Lynching is nothing to joke about

Last Tuesday, I was reading about Greg Edds, Rowan County commissioners chairman, going to Landis to discuss the Declaration of Interdependence. As Mr. Edds walked into the room and saw the large group, he said there must be a lynching after the meeting, a hanging, because otherwise why should a large group of people be present. Yes, the words “lynching” and “hanging” were used. He used these insensitive, appalling words to explain attendance at a meeting.

After rereading the statements to be sure I did not misread the quote, I was shocked and angry. If he was trying to be humorous — you know, start a meeting with a joke — it was far from amusing. First, this statement came out of the mouth of the chairman of the entire commission, a man that should represent the entire county. Next, I wondered how many of his constituents saw the article and how they would feel about this announcement. Lastly, I wondered if this man knows the history of lynching in the state of North Carolina. This part of our history is a horrible memory of lawlessness and racial hatred. I can almost be assured that the African-American citizens would not find this declaration entertaining.

I feel Mr. Edds should apologize to the Landis town aldermen and the people of Rowan County. I would hope this replusive, highly insensitive remark will be the last such statement  from Greg Edds.

— Deborah Triece

Kannapolis

Veteran’s wait for care a surprising choice

Read with some amazement a letter from a veteran on how she has/had extreme medical problems but instead of using the Choice program she elected to wait for a routine appointment (33 days out) with the VA. This surely was a misprint. Why wait over a month with a medical problem that is so severe that it brings tears? Also, it is evident this individual is a veteran with VA benefits and probably could have used the emergency room at the VA.

— John Mitchell,

U.S. Air Force retired

Salisbury