News-Record.com

The contest for county commissioner between Republican Trudy Wade and Democrat John Parks hinges on provisional ballots cast in wrong precincts. Recently, North Carolina courts ruled these votes illegal. Parks bemoans the plight of "innocent voters who just followed instructions of voting officials." Nonsense.

When legal voters appeared at wrong precincts, they were informed they were not registered there. A special precinct official then directed them to their correct precinct. Most voters went to the correct precinct.

Because the Help America Vote Act dictated that precinct officials give a provisional ballot to anyone who asked, some voters, finding themselves in the wrong precinct, elected to vote a provisional ballot. They either were or should have been told that provisional ballots are subject to review to determine their legality. The courts ruled these out-of-precinct votes illegal, as voters were told could happen.

The Democrat-controlled General Assembly passed new legislation to allow these illegal votes. This must be challenged. The same rules must be followed when a vote is counted as when the vote is cast. After a vote is cast, a retroactive rule change looks like an attempt to tilt a close election.

Betty Everhart
Greensboro

People, beware. There are some dangerous drivers on the road: those who stop for red lights. The surprise citation I received in the mail clearly shows me stopped at a red light with cars making left turns in front of me. My crime? My tires were over the white line. I had to pay my $50 in advance and take off work to attend my "hearing," with them ultimately having no intentions of giving my money back.

It's highly publicized that portions of the monies from this program were not going to the schools as required. Also, their wording of "entering an intersection in which a traffic signal is red" is being used to punish those who care enough to stop instead of speeding up and endangering lives. This seems to be another way of making money instead of stopping the dangerous practice of running red lights.

As a former supporter of red-light cameras, I must now say I am glad to see them being suspended in High Point and Greensboro. I hope other cities will follow.

Janice Cheek
Greensboro

Roadway worker deaths and injuries are tragic for all involved. One program that could help avert these mishaps is improved use of warning signage for lane closures, utility work, flagmen ahead and the like.

Interstate highways handle this matter well. Most state and local highways and streets in North Carolina, however, appear to have loosely enforced requirements for utility companies, construction crews and state and city work crews for placement of warning signs to alert motorists to an impending lane change or closure.

Warning sign placements range from 10 feet from a work truck to 200 feet or more. Obviously, improperly placed signage is unsafe for roadway workers. It is also hazardous for motorists. Activating a direction light lever is difficult, if not impossible, for drivers multi-tasking with cell phones, PDAs, drinks, snacks, grooming aids and audiovisual systems.

Workers on the blind side of a curve or beyond the crest of a hill present especially dangerous situations. Properly placed warning signs are imperative in these cases. Blind spots from curves and hills can also make compliance with the new "move over" law disastrous for motorists trying to quickly change lanes or decelerate.

Alan J. Greco
Greensboro

On March 18, Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed. In light of this event, I think it's important to enlighten people regarding end-of-life issues. Most people don't discuss their requests about death and dying, and the possible outcome is the turmoil that happened in Schiavo's case. No matter what society has made us think about death and dying, it can be a smooth transition for all parties involved.
Make sure that legal documents are in place to avoid misinterpretation of your wishes. Advance-care planning, which is an understanding of your current health status, values, preferences, etc., is a good way to start. Advance directives recognize specific decisions that are understood by everyone involved in the process and is the result of advance-care planning. It doesn't matter what the public's opinion is concerning Schiavo's story; the bottom line is to be prepared for the future.

For information that is more detailed, contact your local hospice facility and speak with a social worker, or seek a free consultation with a reputable law firm.

Terri Simmons
Greensboro

As someone who reads foreign newspapers online, imagine my dismay when I checked the World News Guide, part of the London, England, newspaper, Guardian Unlimited, the North American section and the section on North Carolina, and found that the five major newspapers of this state did not include the News & Record.

After contacting the Guardian Unlimited and pointing out the error, I received an e-mail from Jane Perrone of the Guardian thanking me for pointing out its omission. She stated that she would take steps to include the News & Record.

On March 23, I checked this site and Greensboro was listed. Now everyone in the world with access to the Internet will learn that the News & Record is a major North Carolina newspaper.

John W. Taylor
Greensboro

The editorial cartoon in the March 20 paper says it all. Having lived in Atlanta (Sandy Springs area) for 20 years, and witnessing the turmoil the city and county governments were always in with corruption, it's no wonder this grievous situation occurred. City Hall is where the problem began and, unfortunately, it ended in the murder of four people that didn't have to happen.

The Associated Press article covered it very well about the city that always promoted itself as capital of the New South and now struts a "tarnished image" which has been going on since the days of former Gov. Lester "pick ax" Maddox.

Charles O'Brien
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint article:

By Matthew Slotkin
March 19 brought news of the new law school in Charlotte and, similarly, confirmation that Elon University's new law school will open its doors in Greensboro in 2006. I have heard for years how, per capita, the state has among the fewest attorneys in the nation. Such statistics don't automatically translate into justification for opening new law schools and further saturating the legal markets.

