News-Record.com

Beth Johnson and crew finally alerted our state to the worst problem since the discovery of the mobile home. I am, of course, talking about the shameful way people acted at the Hannah Montana concert ("Alcohol sales upset some Hannah fans," (Nov. 27).

People were out in public and actually doing what they wanted, with complete disregard as to how a few of us might feel about it. Adults were drinking beer and even wine! I even saw someone with a hot dog in their hand. This person had no regard as to how my niece felt knowing that they had made a conscious decision to eat meat.

I looked up toward the heavens and asked, "What should I do?” The guy sitting in the seat above me said, "It's a small world, and only getting smaller. Don't try to make everyone's decision for them.”

David Manley
Summerfield

Mandatory minimum prison sentences have done little other than give the land of the free the highest incarceration rate in the world. The deterrent value of tough drug laws is overrated. During the crack epidemic of the 1980s, New York City chose the zero-tolerance approach, opting to arrest and prosecute as many offenders as possible.

Meanwhile, Washington Mayor Marion Barry was smoking crack and America's capital had the highest per-capita murder rate in the country. Yet crack use declined in both cities simultaneously.

The decline was not due to a slick anti-drug advertising campaign or the passage of mandatory minimum sentencing laws. Simply put, the younger generation saw firsthand what crack was doing to older siblings and decided for themselves that crack was bad news.

This is not to say nothing can be done about hard drugs like crack or methamphetamine, the latest headline grabber. Access to substance-abuse treatment is critical. Diverting resources away from prisons and into cost-effective treatment would save both tax dollars and lives.

The following U.S. Department of Justice research brief confirms my claims regarding the spontaneous decline of crack cocaine: http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/187490.txt

Robert Sharpe
Washington

The writer is policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy.

Regarding the article, "Study: Exercise rates up, obesity constant”: Teresa Moore is right in noting that people are eating high-fat diets. Nutrition with exercise makes the most difference in weight reduction. It is imperative we look at both eating habits and exercise.

Eighty percent of cancers can be reduced by following a healthy diet. Giving a child one soda per day can result in a 20- to 30-pound weight gain annually. One out of four meals are eaten outside the home. There are no fruit stands or to-go fruit and veggie pickup windows to make buying healthful food more accessible.

Obesity is not a new problem; the nation has been getting heftier since the mid-1980s. It is only worse now. If it takes 20-plus years to get into this state of poor health, then it will take us more than a few years to get out.

Exercise should be enjoyed, not viewed as a chore to check off our list of things to do. It takes determination to achieve optimal health. There are no magic pills to lose weight, just learning to eat right and making time for exercise. You can do it!

Nicole Henigin
Greensboro

Trouble finding babysitters? ("Need a sitter for your kinds? Ha! Good luck,” Nov. 18). No way!
With six colleges in Greensboro, there are lots of responsible students looking for work. Just contact the Career Services Department and either request a list of sitters, or place an ad for a job. Be sure to ask for references and an interview.

It will provide a good experience for the students and a relief for parents needing a night out.

Shannon Dahlstedt
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Evelyn Taylor

It has been three years since Stan Swofford's stories on the forgotten drug in our community -- crack cocaine -- ran in the News & Record. The Counterpoint in the Nov. 26, 2004, News & Record by the director of the Guilford Center seemed to miss the point that Swofford was trying to make. The crack cocaine problem in our community is more serious and causes more destruction than all the other drugs combined. It now seems that three years later we still want to trivialize it.

I would have hoped that the Guilford Center director and our other substance-abuse treatment professionals would be the ones crying the loudest for a task force and/or long-term residential treatment program to target this problem and not continue to minimize it.

I agreed with Mayor Holliday in November 2004 that a task force was needed and still is. It should include all the community -- agencies, businesses, addicts, family members. Crack needs to be treated differently than any other addiction. In my presentation on crack for the Guilford County Substance Abuse Coalition, I spoke about how this drug is destroying many lives in our community.

As long as we keep putting Band-aids, then pillowcases and now sheets on this problem to cover it up, nothing will ever be done about it. We must face it together.

I have personally been fighting to rid the community of this plague since 1987. Thanks to the News & Record's editorial (Nov. 18) asking questions about the county's new drug-treatment program, it is now time to let the public know what is really going on and enlist their help.

Please let your commissioners know we must have the long-term residential program they had discussed and appropriated money for last year. There is a reason that crack addiction has such a low recovery rate -- it requires much more intensive treatment programs. Outpatient treatment should be considered part of aftercare; long-term residential should come first -- 14 to 21 days is not enough to help most crack addicts, particularly those who have mental health issues also.

Relapse is often not a sign of poor motivation or treatment failure. Relapse often means that there is something wrong with the patient's recovery plan -- not the patient. This is what happened for many years to folks who tried to use treatment services in our community.

We need to be sure we have a treatment program in place that will help the people -- mainly chronically homeless folks who have never had that opportunity in our community before. Turning beds over faster to get more people through treatment will not help. Many of the folks who need appropriate treatment opportunities are the parents of our youth who are turning to gangs.

The program should fit the addiction -- not the addiction fit the program.

