… Letter: I won’t stand in the hallway while commissioners pray

Thank you, Teresa. And I think it’s a pretty good assumption that there are more than just a few of us liberals who oppose opening these meetings with prayer — a large number of them professed Christians. No, Mr. Kirk, we will not stand in the hallway. We suggest the commissioners do that prior to the meeting.

— Jenni Pfaff

No one should be disenfranchized by their government. … Prayer for the sake of show is not true prayer. These prayers in the chamber are a rhetorical tool designed to inform us that their decisions are divinely sanctioned so we, the people, do not question their human decisions.

This desire to make Christianity a mockery needs to stop.

— Dora Mbuwayesango

… Beliefs vs. rights

All anyone is asking is for our commissioners to respect the laws of the United States of America and respect our Bill of Rights. No one is asking anyone to stop praying. Forcing the citizens of Rowan County to pay for the commissioners to break the law is not right. It is not Christian vs non-Christian, since many Christians do support our Bill of Rights.

Using your argument, there are countries that force you to pray and follow their state religion; possibly you would be more comfortable in one of those countries.

— Natalie Errante

Ms. Heitman’s antipathy towards a fellow citizen because they do not share her religious beliefs is misguided. One of the cornerstones of American democracy is religious tolerance.

The Founding Fathers, who were all too familiar with religious persecution, made clear that religion and government are very different things and should be kept apart. …

According to the latest Pew Research Center study, 24.9 percent of the U.S. population is non-Christian. That’s 95 million citizens, all of whom have as much right to live here as Ms. Heitman. But the number of “Christians vs non-Christians” is not even relevant, as a person’s religious faith is not to be decided by popular vote.

I would encourage you to be more tolerant lest you find yourself in the minority and face other intolerant people telling you to stand in the hallway like a poorly behaved child.

— Kate Fisher

Actually, the demands are addressed to the elected officials that serve on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, not “other citizens.” Citizens have the right to use their three minutes of public comment to pray if they choose.

— Renee Wimbish

And why is the church in America losing ground?

— Karen Puckett

… Who are the fascists?

Mr. Roberts, you could not be more right.

— John Collins

Progressives’ beliefs are built upon the ideas of generations of progressives from Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama. Simply, everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does his or her fair share and everyone plays by the same rules. …

Trustworthiness, being worldly, caring and having empathy, playing fair, treating others with respect — these are virtues that we all share.

— Michael S. Young

Historically, fascists, like Hitler, costumed themselves as progressive types but were actually far right of the political spectrum. Obviously, this person needs to know a little more history.

Hitler was a social conservative. This is historically undisputed.

—Anthony Smith

… Family displaced following early morning kitchen fire

This is about my family. I am a mother of three children. I never meant for this to happen. I only stepped away for not even two minutes, and when I returned my kitchen was engulfed in flames.

A friend of mine started a GoFundMe page cause we have to replace all of our furniture and all of our kitchen items, as well as rebuild our full kitchen and a good chunk of our living room. … We are grateful for any and all help. … Thank you from the bottom of our hearts..

— Melissa Federico

… Scott Maddox: What happened to Salisbury schools?

You mention all of the stakeholders that need to be held accountable, but you failed to mention the utmost important factor in the equation: the parents. Parents have got to be held to the highest level of accountability. A student’s success begins far before they step foot into a school. The school system alone cannot fix a societal issue.

— Chelsea Lannon

Mr. Maddox, I really liked your last paragraph:

“We need to support the system by being active in our schools; you don’t have to have children in school to be active. There are many PTAs in the county that could use you as a member. Take the time to tutor a child, read a book to a class, and go to the events schools hold. It all makes a difference.”

Folks who would like to volunteer in our schools may browse on http://www.rssed.org/ then click on “Community” and drop down to “Volunteers.”

— Karen Puckett

… Tillis offers a way forward on Dreamers

I am sure that Sen. Thom Tillis means well. …

Having always been given the benefit of the doubt, he assumes that the process will be fair, and that it will be possible for the Dreamers to show themselves good enough to remain. The reality is more likely to be like a Jim Crow literacy test that is not actually possible to pass.

— Luke Hamaty

What the taxpayers have paid because of illegal immigration is the real crime.

What I find most interesting is the all-out blitz by the Democrats, MSM, every faculty member at any university in the country fighting to the death for illegal aliens. Yes, they put a warm and fuzzy name on it — “Dreamers” — and no one seem to wonder why. Future voters?

— Eunice Richards

… Respect Life gathering at Square sends up prayers for women, the unborn

What another woman does with her body, especially in terms of reproduction, is not anybody else’s business.

Not to mention, these people are advocating adoption: OK, great. How many kids do these people foster themselves? Most likely none. How many do you foster? Adoption is also insanely expensive and difficult to achieve due to all the hoop jumping.

… If I were them I’d be finding something else to worry about than a stranger’s uterus.

— Jessica Dorsett

They have the right to speak up and speak out for what they believe. Had I known this was happening, I might’ve joined them. … I’m not Catholic, but I am a Christian, I love God, and I believe in the sanctity of and the right to life of the preborn.

— Carol Carpenter

… Leonard Pitts: So black athletes have forgotten their place?

Black athletes get paid a lot of money. Good for them. What good does that do if they’re then profiled and suspects any time a crime is committed just because of the way they look? What about all of the non-athletes that the athletes are representing in their protest?

Why can’t white people believe that those protests have a bigger meaning and that those athletes are representing more than just themselves?

Those with different points of view will never be happy with anything — violent or peaceful — that goes against their world view and makes them feel uncomfortable and realize maybe the reality they live isn’t the reality of others.

— Korey Deese

… Overdose victim says she is ‘moving forward’ to sobriety

I for one am glad that my daughter is still living and a loving, caring person. Brandi never intended to become a spokesperson for addicts. She simply made a post on her own Facebook page, responding in her own way to the people who were wishing her well and to those who were putting her down. She did not ask for these interviews; each reporter contacted her. What happened to her was made very public from the very start.

It is my opinion that Brandi has a right to respond to her supporters as well as those who condemn her for what happened. We do not care whether you believe what she has to say or not, but this has been a life-altering event for her and she feels if her humiliation  turning into triumph can help even one single other person, then it is worth putting it all out there for everyone to see.

To those who say, well, ha, only 40 some days. Have you ever heard of one day at a time? …

I pray that some of you who are putting her down for how she chose to handle her situation can come back to her page in a year and find her still as strong and involved in helping herself and others as she is today.

I also pray for those of you who feel the need to judge. Some day it may be your turn to be judged. How well will you stand up to the critics? God bless.

— Shelly Wrights

Great message, mom.

We do have a Naranon meeting every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. held at Cornerstone Church on Webb Road for friends and family of a loved ones who struggle with addiction. There you will find friendship and compassion dealing with the same problem that you and your family have encountered.

Please spread the word. It has been a blessing to me to be a part of this group. I have a 30-year-old son eight months into recovery.

I know every day is a struggle for you and her. I hope the best for her. Just know you are not alone on this road.

— Christie Reavis

Letter: Here’s what happened, Hillary

Would someone tell Donald Trump the presidential race is over and he did win and it’s time for him to start behaving like a president?

— Karen South Jones