As a 1994 UNC Law School graduate, I've watched in recent years as new graduates find it more and more difficult to secure employment. North Carolina is a sprawling state with a seeming glut of attorneys in the large population centers and few in the far-flung areas. It's not so simple as to expect new law school graduates to move away from the Interstate 85 corridor and large cities.

More law school grads will engender an already eroding code of civility among the bar. Competition for cases will spawn even greater contentiousness.

The notion of new law schools in Charlotte and Greensboro seems more an exercise in vanity, perpetrated by city leaders to boost the image of their cities. The actual need of such schools is lost amid the misguided civic advocacy.

I don't see the consumer necessarily reaping any particular benefits. To the contrary, as more attorneys seek to generate income, needless litigiousness may only rise. Some younger attorneys may offer services at a reduced rate. Caveat emptor, as one generally gets what he or she pays for. Legal advertising can and does confuse and mislead.

Sadly, I discern no mention of any monies apportioned to support those interested in careers in the public service. The middle and lower classes remain woefully under-served by lawyers. And there's little reason to believe that law school grads from high-priced ($26,000-plus annual tuition alone) Charlotte and Elon will gravitate toward addressing the needs of those marginalized.

The writer lives in Raleigh.

It's great to read that our local government does not allow politics to influence its judgment ("Child support agency split," March 24). Or, did they? It appears from reading the article that the split had nothing to do with performance, but was, as the article stated, "the focal point of a political conflict."

When will our government rise above not just voting along party lines, but voting based on sound judgment? Hopefully, Willie Best clearly communicated the need for the split, the improvement for the department and the projected savings to the county.

Best not only came up with a great cost savings but also believes that there is no one suited to do the job other than Harriet Miller. She must not only be a great manager but also leads the department in collections.

Finally, what was determined to be the real root cause or causes of the "high-profile" investigation in 2003? Was it just an attempt of one or two people to discredit a department, or were the complaints found to be valid?

Well, I guess our elected officials need some extra work if they have time to study and reorganize an apparently successful department. I would be amazed to think of what this group could accomplish if they would focus on the education of our children.

G.G. Searcy
High Point

I'm glad Rosemary Roberts' recent trip to New York was so heartwarming, but I find her "then and now" analysis simplistic and disturbing on two fronts:

1. There were good, kind, courteous people in New York in the '60s; I'm sorry she didn't encounter even one of them during her years there. Today, there are still kind, considerate people there; rude, inconsiderate ones, too. The good and the not-so-good probably exist in the same ratios that they do right here in Greensboro.

2. Her conclusion that it was only in the aftermath of Sept. 11 that New Yorkers learned to "engage and be nice" suggests that somehow New Yorkers needed this tragedy to learn to be "nice." That calls to mind the logic that some expressed that AIDS was just the tragedy the people in my Greenwich Village community needed to learn how to live right.

In trying to make sense of the unfathomable, we must be careful not to draw spurious connections.

When we infer that tragedy can serve to illustrate the error of one's ways, we tread in dangerous waters; one cannot begin to assume knowledge of what intrinsically personal lessons have been taught in the wake of the horrific.

Kim Leipham Freedman
Greensboro

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a problem in the African American community. I feel that people should be aware of the dangers of having unprotected sex.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that in 2001, HIV/AIDS was among the top three causes of death for African American men ages 25 to 54 years and among the top four causes of death for African American women ages 20 to 54 years. It was the No. 1 cause of death for African American women ages 25 to 34 years.
It is important that we, as citizens, speak out about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in our community. CDC states that the leading cause of HIV infection among African American females was heterosexual contact.

The second-leading cause was injection drug use. The leading cause for African American males was sexual contact with other men. The second-leading cause was heterosexual contact and injection drug use.
One way that this epidemic could be addressed is by having more HIV/AIDS prevention programs and substance abuse programs. It is important that African Americans be tested to decrease the risk of putting not only their lives but also the lives of others in danger.

Margaret W. Burnett
Greensboro

Powerful elites have long tried to amass even more power. I thought our country was immune from such power grabs, thanks to the wisdom of our Founding Fathers.

But now it looks as though 200 years of bipartisan checks and balances are being threatened with extinction, thanks to the "nuclear option" being attempted by congressional neocons.

As powerful as their corporate sponsors already are, they are quite willing to overturn Senate rules to grant their cronies even more power and wealth.

Now that they are in the majority, they refuse to deal fairly in matters of judicial appointments. If they get their way, they will ram through even the most unqualified nominees.

Some would excuse slavery, environmental destruction or the subjugation of women; most would favor corporations. American justice would die.

What are these Republicans so afraid of that they'd try to seize absolute power? To even consider this reveals just how sinister their agenda really is. If we don't stop them, we can say goodbye to "the land of the free." It will have become an oligarchy. And the American Experiment will have failed.

Valerie Putney
Greensboro

Charles Davenport Jr., calls the American judiciary "the most dangerous weapon of radicals." By "radical," I wonder if he includes the likes of Robert Bork, who rails against the concept of "personal autonomy" in favor of "social authority."