The writer is a member of the Guilford County Substance Abuse Coalition and a long-time community activist. She lives in Greensboro.

Regarding the letter concerning annexation without representation:

The residents in the recent Greensboro annexation shouldn't be concerned about the costs in the immediate future. Our property was annexed in July 1996, 11 years ago. We still do not have city water or sewer. I assure the residents it will be some time, if ever, before they receive city water and sewage.

City taxes start immediately but some services may never come. We have paid city taxes for 11 years. The street where we live joins property developed after our annexation. These properties received all city services as they were developed.

We still have no street light, no city water or sewer. Why should we pay the same city taxes but receive less service? Is this not inequitable?

Sylvia and Gerald Smith
Greensboro

On Dec. 13, Guilford commissioners will make an important decision for citizens of this county. They will decide whether to allow almost 700 acres of beautiful hardwood forest to be destroyed for the sake of a private gated golf course community.

The alternative to this rezoning would be a likely sale of this property to the state to enlarge the already existing Haw River State Park. If this issue is new to you, please investigate at http://www.citizensforhawriversp.org/.

For those backing this cause, this is a call to action. As the old sports saying goes, 'It is time to put on your game face." There will be no second chances. This is an urgent matter. There are no losers in enlarging the park.

The property owners will sell to the state at the same price as the developer, local business benefits from increased tourism, and, most importantly, water, land and natural resources are preserved for generations to come.

The two most important things to do is call commissioners and tell them you support the park, and come to the meeting Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Old County Courthouse.

Kyle Klimek
Greensboro

A couple of weeks ago, at twilight, I noticed a light on in a building at the back of my lot which I keep locked. I called the Greensboro Police Department, explained the situation and also that this was not an emergency.

In less than 10 minutes, two nice officers, Waddell and Bond, arrived. Everything was OK, but I am so grateful for the polite and efficient response. I feel safe.

Thanks, Greensboro police.

Laurinda de Beck
Greensboro

I read with sympathy and understanding about the teacher who had had enough of the misbehavior and disrespect from her students and expressed to them, perhaps too strongly, her disapproval. The main problem is not with the teacher, but with the students — really with the parents.

My daughter, a "Teacher of the Year," recently retired, told me of the poor behavior of many of her students. Third-graders using language to her more often heard in Marine barracks.

The teacher was out of line, of course, but the real penalty should be dealt to the wayward students and, if possible, to those parents who failed to instruct their children, 'Behave yourselves and get an education It will be useful later."

My father was superintendent of schools in Thomasville while I was a student there. I would never have disrespected a teacher. The occasional one who did was usually taken to his office where he often applied a switch to the backside of the miscreant. It worked.

Many things have changed since I was in school — some good, some bad. Corporal punishment would not be accepted now, but student respect for teachers prevalent then must somehow he regained.

Dan W. Maddox
Greensboro

Good job, city of Greensboro and coliseum. Scheduling the Hannah Montana concert at the same time as a major craft show was a stroke of genius.

You managed to kill traffic at the craft show while gouging the concert patrons for parking. And to have them both end at about the same time was brilliant. The ensuing traffic snarl was incredible.

Good job, Greensboro police. Your efforts at traffic control were stellar. Traffic managed to move despite your best efforts otherwise. The cop at the corner of Chapman and Lee streets did a great job protecting the corner and keeping the sidewalk warm and little else.

Oh well, what did I really expect?

David Smith
High Point

It is shocking that Judge Joseph Turner would lower the bond of an alleged attempted cop-killer from $1 million to $150,000! Treymayne Jackson allegedly had the means, the motive, the intent and the gumption. The suspect's lethal intent was only foiled by Officer Merritt's bullet-resistant vest.

Judge Turner should be ashamed and embarrassed by his decision, and the citizens of Greensboro should be repulsed and infuriated by Turner's blatant disregard for the lives of our police officers. Judge Turner is an embarrassment to us all.

Blair Flowers
Greensboro

Obesity in America has reached epidemic levels. There has been no shortage of discussion in the media about the problem, but, unfortunately, action stops there.

It is time we take the health of our children and the rest of the country seriously and tackle the issue with forward thinking and ingenuity (a little common sense would not hurt, either.)

Vending machines only offering candy and sodas must be taken out of school cafeterias. Exercise periods cannot be seen as expendable in favor of extra lesson time. Little things like these may seem insignificant in the fight against obesity, but they are very important.

Consider this: An extra 15 to 20 minutes a day of exercise can keep off 10 pounds in one year. Cutting a person's daily calorie intake by a scant 50 calories also can help a person shed 10 pounds in a year. These are not difficult tasks; they do not require a diet overhaul or anything of that ilk, yet they could do wonders to help our population stay in shape and live longer, healthier lives.

John Woodson
Elon

Julie Murray says, "Life is good. My husband and I are happy." Yet gasoline prices are crimping her grocery budget, she can't afford a larger house, and she says President Bush is not focused enough on people's problems at home.

This recent AP-Yahoo survey also says most in the U.S. are happy and in control of their lives and finances.

