… High schoolers will be allowed to carry pepper spray

It will be important, if students and teachers are allowed to carry pepper spray, that they are taught how to use them properly. … Remember, anything can be used as a weapon. If you’re concerned for the safety of students and teachers, make sure you give them proper defensive training as well. Drill them, teach them to stay calm. …

People default to their lowest level of training in a disaster, so make sure your faculty and staff are trained well, within all aspects.

— Andrea Teague

Were high school principals asked for input? I would be interested in knowing their opinions and also the opinions of high school resource officers.

— Dianne Shepherd

And what happens as soon as these things are used as weapons as they will be? I guess we will then do a 180 like the board did on consolidating schools.

— Ralph Walton

As easily as those items could be used for “defensive” purposes, they could be used to impair the school resource officer, at which point the entire campus is in danger. SROs are responsible for enforcing the law and maintaining campus safety. It would be logical to solicit their input on possible ramifications of allowing these items on campus.

— Karen South Jones

Looking in from Canada … is this a satire site?

— Jillian Page

“In the first place God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.” — Mark Twain.

How did he know that nothing would change?

— Anne Thompson

Did anyone mention the school bus driver and what would happen if the driver was sprayed? I’m afraid the results would be catastrophic.

— Susie Racer

It isn’t just the person being sprayed. Releasing oleoresin capsicum in a closed environment would affect most, if not all, of the people inside the vehicle. I’m rather amazed at Hughes’ assumptions, without any kind of factual basis for his, or the rest of the board’s, decision.

— Bob Conti

I’m from Indiana and just read about this on two places, Talking Points Memo and Southern Poverty Law Center. There will be more postings of this. I just have one question: Are they out of their ever-lovin’ minds?

— Rosemary Rodgers

While I don’t disagree with allowing students to defend themselves (especially young women), I don’t think that the possibility of a trans person being in a restroom really constitutes a reason to “defend yourself.” I graduated from West Rowan, along with other trans students, and I promise you we were more worried about JCL and our AP tests than anyone in the stall next to us.

— Willow Wheeler

Wow, your state must be in awesome shape if that’s all the politicians can focus on. Hats off!

— Jan Elvira

Does anyone ever answer when you ask them how many people have been attacked by transgenders in bathrooms in North Carolina in the past ten years?

— Donald Nelson

People like to criticize teacher’s unions. I think this is an opportunity for the American Federation of Teachers / National Education Association to gain some support, if the unions said “for as long as this mace policy is in effect, not one of our teachers in this district will show up for work due to concerns for their personal safety and the safety of their students.” … I’m betting the clueless board will find out that their power is an illusion.

—Amelia Jensen

… Editorial: Mace in school? Let’s revisit that

My comment, “depending on the court’s ruling on HB2, pepper spray might come in handy since you don’t know who would be coming into the woman’s bathroom,” had nothing to do with the LGBT community; it had to do with perverts who could and would use gender identification as a pass to enter the bathroom of their choice.

Instead of consistent criticism of those who take the time and energy to serve the public, albeit not to your standards, why don’t you run for public office and solve all of our problems?

— Chuck Hughes

Mr. Hughes, if your comments aren’t directed at the LGBT community, why does the ruling on HB2 matter? HB2 does nothing to keep perverts out of bathrooms. What it does — among other things — is require trans women like Laverne Cox to use men’s bathrooms and trans men like Aydian Dowling to use women’s bathrooms. Google them and tell me that makes sense.

— Christopher Arbor

… RSS board to revisit mace issue

It’s nice to see them changing their collective minds. I remember some of the fights I saw in high school 10 years ago (yes, in the RSS system) and the people involved would have probably loved to use mace on each other at the time, not to mention the teachers and SRO breaking the fight up.

— Drew Waller

Maybe address a more important issue: Why do people need to carry weapons to/from school? Maybe address actual crime. Maybe spend resources educating instead of arming. Maybe practice intelligence — especially in our education system. Good grief.

— Chris Holt

Our Board of Education has hit a couple of bumps in the road lately.

— Dixie Dalton

… Gender sometimes is not as clearcut as many think

If some of these outspoken people had a transgender child or, for that matter, a gay child, what would they do then, send them away to get fixed? Understanding people, understanding.

— Vickey St. Lawrence

Thank you, Mr. Tracy, for bringing us up to speed about gender as not being a chosen human attribute. It is unfortunate that for some, including those in our state legislature, there is a refusal to accept scientific facts and establish policy accordingly. These climate deniers insist on being slow while traveling in reverse. Time to vote them out.

— Reginald Brown

… Cal Thomas: McCrory unafraid to fight for HB2

(You comment) about Loretta Lynch and Michelle Obama showering with a transgender person as if you could just summon a transgender person or anyone to shower with another person. That shows a total lack of respect right there, you oh so high and mighty.

Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders are people and they are not out to get anyone. And most public shower spaces have stalls where you can have privacy. And if they don’t and you think you might encounter any kind of person that would make you uncomfortable, just use your common sense, leave and shower at home. This whole deal is about the legislature of North Carolina interjecting their biased religious views into politics. …

This legislature does not represent me along with most of N.C. that is opposed to this law. Not to mention the economic fallout from this hateful bill. These hardliners will be voted out.

— Betsy Price

… Editorial: Caught in the crossfire

Thank you, N.C. legislative leaders and Gov. Pat McCrory. Please stand strong against the Democrats in this battle. You stand on the true and right side of this debate.