In Davenport's view, personal autonomy is a problem. So what happened to the true conservative ideals of smaller government and keeping government out of our private lives?

Davenport simply doesn't like recent court decisions, so he proposes altering one of the fundamental strengths of our system: checks and balances. Davenport proposes having the Senate approve judicial candidates by a vote to ensure a judiciary sympathetic to the majority party. Now this is radical and dangerous. In no way can this be called a truly conservative position, because it doesn't conserve anything. Instead, it simply changes the rules when decisions don't go Davenport's way.

Thankfully, your nationally syndicated columnist, George Will, counters Davenport's shortsighted suggestion with a voice of reason to maintain the current system. Will has the wisdom to "conserve" the Senate's ability to stop judicial appointments with the filibuster, because he knows that his party will not always be in power. Will is a true conservative. Davenport is a rule-changer.

David W. McLean
Liberty

The following is a Counterpoint article:
By Michael Northuis

In a recent column, "Evangelicals drift from their mission," Cal Thomas put forth the argument that Christians should not waste their time on environmental issues until all peoples of this earth have been converted to Christianity.

Using Cal's logic (or lack thereof), perhaps Christians shouldn't waste precious time on frivolous secular activities such as bathing, cooking, vacuuming, watching sports, gardening, working for a living, or taking the time to form an intelligent opinion.

Thomas reveals himself as a huge hypocrite with his own reasoning. How much of his "evangelical" time has he wasted promoting "secular" political agendas for the extreme right wing?

Perhaps he does not realize that he is turning potential converts away from Christianity through this "...don't you worry your pretty little head" attitude.

While birth defects due to environmental mercury levels rise and the incidence of childhood asthma also rises due to pollution, one must wonder if it is the best "Christian" moral choice to ignore the danger signs.

One must also wonder how much time it really does take to become an active environmentalist. How much time does it take to choose the environmentally friendly organic pesticide over the toxic chemical ones that end up in the water table?

How much time does it take to call Liddy Dole and tell her you are not voting Republican again until they start protecting innocents from corporate polluters?

We are in the middle of a cancer epidemic that largely comes through ingesting chemical toxins from the air, the water table and our food supply. If the "evangelical" Christians do not see this as a "right-to-life" issue, they are ignoring God's gift of logic.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

An estimated 54 million Americans — or one in five — have a disability, and about half have a severe disability, affecting their ability to see, hear or walk (National Council on Disability, 2002).
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) holds that individuals should be limited only by the physical or mental restrictions of their disability, yet significant barriers persist in the areas of education, employment, access to state and local government services, and full participation in society.

For instance, the new Guilford County Department of Social Services building lacks handicap access, specifically automatic push-plate door openers, which must make the process of asking for help even more daunting and increase feelings of frustration, fear and helplessness. Given this information, can we really believe staff writer John Newsom's (June 25, 2004) claim that this million-dollar DSS office is "a modern, safer and efficient building"?

As we approach the 15th anniversary of the ADA, the landmark civil rights legislation for people with disabilities, we must examine tough issues, take action to remove these barriers, and ask ourselves if we are doing enough to help individuals with disabilities. After all, each of us is only an accident away from having a disability.
Amy Sams
Greensboro

Reflecting on the March 22 story about the tragic school shooting recently at the Red Lake Reservation, we are reminded once again of the urgent need to establish a U.S. Department of Peace. We need to much more seriously address the underlying causes of the problems of violence that we face today.

The Department of Peace will include a best-practices template for the amelioration of violence among America's youth. The department would implement measurably effective intervention for issues such as school and gang violence, domestic violence, reduced prison incarceration rates and international conflicts, to name only a few issues.

I believe we are at the place, historically, that Dr. Martin Luther King spoke of. It is no longer a matter of violence versus nonviolence. It is a matter of nonviolence versus nonexistence. I urge every citizen to act now, before another child loses its life to violence, to visit www.thepeacealliance.org for a more detailed description of the plans for the Department of Peace, and to contact your congressional representative to support the bill to establish the department when it is re-introduced in the House session on Sept. 12.
Mayme Putzel
Thomasville

One of your readers used this space on March 25 to question the integrity and judgment of Greensboro's finest journalist, Jim Schlosser.

For nearly 40 years, Jim has carefully chronicled the history, architecture and characters of Greensboro. Jim is a stark contrast to many local reporters who have limited experience and are here seeking access to a larger media market.

If you don't want the facts or if you don't want relevant background information, then don't bother reading a story with a Jim Schlosser byline.
Tim Kent
Greensboro

Of late, the stories about the illegal aliens working in the aircraft maintenance area at the local company TIMCO have gotten my interest. I keep waiting for the "illegal aliens only take jobs that Americans don't want to do" crowd to surface. Or the "they only fill low-paying jobs that Americans don't want" crowd.