But those polled also encounter stress at least sometimes daily, including a third who say they face it frequently. Gee, I thought stress was part of living. I must be wrong. Seventy-seven percent say the country has moved in the wrong direction, although they are personally happy.

What do these polls reveal? Partly it's the polling company whose agenda is to seek out negatives, lest no one would read them. Secondly, the negative news, taken at face value by most, is passed along in polling data. But most importantly (i.e. Citizen Julie), we expect the government to take care of everyone, eliminate stress and make it possible to buy larger houses.

Don't you get tired of all the complaints from those who admit they are doing well? Why can't we be thankful for what we have and the opportunities to do even better?

Bob Goodman
High Point

With Pakistan such a big issue, it's time to read Greg Mortenson's "Three Cups of Tea." It gives good background on the country and U.S. involvement with it, which has not always been positive. Mortenson spent 15 years raising money for and building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, believing that education, not war, brings peace.

Fearing we were abandoning Afghanistan after the Russians pulled out, he called for money to help and was told the money couldn't be sent there because of their poor banking system. Strange, he thought, how bags of money to fight the Taliban got there, but the other two-thirds earmarked for schools, roads, sewers didn't.

He quotes Brig. Gen. Ashir Baz, who was struck silent watching wailing Iraqi women on CNN carrying children's bodies out of the rubble of a bombed building: "People like me are Americans' best friends here. I'm a modern Muslim, an educated man, but watching this, even I could become a [jihadist/mujahid]. How can Americans say they are making themselves safer? President Bush has done a wonderful job of uniting one billion Muslims against America for the next 200 years."

Read it and you'll care about the children, the schools, the roads, the hospitals, and not just that they fight the terrorists -- to protect us.

Gay Cheney
Browns Summit

Willie Duncan, regarding your letter (Nov. 18): I'm old also, but it sounds like you've got a decade on me. Though I didn't live through the Great Depression, I know it wasn't Franklin D. Roosevelt's socialism that finally rescued the United States, it was our re-energized industrial infrastructure (established by American capitalism and entrepreneurship) responding to the demands of World War II.

While you may crave the "security" afforded by Big Government, it's a fantasy. Our government has never created and managed a program well nor spent a dollar of our taxes without wasting half. So the idea of turning over one-seventh of our economy to government bureaucrats (as Hillarycare would do) is the wrong answer.

Before you go pining (and voting) for another Clinton co-presidency, remember the unrepentant, shameless, petty behavior of Bubba and Hillary while in office -- Lincoln bedroom sales, military technology sales to China, multitudes of fund-raising scandals, plundering White House furnishings, the outrage of Pardon-gate and Bill's serial abuse of women.

The latter provided one benefit, of course. Hillary gained her only executive and military experience -- as CINC Squelching Bimbo Eruptions.

So, Willie, do the right thing. Vote for someone who is not crooked and smart enough to know what the definition of "is" is.

J. Michael Crouch
Greensboro

In 2006 and 2007, the news media trumpeted experts' predictions of major hurricane activity for U.S. coasts; on both occasions the experts were wrong.

You helpfully point out that apathetic homeowners are incrementally dropping flood insurance coverage. This could be a mistake; for some it could be a crucial mistake.

This country needs education both in predictability and insurance. Basically, it matters less how often your predictions are right than what the costs are for being wrong.

As to insurance, we need to guard against catastrophe first, annoyance second. Toward that end, we as a society should probably purchase home insurance that protects against major loss from almost any source, life insurance to the degree we have dependents, health insurance insuring against major medical bills (not necessarily providing $15 co-pays), and possibly no dental insurance at all.

The storm forecasters remind me of the people who said real estate would go up forever, rain will never again fall in Greensboro (Brownsboro?), and, ironically, global warming will swamp Florida with knee-high water over the next few decades.

Jack Glenn
Greensboro

Recently I joined the ranks as a Kiwanis volunteer for the Salvation Army annual Christmas drive and am pleased to acknowledge the spirit of giving is alive in Greensboro.

I'm not sure whether a cheerful greeting/smile or the bell-ringing gained the attention of passing diners; yet, the Spirit of Christmas prevails. Their gifts were reflected in many happy faces; children laughed and adults felt good about themselves. It was a good occasion.

Oftentimes a bell rung awakens us to responsibility and rewards us with a good feeling.

I encourage all of us to seek opportunities of service, complimenting our fellow man. It's contagious and can last throughout the year.

Greensboro Kiwanis Club serves the children of our community and the world.

William C. Smith
Greensboro

On Nov. 27, the "Today Show" aired a segment called "The Top 5 Phone Numbers That Will Change Your Life." I was pleased to see that they included 1-800-QUIT NOW, a free, confidential counseling service for people who want to quit smoking or chewing tobacco.

Only 3 to 5 percent of smokers who try to quit on their own manage to do so. By checking in with a trained counselor, tobacco users can bump the success rate to 30 percent.

As the holidays approach, consider calling 1-800-QUIT NOW and change not only your life, but your loved ones' as well.