Had it not been for Roy Cooper, this would not be an issue for anyone. He so wants to be governor and this is his only accomplishment. Give me a break

— John Breedlove

Not so. This law took away everyone’s rights. You can now be fired for being a Baptist or a Methodist. You must file suit in a federal court. They are taking away the rights of municipalities. It really isn’t about bathrooms.

— Steve Odum

The GOP is supposed to stand for limited government. It appears that anytime a city wants to make a law this group of limited government comes in and in one day tell the city they have no power to govern unless the state agrees. Now McCrory and his attorneys are saying that Obama and the Feds have overreached. You can not have it both ways.

It is getting to the point with this GOP that one needs papers for everything. You need a birth certificate to go the bathroom and a state issued ID to vote. Sort of like what we fought against 70 something years ago in Nazi Germany.

— Steve Williams

… Letter: Offering some facts on Rowan County’s spending on schools

Thanks, Jim Sides, for the facts. Now would you like a few more facts that you failed to mention?

Rowan Salisbury Schools paid over $2 million per year on the 1992 school bond, which represented the principle on the $42 million bond. That money came from two one-half-cent sales taxes … restricted to school construction. The school system receives from that funding somewhere between $4.5 million to $5.5 million per year for school capital projects. That debt was or should have been paid in full this year, 2016.

So … not all the funding comes just from the county.

Now we had the 2006 school bond, which was approved by the taxpayers just as the 1992 bond was. The county was to pay that debt, principle and interest. But in 2007 the N.C. Education Lottery was approved and the school system started receiving approximately $1.5 million per year for school construction. However, now was the chance to use that money for debt payment rather than the county paying as instructed by the Rowan County taxpayers.

Since 2007, the county has used over $17 million to pay on the 2006 bonds. So now you know why RSS has received no money from the lottery for school construction.

… Also it should be noted that over the years the state has pulled funding for school upkeep and maintenance. Several years ago the General Assembly ended the Public School Capital Building Fund which provided RSS with over $1 million per year. The state also pulled funding for school system utilities.

— Gene Miller

… Greg Edds: School board is aiming for transformative change

I am glad that Mr. Edds is championing a proactive approach to moving our wonderful schools forward. I am also glad that so many in the community showed their love and concern for the schools by reacting to the study that suggested a consolidation model.

Since it’s obvious that there are a lot of motivated citizens who still stand by our public schools, I think we can hammer out a solution that will benefit our children, our society and our future.

— Karen Puckett

… Consolidation still worthy of study

Why doesn’t the Post  do an article on school funding, school bonds and how much Rowan spends on schools now? Perhaps all this has been caused over the fact that we will have the oldest series of school bonds paid off in 2017 and the Board of Education will want a new bond referendum. Not the way to go about it, in my humble opinion.

— Todd Paris

… Medical costs for Rowan County inmates not cheap

Is this poor inmate week in the Salisbury Post? How about the poor victims of these crimes? Don’t you think a story about them would be more deserving?

How about what it costs the victims to put their lives back together or the cost of items stolen or the fear of living in their own homes after an occurrence or the child that is so frightened that they have nightmares?

… I agree that people who mess up deserve second chances. No one is perfect. But please don’t try to make these inmates the victims. They are only victims of themselves!

— Phillip Bradshaw

I agree that victims’ stories are the ones to hear, but I think the point I get from this piece is that we are playing a lot of $$ on prisoners.

— Cathy Mahaffey

Wow, and to think there are everyday people who can’t even afford health care. No wonder some are repeat offenders. Health care and three meals a day.

— Melinda Roe

… On hold: Why are some inmates in jail for years?

I believe that the focus should be getting the first time offenders through the justice system quickly and let the repeat offenders spend time waiting for trial. That was pure political rhetoric. … I believe our U.S. Constitution guarantees a speedy trial; five and a half years is far from speedy. The inmates in Rowan County are held the same as if they were prisoners of war. Innocent until proven guilty? Not in Rowan County.

— Jeannie Wiegand

… Football: Reunion honors legendary coach Pete Stout

One of the best coaches I had in my lifetime. I was very fortunate

— Kyle Foust Jr.

A great coach, and even a better man! I owe all my success to Pete Stout.

— Hal Capps

Head football coach/trainer, Seneca High School, Seneca, S.C.

… Couple charged with abuse, neglect in infant’s death

If this happened Nov 7, 2015, why are they just now being arrested? So sad. The article also did not say cause of death of the poor little one. It’s a shame those children were living in deplorable conditions such as that. Where were other relatives? Someone had to be aware of the living conditions. If someone would have spoken up … and reported the condition these kids were living in, the poor baby may still be alive today.

— Lisa Taylor

That woman is my sister. She isolated herself from my whole family, changed numbers, blocked us on Facebook, etc., every time we tried to help her. That was before all of this happened. Nobody knew of the living conditions because she had nothing to do with us. We all would love for this to have never happened. We miss him, and are glad that the other two are away from that situation.

… It is hard enough on us to lose a 6-month-old relative without people potentially blaming us for why this child is gone.

— Kimberly Bramblett

They are just now being arrested because the results of the autopsy can take quite some time to finish.

I begged for harsher charges. It is a shame that the parents are drug addicts and would not allow us to come to the house or have a relationship with the kids. They were hiding the conditions of the house, They even hid their drug addictions from us. That’s why they never let anyone come over there. We know that now.

The husband wouldn’t let anyone around except his mother, and he wouldn’t let his wife have a relationship with our family, We tried. … The fact is that I know now. I have the kids and I will do everything in my power to be sure that they are safe and this never happens again.

— Lisa Ice-Bramblett

maternal grandmother