Here we have very high-paying, responsible and technically demanding jobs being stolen from the American people by illegals, and no one is bringing that up.
Mac McAtee
Oak Ridge

Voters alone should decide elections. Candidates must stop running to the courts to throw out their ballots.

The Legislature and the boards of elections are to be commended for their efforts to encourage voting. Early voting and provisional ballots are good ideas. Once the ballots are cast, the voters are entitled to have them counted.

Steve Troxler won the agriculture commissioner post, and Britt Cobb finally did the right thing and conceded. June Atkinson won the public instruction post, and John Parks won a seat on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.

Losers in those races are delaying the winners from taking their elected positions. The loser in the Board of Commissioners' race continues to occupy the seat.

Trudy Wade and Bill Fletcher should cease trying to disenfranchise voters and concede the election.
Larry Standley
Greensboro

I'm writing in response to your cartoon about the Terri Schiavo case on March 23. Could you be any more cruel? I'm sorry, but you just don't publish something like that in a newspaper. This was a life-or-death situation. This wasn't something like the Michael Jackson case or Martha Stewart. This is a family. A life. This was Terri's life, and I don't think that it should have been made into a joke.

Never should someone's life be made into a laughing matter. An individual is worth more than that and deserves better than that. I would think the News & Record, as a newspaper, would have more consideration than that and wouldn't just put a cartoon into the newspaper on a topic that's everywhere.

I would think you would actually put some thought and sympathy into what you're publishing. That's what I would think, but, then again, I'm only 15 years old.
Lindsay Levan
McLeansville

Again, a lottery is being pushed in our state Legislature. House Speaker Jim Black says a special committee is being formed consisting only of lottery supporters, including Democrats and Republicans.
Gov. Mike Easley, Black and others say we need a lottery for badly needed income and to prevent our citizens from spending money in neighboring states.

Critics contend that a lottery preys upon the poor who, statistics show, are primary lottery supporters. The results are alarmingly increased addictive gambling and crime rates, causing turmoil among many families, especially among children.

The lottery is called a "regressive tax." State legislatures often reduce education allotments following creation of a lottery. And income from a state-supported "education" lottery often disappears, instead, into the general fund.

Money magazine reports that, on average, lottery states collect more in taxes and spend less on education than nonlottery states.

The two-year-old South Carolina "education lottery" has spent only 14 percent of lottery money on education, and gas stations and convenience stores have received almost $53 million more of lottery revenues than K-12 schools.

I urge everyone to oppose the lottery and let your representatives know how you feel.

Mary Sue M. Cheek
Burlington

The Schiavo case has brought out emotions from all over. Instead of galvanizing the Christian church, it has brought out the worst in some who claim to follow Christ. I have seen name-calling, threats and even judgment from many others who had differing opinions.
I guess this is what Paul was referring to when he said our works would be tried with fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

I just want to remind Christians that we represent Christ. Please act in a manner worthy of his name regardless of your stand on this situation. Doing less may impact eternity to those waiting to see Jesus in you.

Pastor Danny Thomas
Pleasant Garden

A judge ordered an innocent woman put to death last month. Lethal injection? Nope. Electrocution? Nope. Starvation.

The U.S. Congress stepped in and asked the court to review the case. The court refused. The woman was to die, said the court. Why? Because her "husband" said so, that's why.

No other proof was offered to the court except the husband's word that she said she wanted to die rather than live a life in a state of vegetation. Never mind the parents' pleas to spare their daughter's life.

Now, if you believe the media polls, Americans say that Congress should not have interfered. Seems to me that when judges start sentencing innocent people to die, for no reason other than a medical condition, it's the Congress' job to intervene. I wouldn't want to be represented by politicians who wouldn't stand up for the rights of their citizens.

Would it upset you if Gov. Bush refused to accept the judge's decision and took matters into his own hands? Then why doesn't it upset you that the judge was doing just that? Perhaps it's high time the judicial branch of this government is held accountable for its actions and decisions.

Jim Sartwell
Liberty

On March 28, Laura Gaffney wrote that Terri Schiavo was not "experiencing the feelings of starvation or dehydration" and that "during the end stages of dehydration one typically experiences a feeling of euphoria."

In order to be so certain of what Terri Schiavo was feeling, Gaffney must have some sort of telekinetic bond with her. This comes as a great relief. During this ordeal, I thought back to times when I have been hungry and thirsty (and there were times when I was extremely hungry and thirsty), and I felt anything but euphoric.

Has Laura ever seen pictures of the poor people in Africa? Does that look like euphoria in their hollow, sunken, pleading eyes? Perhaps Laura, and those who believe as she does, should visit Africa to let them know that their suffering will soon give way to euphoria.

It is more likely that Laura, and those who think like her, are in a situation very different from Terri Schiavo and are trying to make themselves feel better because what they believe led, indirectly to be sure, to the slow, torturous death of one of God's children.

Matt Zukowski
Browns Summit

Why not consider naming the new high school the Edward R. Murrow High School? Boards of education and county commissioners are often enough trying to honor meritorious service of individuals.