Michelle Gill-Moffat
Whitsett

It has been evident by the Israeli acceptance of a two-state solution in 1929, in 1937, in 1947 and at Camp David (2000) that there must be something in the Arab agenda to stop the peace process and that, in my opinion, has always been the desired elimination of Israel.

There has never been a Palestinian state because Arab countries have never allowed one to be created. They have chosen to spend their money on other things.

There have been Arab leaders who have worked with Israel and have achieved peace, and maybe that is the best we can hope for.

Being part Lebanese, I have empathy for Arabs and their struggles and believe peace is good for everyone.

I don't think if Mexico were firing rockets into the U.S. as Arabs have into Israel from Gaza, we would react with the restraint Israel has demonstrated.

I have not seen a good return on Israel's investment (land for peace), and I am personally against it. All countries make mistakes, including Israel, but this is their call.

This conflict has been known about for years and years. So let's pray that the Arab agenda has changed.

John Nahas
Reidsville

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Pamela Smith

More discussion is now taking place among our officials, schools, churches and police/sheriff's departments on gang prevention. It has been said our kids need positive ways to spend their time, social and recreational opportunities, plus a feeling of acceptance and belonging. I have a suggestion on how we might begin to provide solutions to these needs.

Sell (for a profit) the BB&T building, just bought by the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, and buy the long-abandoned Pomona Cotton Mill at the corner of Spring Garden and Merritt Drive. We could call it The SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Center.

It could be renovated to provide numerous activity areas. There could be batting cages, space for pitching softballs, soccer fields, basketball courts, perhaps a bowling alley, rooms for crafting, singing, dancing (even dance lessons).

Let local beginning bands perform; hold classes on etiquette and sex and drug education; help with homework and reading; offer storytelling, group discussions on topics the kids want, game rooms, contests, magicians -- the list goes on.

The age limit would be 10-17, one-time registration required, open Fridays and/or Saturdays 7-10 p.m. Provide only one entrance to check their center ID containing parental and medical information, and include a drug-sniffing dog and metal detector. Anyone caught with drugs or weapons would be turned over to the police and banned from the center. All other doors locked from the outside with alarms if opened from the inside.

There would be a need for uniformed and undercover officers. Parents, teachers, churches, PTSA, businesses, college students, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc., could volunteer to chaperone. Anyone caught smoking, cursing, bullying, being disrespectful or fighting would be expelled and his or her center ID confiscated. The ID could be earned back by providing community service for a length of time consistent with the violation.

Businesses, churches, neighborhood communities, the city and county could provide monies and supplies. A yearly $5 fee might be necessary. Drink and snack machines would be available with the profit going back to the center.

This would be a tremendous undertaking, but we have to start somewhere. We need to join together to save our kids. Remember, they are our future.

Let's make them proud of who and what they are and, they in turn will help the next generation.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

Health care reform, after a nearly 15-year hiatus, is again in the headlines.

As students at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health, we wrote and distributed an online survey to the top graduate health policy and administration programs across the country and noted several trends.

When asked whether they believed access to health care was a right, 76 percent of the respondents agreed. When asked which of the presidential candidates was the most qualified to deal with health care issues, 65 percent named Hillary Clinton. This was notable because only 53 percent of the respondents identified themselves as Democrats. A dominant 70 percent of respondents indicated they would support a plan for universal health insurance, even if it meant raising taxes.

The effort to achieve health care reform in the early 1990s was stifled by partisan politics. This survey of the health care leaders of the future suggests a turning of the tide. These future administrators and health policymakers could play an integral role in fixing our broken health care system.

We invite you to join us in search of solutions, and maybe this time the obstructionists' efforts will be stifled.

Austin Johnson
Durham

Good words need to be heard again, like those in David Brooks' column (Nov. 24). He writes on immigration with quotes from an address made on Oct. 10, 1996. Some of those quotations follow:

"I'm pleased to ... talk about the anti-immigrant movement in America, and why I believe this movement endangers the single most important reason for American greatness, namely, the renewal, reformation and reawakening that's provided by the continuous flow of immigrants.

"I believe that the anti-immigrant movement is one of our most serious public problems."
Those words come not from a Democrat but from a Republican candidate for president, Rudy Giuliani. Perhaps there is hope for our country, "with liberty and justice for all."

Brady Faggart
Greensboro

I read that an N.C. A&T professor complained that he saw a sign in a deputy sheriff's car (from the back seat of the car, on the steel screen that separated the back seat from the front seat) that read, "Jesus is your savior." The professor wrote to the News & Record (and many others) that it was "inappropriate to have a religious slogan in a government-owned police car."

He may be right. However, it seems to me that our primary concern would be that an A&T professor had an open container of alcohol in his car. That sounds an awful lot like drinking and driving to me. And not drinking, and subsequently driving, but drinking while driving — which most people I've known don't do unless they really need to drink and can't wait until they are not driving.

So what I guess I think is inappropriate is a government-paid professor, sitting in his government-owned office, using his government-owned computer to write letters to what appears to be everyone he could think of that he's offended to see the word Jesus while he's being detained in the back seat of a sheriff's car for allegedly drinking and driving.

