The recent article in the Salisbury Post about prayer litigation took me back to the Persian Gulf War years, when I was working at the Navy’s Boone Clinic.
Before starting the day’s work, we all wanted to pray together for our loved ones who were in harm’s way. There was only one problem: We had different ways of praying. Some prayers were too long, some nurses had no ending prayers. There were Baptists, Protestants, Muslims …
The commander DON (director of Nursing) had to intervene. This wonderful, smart lady got us together and said: “You all can pray every morning before the morning meetings all you want at this base, because you all are nice people and have good intentions. However, it is impossible to meet everyone’s needs at the same time without controversy. Come as early as you want, take as long as you need to pray, hold hands together and each one say your prayer in silence. Only one stipulation: All prayers have to be finished by the start of the shift, and everyone should be ready to work.”
Needless to say, it didn’t last long. We all ended up praying at home before we went to work.
— Maria Owens

Mooresville

Regarding the July 30 comments by Jon Barber (“We need solutions, not excuses”):
Wow! Finally, a little sanity is showing from the Rowan County Board of Commissioners. I applaud Mr. Barber for shedding a little light on what many of us lowly citizens have long suspected. Here’s hoping we remember come election time.
And if I may digress, since both boards (school and county commission) are elected representatives of the citizens and their respective lawyers are paid by our tax dollars to advise the boards (read, citizens), why are we (citizens) excluded from knowing, hearing, etc. their “privileged” advice? Methinks they (lawyers) are only protecting their own backsides.
— Dwayne Dvoracek

Salisbury