Edward R. Murrow, born in Guilford County, and near Greensboro, was a person of distinction. He is known among journalists and newsmen as the dean of modern journalism and reporting.

During the critical days of World War II, Murrow kept the people of the United States, the so-called home front, and their allies who had shortwave radios, informed of the war's progress with his broadcasts and columns. Murrow rallied the people to the tremendous challenge of winning the war against Adolf Hitler and his fascist regime. The informative and eyewitness accounts by Murrow stirred the hearts and souls of families, friends and neighbors on both sides of the Atlantic. He brought the war home to the people.

Excellence in journalism is important in maintaining a free and democratic society. Naming the school for Edward R. Murrow would make the people of Guilford County stand taller and more proud. Naming a school for one of their own distinguished citizens is the right thing to do.

Leota Falls Deaton
Stoneville

I hope you don't run out of Carolina blue ink because of your excessive use of it. Between your reporting and WFMY (Channel 2) coverage, it seems the only school is UNC-Chapel Hill.

I do hope Carolina wins the championship tonight, it being the only ACC team now in the final two, but there have been days when each front page and sports page front were covered with Carolina Blue. You and WFMY 2 love to put extra in for your team.

My favorite yet was when WFMY cut into a program three minutes before the news to announce Roy Williams was coming to Carolina. It was only a news break for those fans of UNC.

News should be just facts, not personal preferences and opinions.

Kathy Hayes
Reidsville

Responding to Sam Hensley's letter, "Is there still any room in ballpark for a fan?" (March 24), I give him a resounding yes.

Tickets to the Grasshoppers-Marlins game and the season opener were available at 10 a.m. March 19. Wonderful press coverage two months earlier had my children marking the calendar.

At 7 a.m. that day, my son ran into the kitchen reporting that TV showed the line for tickets was getting longer. We left immediately. After 4 and 1/2 hours of waiting with other patient, friendly Grasshopper-loving fans who shared their snacks and Bats stories, we got our coveted tickets to the game opener, on the "lawn."

Getting tickets had nothing to do with who had the most resources; ticket prices were as cheap as last year. Getting tickets had everything to do with loving the game and the team. I told my son I could get eight tickets for our family, and he could get eight tickets for friends who weren't in line. His 12-year-old response was, "Mom, that's not fair; look at all these people who've been waiting for hours."

All I can say to no-tickets Charlie is, "Sorry, Charlie, you needed to be in line."

Meredith Millard
Greensboro

What a relief it is to read Bill Burckley's comments about how wrong it was for private interests to spend their own money and build a new baseball stadium in Greensboro ("Stadium dispute divided the city," April 2).

Burckley has become the Gate City's leading opponent of progressive movements.

It is a nasty job, Bill, but someone has to do it. Unfortunately, your irrelevancy on this issue may render your opinion on those to come impotent. Get over it!

Dave Alexander
Swannanoa

The writer was a Greensboro resident for 35 years and is a former editor of the Greensboro Record.

Feel free to comment; that's why this blog exists. It's fine to disagree with one another's opinions, but please attack ideas, not people. Personal attacks have no place here. Also, please present factual information and cite sources where appropriate.

The editors

It has been brought to my attention that six Guilford County school health centers may now be at risk of losing their health care programs. It is clear that health issues have become a major problem in schools today.

Many students in the Guilford County school system are underprivileged and do not have the money it takes to provide themselves with adequate health services. In order for students to perform at the best of their ability, they need to be healthy. Taking this service away from students could result in loss of attendance, low test scores and an unhealthy environment in classrooms.

The Moses Cone-Wesley Long and High Point Regional Health System foundations have provided six Guilford County schools with the funding they need to have nurses and social workers on location to help underprivileged students who sign up for this beneficial program. These organizations need to keep providing schools with the funding needed to support health issues that occur in schools with children.

Martha Swain
Greensboro

Our Social Security Act, passed in 1935, was a landmark event and a significant sign of an administration and Congress with responsibility and vision.

Here's what President Roosevelt said when he signed the act: "This law, too, represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means complete. It is a structure intended to lessen the force of possible future depressions. It will act as a protection to future administrations against the necessity of going deeply into debt to furnish relief to the needy. The law will flatten out the peaks and valleys of deflation and of inflation. It is, in short, a law that will take care of human needs and at the same time provide the United States an economic structure of vastly greater soundness."

The White House and members of Congress today are tinkering with Social Security as if they have either not read this statement or have chosen to go on a radically different tack in administering it. This is what I get, at least, from press reports. There is an urgent need for all who care about good government to urge our congressional representatives to block such wild tinkering.

H. DeWitt Barnett
Greensboro

The case of Terri Schiavo is sad for all involved. It dramatically illustrates the importance of a living will, even for young people.

The government had no place in the case. There are many other pro-life issues where it has urgent responsibilities. Here are a few that come to mind:

Enough of the government deciding what is moral or not moral for the public. Put the question of a lottery to the public to vote. Let the majority decide.