Bill Stevens
Jamestown

This is to all of the media: When will you people get it through your heads that telling all the gangs, crooks and would-be crooks how slow the response of the police is only adds to the problems? If we would only work to get more officers on the force, the men and women could do the job they are trained to do.

Thanks to the reader who gave the praise to the police recently. It is about time.

Catherine Flynt
Greensboro

The last two slaps in the face to Greensboro citizens by the outgoing City Council were giving Mitch Johnson a raise and giving Linda Miles a deal for six months at $91.50 per hour as a consultant.

We hope the first two items on the new City Council's agenda are to rescind both of these actions.

Betty and Horace Swift
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By: Becky Kates

Lorraine Ahearn's column about the problems encountered by landlord Wayne Stutts ("When vandals strike, landlord fights back," Nov. 18) is indeed a sad sign of the times. But it left me wondering why Stutts' houses and so many others in Greensboro have remained vacant for so long.

In the five years that I have lived in the Glenwood neighborhood, I have passed by 805 and 807 Gregory St. on a regular basis, and they have been vacant as far back as I can remember.

According to deeds on record with Guilford County, Stutts' rental company has owned 805 since 1986 and 807 since 2003.
Vacant houses are an obvious eyesore, contributing to perceptions of crime in an area. And they are easy targets for squatters and vandals and contribute to elevated levels of actual crimes in the same area.

Unfortunately, desperate people watch what goes on and strike houses that seem to be abandoned.

In frustration, Stutts resorted to putting bars on the windows of his houses. "What else could I do?" he asks.

I would submit to Stutts an example less than 50 yards from the houses he owns on Gregory Street: a restored two-story bungalow at 912 Union St. I am acquainted with the man who fixed up this house and owned it as a rental property for three years. Despite the bleak surroundings, he had no problems with vandalism while the house was being renovated and he had no problems finding good tenants. How did he do it?

First, he went well beyond the minimum housing standards, making the house look very attractive.

Second, he went the extra mile and provided furniture and free Internet service to attract college students looking for an affordable option. Because Stutts' properties on Gregory Street have virtually no front or back yards, he may have better luck attracting students than a family.

Restoration of a neighborhood happens house by house, block by block. I would urge Stutts to become part of the solution by bringing his houses up to a high standard as quickly as possible. With some extra effort and a little creative thinking, the properties owned by Stutts can be both attractive and profitable. Bars on the windows are only a temporary solution to the problems this landlord has encountered.

I hope Stutts will choose to join the Greater Glenwood Neighborhood Association in our many efforts to revitalize our community.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

In 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes in the United States for an average of one fatality every 30 minutes. What a staggering, heart-breaking loss of human life. Sadder still, a preventable loss.

Good for Guilford Sheriff's Deputy M. Osborne for protecting the public at the sobriety checkpoint when N.C. A&T Professor M. Reza Salami was cited having an open container of alcohol in his car ("Patrol car Jesus raises legal hackles," Dec. 1).

Good for Sheriff BJ Barnes for resisting Professor Salami's obvious subterfuge in trying to direct attention away from his own egregious behavior by bullying the sheriff's office, calling Osborne's "Jesus is your savior" sign in his patrol car "offensive."

Professor Salami, someone else's personal religious beliefs are not "offensive."

Mixing alcohol with driving is.

Julie Schindler
William Liszka
Greensboro

M. Reza Salami was offended by a Jesus sign. Big deal.

I'm more than offended and appalled that someone with such a title of prestige would be driving with an open can of alcohol. I would suggest to Salami to evaluate the reasons he was placed in a patrol car.

I applaud Officer M. Osborne for displaying the sign. Each day our law enforcement personnel's lives are put in jeopardy and deadly situations due to the moral decay of our society by drunk drivers, drugs, etc. I consider religion a personal privilege and would be honored to have Jesus in my car, by sign or in spirit, should I be on the road with Salami.

Apologies should be directed to Sheriff Barnes and his staff for time wasted that possibly was needed for more important matters.

We country folks (especially the cook) used to have a saying that "if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”

Perhaps Salami would fare better to do his drinking in his kitchen, thus avoiding the offense by being exposed to a Jesus sign in a police car.

Delores C. Tucker
Stokesdale

Brian Balfour's piece, "The N.C. benefits time bomb" (Dec. 2) is off base in reference to his statement regarding whether North Carolina families should support "hundreds of thousands of retired state bureaucrats."

I would not consider the many nurses and doctors who work at UNC Hospitals and who care for our state's sick and injured and the teachers who educate our children "bureaucrats." I am a nurse, not a bureaucrat.

While I don't dispute the math, I suggest he watch his language.

Paul O'Neal
Summerfield

In response to Professor M. Reza Salami being offended: He as an educator should know that this country was founded on freedom of religion.

He was not forced to read the sticker in the patrolman's car. He must be offended every holiday that he is off with pay or being able to practice his own beliefs.

I don't feel his rights were violated, not like ours when we go into countries to liberate them from invading armies and we are not allowed to display our religious beliefs (crosses, Bibles). Even our chaplains aren't allowed to wear their insignia. We must practice on our own religious days in a low-key manner. We also must observe their religious beliefs and holidays or be subject to their law as to punishment.

