president stand in debate before the nation and claim your actions following the attack were based on faulty intelligence, say what? The more I know, the more I believe “We the People” were not told the whole truth, and some wasn’t even truth by any definition. And again the salient question, why?
One can only surmise total disclosure immediately prior to an election might bring incompetence into the equation, both yours and key elements of your administration. And when you and your campaign make claims of political exploitation by your opposition, “We the People” start to turn away. In simple terms, “We the People” can no longer trust your words, Mr. President! And you have not only lost my trust, more importantly you have lost any chance for my vote. While that line is from a great movie, the meaning should be very clear!
— James Grizzard
Salisbury

Endorsement letters
Letters endorsing candidates in the Nov. 6 election must be received at the Salisbury Post by 5 p.m. today (Oct. 30).