I personally have had enough of the government deciding what it believes to be morally acceptable for me. It's my money to spend, so if I want to spend it on a lottery, I should have that right.

Let the government spend its time trying to decide how to lower the gasoline tax. That would be more helpful to everyone.

Tony Hummel
Reidsville

For environmentalists, the 51-49 Senate decision allowing oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is catastrophic. Compared to what?

Compared to importing 60 percent of our oil from countries either sympathetic to or supportive of Islamo-Fascist terror? How about leaving our military vulnerable to fuel shortages in time of war?

Increasing domestic oil output is not a cure-all for America's energy needs. But without a significant technological advance, oil-based products are going to be an integral part of those needs for the foreseeable future.

Rational choices, as opposed to political ones, require looking at the world the way it is, not the way we would like it to be. The increased demands by China and India are already driving us toward increased competition for oil at best -- or an outright war over dwindling supplies at worst.

Drilling in ANWR buys us a "commodity" crucial to our well-being, time. Time to find viable alternative sources of energy, time to redesign our cars, time to create a national energy policy, etc. Is it a perfect solution? Compared to what?

Thomas Moore
Greensboro

Every person should have given some thought to the sad dilemma the Terri Schiavo family has faced. Now is the time for all of us to do something to prevent this from happening to another family.

I would suggest that a campaign be undertaken to lobby state representatives to add a check box on our driver's license that indicates your wish for a living will, just like we do for organ donors. Possibly, we could make available a standard living will (with no exceptions to it allowed) at the post office, library or online. The individual could complete, have it witnessed, notarized and presented to the DMV when getting their license renewed. North Carolina requires the signature of two witnesses (who are not related to you) and a notary public.

Campaigns to get organ donors and voter registration have worked, so I am sure something could be done to make this happen.

No family should have to go through this. No person should have to make these decisions if you are able to do so on your own behalf ahead of time.

Paul Johnston
Whitsett

If you wish to understand Greensboro and its attempts with the anti-apartheid Greensboro Truth and Community Reconciliation Project, you must keep certain things in mind.

First, most of those making noise are not native-born Greensboro people. They are either darn Yankees, carpetbaggers or from Durham.

Second, those native-born politicians are the offspring of the people who grudgingly held onto segregation along with the financial and political control of Guilford County. I have often wondered if those children at Grimsley and Gillespie schools who spat on the children who integrated the publicly financed schools are the same people who now want Greensboro to be a major draw for jobs and convention dollars.

Growing up in Morningside Homes and later near Dudley High, our parents did not take us to places where they were not comfortable. We did shop downtown but rarely questioned why we could not eat at Woolworth. This city wants international status but not everything that comes with it. With age, experience and listening to our folks at supper, we realized Greensboro is a divided city racially and socially.

Two things gleaned from father's conversations: Steer clear of Caucasians and any place where Nelson Johnson is protesting.

Mark H. Woods
Greensboro

I am a senior social work major at UNCG, and I intern at a local elementary school in Guilford County. I work with third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students who have a passion to learn but do not know basic emergency information.

When given a survey, several of them did not know their zip code, parent's real name, or the year they were born. Such issues bother me because knowledge of such information is vital, especially in emergency situations.

I really do not know who to blame for the lack of knowledge of some of these students, but I do feel that parents and teachers need to open the lines of communication to improve the well-being of all Guilford County students.

Qutina Mercer
Greensboro

The main objection to a state lottery is that it will hurt low-income people disproportionately.

So why doesn't some visionary politician link it to final repeal of the "temporary" food tax, imposed in 1961, which will help us all, but particularly low-income families?

Christopher Rees
Greensboro

Editorial page editor Allen Johnson sank to a new low when he printed the despicable cartoon of a clown running into Terri Schiavo's room with a suitcase marked "politics," with the caption, "Second opinion anyone."

Schiavo's life-and-death situation was not funny. This poor woman was legally being murdered by her adulterous husband who has been living and having children with another woman for the past 10 years. It doesn't help that the judge who was helping him kill his wife accepted a political contribution from Mike Schiavo's lawyer.

This judicial fiasco should prove once and for all that activist judges do not belong on the benches of the nation's courts. This arrogant "I am God" attitude of these judges is another reason to question lifetime appointments for some judges, even those on the U.S. Supreme Court.

I would bet our Founding Fathers are spinning in their graves when they see what's going on in our courtrooms today.

Allen Johnson is quick to reject any letter that goes against his personal liberal views while he pretends to be fair to all. Greensboro conservative Republicans know better.

Too bad we can't vote for editors.

Dave Derence
Greensboro

After reading Rosemary Roberts' column (March 18) about female quotas at news publications, I was prompted to pose a question to Roberts. She writes, "If anything, quotas are insulting. Because they blatantly tell aspiring female op-ed columnists that you won't get the job on your merits but because you wear a skirt."

I am interested to know Roberts' position on affirmative action, which clearly grants entrance to colleges and universities on the basis of skin color rather than ability and talent. Please advise.