Mr. Salami, you should be lucky that you live in a country that allows so many freedoms that you are able to complain about a simple bumper sticker that was intended to send a message to someone in need.

It seems to have gotten your attention. God bless.

William Campbell
Hampstead

Here we go again, somebody being offended because a sticker about Jesus is on the back of the front seat of a vehicle, which just happened to be a deputy's patrol car.

If M. Reza Salami was offended, he should just not look at it, like the sheriff said. It seems like every religion in the world comes here and wants Christians to put their beliefs in the closet and hide them. Where is the so-called tolerance that everyone wants when it comes to Christianity?
There doesn't seem to be much to go around. Maybe Salami should be more worried about driving around breaking the law with an open alcohol container.

Don't drive with open alcohol in your vehicle and just maybe you won't be stopped and have to be offended again. I am thankful that the officer just might have prevented you from hurting someone and, by the way, driving with alcohol is very offensive.

Ernie Andrews
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Jerry Clark

I feel compelled to respond to Rosemary Roberts' column, "Bad call: UNC rewards coach for failure" (Nov. 30).

I, too, am a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and love my university. I would like to speak to the two points Roberts was trying to make in her column.

First of all, Ms. Roberts, you may attend football games at UNC, but you know nothing about the game of football. It takes skilled athletes to win at this level of competition; coaches can do only so much. It takes time to recruit, instruct and coach a group of men into a winning team.
Duke's coach, Ted Roof, was given ample time to recruit his own players and produce a winning team. He won four games in the last four years. Coach Davis was able to win four games his first year at UNC with very little talent.

Way to go, Coach. You deserve the raise, and maybe in four years when you win a national championship with players you have recruited, like you did at the University of Miami, Ms. Roberts will print a retraction.

Second, Roberts mentioned the large salary disparity between professors at UNC-CH and Coach Davis. This country's most valuable resource is our teachers. I agree with Roberts that most teachers are woefully underpaid. I am willing to make a concession.

As soon as professors are hired and fired on merit the same as Coach Davis, then I will agree to raise their salaries. Eliminate tenure and make the professors' individual salaries negotiated, just like Coach Davis'. When the professors start to instruct in a fair and balanced manner, I will be first in line to fight for their raises. Until then I agree with Roberts that the disparity is unfair and I believe Coach Davis should be paid even more to make up for the gap that exists between expectation and performance. Go Heels!

The writer, UNC Class of ‘65, lives in Greensboro.

Did Leonard Pitts visit the Guilford County school system? His deductions after studying educational success stories hit home.

To quote: "Much of what ails American schools can be traced to a bureaucracy that doesn't pay enough; does too little to encourage and reward creativity; doesn't give principals authority over who works in their schools; and makes it nearly impossible to fire bad teachers."

We can lay poor pay at the feet of county commissioners. We can blame the second problem on the federal government's No Child Left Behind law. The third is a maybe, but the fourth is painfully so.

Our whole community needs to insist on improvement. Our responsibility as citizens wanting to make Greensboro a better place lies heavily on all our shoulders. Will we face the challenge or let things rock along as they are?

Barbara P. Walker
Greensboro

They came back to Pearl today, fewer than last year. The artillery of time has thinned their ranks but hasn't dimmed their spirit. As they walk through the Arizona Memorial, I see the quiver of a lip, a bow of a head, a stare into the horizon and an embrace of a fallen foe.

They stand above watery graves of buddies with whom they had served their country. They enjoyed the vitality of youth, saluting the Stars and Stripes, not thinking about tomorrow, thinking about wives, girlfriends, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and home.

The sun begins to set on Pearl Harbor, and each sunset slowly but surely takes these brave souls with it, until the glowing and inspirational flame of life of that generation will be extinguished. But what they did for their country will never be forgotten, never extinguished.

To the men and women of Pearl Harbor and those who followed, you fought the good fight. And lest we forget, the brave and dedicated men and women of today's armed forces will someday inherit the cane and walk slowly among places of remembrances, their mecca to their kin.

To all the known and unknown heroes, we shall never forget.

H.M. Chilton
Greensboro

It has finally occurred to me why drivers, and not just in Greensboro, don't do a simple thing like using a signal when changing lanes or turning -- we're lazy. This is the only thing that makes sense as I drive around the Triad.

Drivers are lazy. We don't want to get out of the car at McDonald's or Starbucks, or even the dry cleaners to get our clothes after someone else has cleaned them for us. Americans have become lazy. I am a victim of this myself by sitting around on weekends watching football for hours. At least I use my signals when I drive.

Barry Epstein
Greensboro

"As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in school." This was a quote on a poster in one of my classrooms. Though an amusing quote, it has a great deal of truth behind it. For an immense amount of time, religion in schools has been a growing issue. Prayer in school has been an especially key quarrel. As of now, "students may pray when not engaged in school activities or instruction."

At my high school, there was plenty of religious diversity, but it never transformed into conflict.
David G. Hallstrom Sr., a retired private investigator who publishes several Internet directories, says, "In my opinion, having organized prayer in school isn't 'an establishment of religion' but is instead the carrying out of the will of the majority of the people in this nation."