Jerome Burcham
Greensboro

Soon the Senate will most likely vote on what the radical conservative Republicans call the "nuclear option." This is about radical Republicans grasping for absolute power so they can appoint Supreme Court justices who favor corporate interests and an extreme-right agenda over the rest of us.

I sincerely urge our senators and my fellow Americans to stand up for the centuries of checks and balances that have made this country so great, and oppose the "nuclear option."

Despite Senate confirmation of almost 95 percent of President Bush's nominees, radical Republicans are threatening to eliminate the filibuster to gain complete control over the Supreme Court. They want to use their courts to pay back big donors by rolling back worker protections, environmental laws, and privacy rights -- all at our expense. This is not a partisan issue.

Ultimately, you don't even have to oppose President Bush's judges to oppose the "nuclear option." This is about supporting checks and balances and opposing absolute power in the hands of one party. And that's something we can and should all agree on.

Stanley H. Garber Jr.
Greensboro

George Will's column assuring readers that Nevada is the best place for a new radioactive waste site omitted important details. He failed to mention that the entire project is now jeopardized because of the U.S. Geological Survey's investigation into credible allegations that USGS employees falsified suitability study data on the proposed Nevada waste repository six years ago.

This hardly engenders trust from the citizens of the region. Secondly, although Will seems confident in assurances by the government that its site safeguards will function correctly, many of those potentially affected are already aware of unkept governmental promises at radioactive waste sites such as Maxie Flats, Ky.; West Valley, N.Y.; and Sheffield, Ill., as well as another site in Beatty, Nev., a few miles to the west of the proposed Yucca Mountain facility.

To add additional context to these exposure fears, it must also be noted that citizens of the region were assured in the 1950s that fallout from the atomic testing performed at the nearby Nevada test site posed no dangers. The government ultimately agreed to pay more than 8,700 residents of nearby areas who proved damage from radiation exposure resulting from the testing.

Gene Lewis
Greensboro

Regarding Rosemary Roberts' lies bashing New York City (March 25):

Millions of people a year enter and leave Central Park alive with their wallets and their throats intact.

As a former New York City police officer, I worked in and around Central Park, in and out of uniform, on a horse, a patrol car and on foot. Funny, I did not trip over all the dead bodies in the park. Where were they?

The filth in New York City was the non-native New Yorkers of the "hippie generation." Was Roberts a member? The "great unwashed" was always protesting something.

Roberts lived in Washington, San Francisco, Shangri-La and London. The mayor of London said he would feel safer in New York City since the crime rate in London is more than double New York City's.

I'm proud to have been a New York City police officer.

Greg Brown
Pleasant Garden

I am sure that the local businessmen mentioned in the News & Record hockey article ("Hockey team debt on ice: city stuck," March 31) had good intentions when they attempted to salvage the Greensboro Generals. The article said that they were not personally liable for the approximately $200,000 that their company owes to the city.

There are other obligations, however, that go deeper than their wallets. Obligations to family name, setting good examples for their children, being honest and forthright to the community that has helped to support their family businesses for so many years; these are the real things that matter in the big picture.

These gentlemen should own up to their business mistake and pay off the debt owed to their neighbors from tax money -- plain and simple. We look forward to a future article in the News & Record where these gentlemen and their families have stepped forward and made the right decision to pay back their neighbors that support their businesses.

The article should also include the many other positive deeds these gentlemen and their families have contributed in the past to their community.

Joe Plante
Summerfield

It's disgusting that five supposedly civic-minded Greensboro businessmen would invest in a hockey team for profit and then stick the taxpayers with $200,000 in debt. Hiding behind the corporate veil does not relieve them of a moral responsibility to pay this debt. If the franchise had been successful, they would not have shared the profits with the city except for what is required by law.

Shame on Don Brady, Bill Black, Willard Tucker, Porter Thompson, and Ken Conrad. My outrage will be expressed by never again doing business with these men or their companies. I have dined at Ken Conrad's Libby Hill Seafood Restaurants, bought automobiles from Bill Black Cadillac and had service work done by Brady Trane, but never again. Matt Brown should be fired immediately for his role in the city having lost another $259,187 by the Greensboro Coliseum.

The officials of Greensboro have the philosophy that it's "only taxpayer money." The "good old boy" network is alive and well here.

Melvin E. Hooper
Greensboro

I was disappointed in the News & Record's reporting (March 23) regarding my comments at House Speaker Jim Black's appearance in Greensboro. The comment was taken out of context, making it sound flip.

The entire comment was that Jim Black has presided over the legislature in years when there were budget surpluses, one year to the tune of $800 million. That year, the legislature stayed in session over 100 extra days trying to figure out how to spend the surplus. I told Black that if that happens again, they should just leave the money in the budget for a rainy day and go home. We would not only have the surplus, but it would save the taxpayers the cost of having the legislature in session an extra 100 days at whatever the cost per day is.