Not everyone believes in a god, but everyone believes in something. There has never been nor will there be a time when everybody is satisfied. When it isn't possible to please everyone, it's usually the smartest choice to try to please the majority: prayer in schools.

Wesley Fogleman
Burlington

I appreciated the widespread support shown me as a newcomer candidate for the City Council. I was encouraged that a large bloc of voters and I shared similar opinions about city government.

My best wishes go to the new council. I will watch with interest as it tackles issues of gangs, drugs, policing, water, transportation -- while remaining focused on budgeting. Greensboro is on the economic rebound but warning signs suggest a need for conservatism in budgeting and managing expenditures.

The new City Council needs to address forthwith the David Wray matter and bring it to a conclusion. In light of the SBI investigation and grand jury findings, we are entitled to know why Chief Wray was forced to resign, and whether his personnel file should be cleared and his name restored in recognition of his many years of commendable service to the city.

Bill Knight
Greensboro

The writer was an unsuccessful candidate for an at-large seat on Greensboro City Council.

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Nelda Howell Lockamy

Let me see if I have this right. Dee Todd got crossways with the folks who thought her hire should have produced a winning football team -- or at least that she should have kept her comments to herself.

So without the benefit of professional courtesy, she was demoted, given a salary cut, and dumped in the academic landfill otherwise known as the School of Education.

Please understand -- my beef is not about football. You could deflate all the pigskins in the world and not affect my quality of life.

Nor is it about what administrators feel they must do to protect the sacred cow of athletics. My complaint is that a person whose background appears to be exclusively in college athletics administration would be deemed a fit for the School of Education.

Why not reassign her to the College of Engineering? I haven't seen Todd's full resume, but I see nothing in print that would indicate she is less qualified to teach quantum physics than she is to teach, oh, say, an instructional methods class.

But I know these are wasted keystrokes. Having spent over a decade on a College of Education faculty, I know that athletics trumps everything. More than once, our department was forced to absorb a losing coach or a disgruntled administrator or a professor under ethics investigation.

For, after all, anyone who went to a school qualifies as an educational expert, right?

I took special note of the chancellor's comment that the decision to reassign Todd was "in the best interests of the athletics program."

But what about the best interests of our future educators who are not only required to produce with winning test scores, but who are hardly rewarded with salaries commensurate with their efforts?

So to answer your question, Ms. Todd, yes, you are the scapegoat for football. After all, what is it they say? "Those who can, do; and those who can't, teach."

The writer lives in Greensboro.

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Terry May

What kind of a police state do we live in when a person is forced by officers of the law to sit in government property and be confronted by religious indoctrination that is obviously abhorrent to his religious beliefs?

This is religious tyranny. To top it off, the government official in charge of protecting our freedoms, in essence says: "If you are offended -- too bad! Get over it! I don't care about your religious rights, nor do I care about the law."

If the story were about a Christian incarcerated in Saudi Arabia being forced by Moslem officials to read Islamic propaganda, I can only imagine the uproar we'd be hearing here. But since this religious oppression took place in a predominantly Christian city, we will instead hear about how this is a Christian country and those of us who are not must choose to ignore such affronts.

However, the law is clear that being in the majority does not give anyone (especially an officer of the law) the right to force religious beliefs on others.

Surely Sheriff BJ Barnes' remark that he "supports deputies displaying anything which gives them comfort" is self-serving poppycock. Had the poster that gave the deputy comfort been supportive of his homosexuality, or denouncing Christianity, is there any doubt Sheriff Barnes would have had it removed immediately? His response to the officer would have been to ignore being offended and just get over it.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

A recent letter from Blair Flowers (Dec. 3) was so abusive and wrong that it needs correction. The public should know that Judge Joseph Turner is one of our most knowledgeable, fair and serious jurists, and that we are fortunate to have him serving on the bench. His action in reducing the bond of Treymayne Jackson from $1 million to $150,000 was in compliance with his sworn duty to avoid excessive bail and to set reasonable bond for persons charged, but not yet convicted, of serious crime.

The Constitution's Eighth Amendment and state statutes require what Judge Turner did. Bond is not designed to punish people who have not been tried. Bail is meant to secure the defendant's appearance at trial. Guilford County guidelines, set back in the 1970s and frequently updated, call for bond for attempted murder in an amount from $15,000 to $100,000.

Judge Turner, out of regard for the alleged assault on a officer, set this bond at $150,000, certainly a substantial incentive for Jackson to appear for trial.

The criticism of Judge Turner was mistaken and unfair. He has never been an embarrassment to anyone.

On the contrary, he is a source of pride across North Carolina, and has been for his entire time of service.

J. Sam Johnson
Greensboro

This letter is in response to David Smith's letter, "Poor timing, traffic jam led to mess at coliseum" (Dec. 2).

Smith incorrectly blames the Greensboro Coliseum and city of Greensboro for simultaneously scheduling the Hannah Montana concert and Craftsmen's Christmas Classic Arts & Crafts Festival on Nov. 25. He is apparently unaware that the coliseum does not dictate start or end times for events.