Your reporter, Eric Dyer, told me I made one of the more interesting comments of the event. Too bad he chose not to report them in context.

Allen Daniel
Greensboro

Editor's note: Dyer explains that, since 1999, when Jim Black took over as speaker, the legislature met well beyond its normal ending date only in 2001 and 2002 when there were large budget deficits, not a surplus. That's why he did not include Mr. Daniel's comment in his story.

It is ludicrous for anyone to argue that North Carolina should not have a lottery when it is the only Eastern state not to have one and when N.C. residents cross into neighboring states to buy lottery tickets. The money that these states are making off of N.C. residents should be going into N.C. schools and projects.

When will people learn that you can't legislate morality and that it is wrong to prevent people from doing things just because some people feel it is wrong? No one is going to force them to gamble, and they should not force others to travel to other states to gamble if they want.

Religion is an individual thing, and no one should push his religion down other people's throats. I don't recall the commandment, "Thou shalt not gamble."

Fred Riek
Jamestown

Hewlett-Packard just gave its new CEO Mark Hurd a $20 million package just for taking the job. He hasn't done anything yet.

Since the GOP-controlled Congress recently refused to raise the minimum wage from the current $5.15/hour where it has been for seven years, I thought it would be interesting to determine how long it would take minimum wage-earners to earn what Hurd was given before he even started to work. It would take 100 such people working 40-hour weeks nearly 19 years to do so. Of course, three years ago, Honeywell gave its new CEO a $60 million package, which would take these workers 56 years to match.

If you aren't outraged by this, you must be a compassionate conservative.

Bud Talley
Randleman

When I saw "My dear Wormwood," I knew where you were going without looking at the bottom of the article until I had finished it. C.S. Lewis was not only the greatest Medieval English professor, but also Oxford's greatest lay theologian and logician. Of course, that's my opinion. He has been my mentor since 1952.

I'm sure you knew, but I'm going to remind you anyway; his secretary was Walter Hooper of Reidsville, and two of his brothers are still living here, one in the same block as I. I believe Walter is coming for a visit this spring.

Walter, years ago, converted to the Anglican church and became a priest; more recently he became a Roman Catholic priest.

I thank you for the article and wholeheartedly agree with you.

John Kincaid
Reidsville

The following is a Counterpoint column:

By Don Cameron

On behalf of Guilford Technical Community College, I would like to express my thanks to the News & Record for the positive and enthusiastic coverage of GTCC's new 69-acre East Wendover Campus. I would also like to thank the voters for their support of the bond referendums that have allowed us to continue to expand our services in Greensboro and eastern Guilford County.

This expansion will provide access to lifelong learning opportunities for personal growth, work force productivity and community service, serving all segments of Guilford County's diverse population.

The proud presence that we have planned for Greensboro includes a 117,000-square-foot Technical Education Center housing state-of-the art programs in civil, architectural, mechanical and electronics and engineering technologies.

Moving these programs to the Greensboro campus enables GTCC to uniquely align certain programs for collaboration with N.C. A&T State University. It further positions us to partner with the construction and manufacturing industry and to serve the emerging presence of business and industry in the Rock Creek Industrial region.

The Greensboro site will also house industrial systems and machining technologies, and skilled construction trades including air conditioning, heating and refrigeration, plumbing, carpentry and construction management technology. A just-completed countywide survey of CEOs has confirmed the validity of these programs by indicating a "consistent and current need for skilled plumbers, electricians, carpenters, heating ventilation air conditioning technicians and engineers."

These quality programs at GTCC's Workforce Development flagship campus are designed to provide pathways to employment, high wages, job security and an elevated standard of living for the citizens of Guilford County. GTCC is proud to be a part of the redevelopment in this eastern gateway and looks forward to professionally and productively serving more citizens of Guilford County.

The writer is president, GTCC.

Choice plan, school of choice, first choice, second choice, third choice. How about a couple of choice words?

It is astounding to me the audacity the Guilford County school board has to use these terms with the High Point "You Won't Get Your Choice" Plan. Zero children who "chose" High Point Central and Andrews as their first choice were denied entry. However, 149 students who put Southwest as their first choice were denied.

Doesn't anyone else see what's going on here? Terry Grier and friends are just throwing money out the window with this plan. Gas prices are well over $2 a gallon. Why don't they give that money to the teachers and not the Middle East? Build up education and stop tearing apart our children.

I'm sure they'll tell us that it was all on the up and up. It was all handled out in California. The school board will feel its hands are clean. This is so far from clean I can't even write what it really is.

Get a backbone and handle what the real issues are, like education and discipline, and stop this reassignment farce.

Elaina Matthews
High Point

I am working in Shanghai, China. Imagine my surprise this morning when I opened my newspaper here, the Shanghai Daily, and saw a 3/4-page article on the News & Record from the Associated Press. It had a nice photo of John Robinson, Matt Williams and Nancy McLaughlin. It was a very complimentary article.

Keep up the good work. Great to see someone from home.

Sheila Beck
Greensboro