These details are set at the sole direction of the event promoter. The craft show ended at 5 p.m. while the concert ended at 6:30 p.m., so Smith's claim that both shows "ended at that same time" is simply wrong.

Is Smith suggesting that the coliseum should have passed on hosting the sold-out Hannah Montana concert (the hottest touring act in the country) because the previously booked craft show was being held the same day and ended more than one hour after the concert started (4 p.m.)?

Finally, in regard to Smith's complaint that the scheduling of the concert "managed to kill traffic at the craft show," please be aware that the attendance for the craft show was nearly identical to its Sunday date in 2006.

Andrew Brown
Greensboro

The writer is public relations manager, Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

The Florida company in favor of developing land previously earmarked for Haw River State Park is requesting another continuance. It does not seem unreasonable to suspect that the request is being made in hopes that the groundswell of opposition to this proposed destruction of natural land will die down.

The delay stratagem did not work the first time around, so they are trying it again, fully aware that when scheduled meetings are changed and postponed, people tend to get tired, disinterested and confused. Opponents may even, the developers hope, give up.

The matter is in the hands of our county commissioners, and the meeting is currently set for Jan. 17, 5:30 p.m. If the commissioners deny the rezoning request, perhaps Bluegreen will return to Florida and leave the Haw River property in the hands of North Carolina and the citizens of Guilford County.

Southerners in general and North Carolinians in particular have always been known for their love of the land. That means undeveloped land: trees, woods, hills, rivers. Undeveloped land should remain undeveloped -- especially land already intended for a state park.

Maureen Parker
Greensboro

Your Page B2 for Sunday, Dec. 2, was headed with the editor's own column about grammatical madness. I applauded everything said there, but most of all the intent. Usage matters. Communication requires precision in thought and accuracy in words. Bravo!

Then I turned to the "Old Pine" story on Page A1, continued on Page A6 -- and wondered if I was reading the same newspaper. The cutline for Joseph Rodriguez's photo of the old tree reads, "Longleaf pines are only found in North America." I have noted that a similar improper placement of the word "only" numerous times in the News & Record.

I was instantly reminded of my 1948 experience with the college freshman textbook, "Learning to Write in College" (page 201), with revelations about the placement of the word "only": Only he lost his hat (nobody else did). He only lost his hat (nobody stole it). He lost only his hat (and nobody else's). He lost his only hat (he never had but one). He lost his hat only (but saved his shoes and clothes).

So I was left with some uncertainty as to how longleaf pines are only found -- did somebody steal them? Upon reflection, I decided the writer meant to say that longleaf pines are found only in North America.

Can you send a message back to the newsroom that friends don't let friends use poor grammar? Thanks.

Pete Petrea
Greensboro

I feel the need to ask out loud the questions that every one of us asks privately of ourselves but no one vocalizes for fear of being politically incorrect.

Why are we so quick to forsake the needs of the many for the preferences of the few? One student has a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance and a whole school system has to stop its daily recitation. Can we not make a stand, tell one person "no," and keep our dignity? It is inevitable that in making decisions some feelings will get hurt. People need to grow up.

Why is it so wrong to be a Christian or to celebrate Christmas? Society applauds the mention of Dewali or Ramadan but shuns those who dare utter the word "Christmas." Instead, a sacred event is labeled generically as "the holidays." Christians, can we stand up and say something about this?

I challenge readers to action where we have all been sitting still. The choice is ours. Will we stand idly by or defend our beliefs? I leave you with these proud words: Merry Christmas, and God bless you all!

Eli Oklesh
Greensboro

Let me get this straight: M. Reza Salami was stopped at a sobriety checkpoint and, presumably because something was amiss, had to be placed in the back of a patrol car while his car was being searched. (Bet most people who get stopped don't have to sit in a patrol car or have their car searched.)

And then Salami was offended by reading "Jesus is your savior" between the front and back seats of the patrol car, so he wants the deputy to apologize for offending him.

I think the better response would be for this inconvenienced pillar of our society to apologize for allegedly breaking the law and endangering all of us by consuming alcohol while driving.

Susan Baron
Greensboro

I enjoyed reading "Bowled over" (Dec. 1) concerning turned wood. Wood-turning is a craft and art practiced by many excellent turners in North Carolina.

The Piedmont Triad Woodturners Association, official chapter of the American Association of Woodturners, has about 80 members. A number of them have works in prominent galleries around the country. Anyone may attend our meetings. We are especially interested in having young persons become acquainted with wood-turning. Our meetings usually include demonstrations of wood-turning types, styles and techniques. At every meeting is an "Instant Gallery" of members' current works. The meeting on Jan. 9 will feature demonstrator Gary Gardner turning natural-edge bowls. See http://www.ptwoodturners.org.

The PTWA is a member of the N.C. Woodturning Symposium Inc., which conducted an excellent symposium October at the Greensboro Coliseum with 63 demonstration periods featuring nationally prominent turners and excellent regional and local turners.

The next symposium will be held in 2009 at the coliseum. It will feature an auction providing an excellent opportunity for collectors to obtain superb turnings produced by international, regional and local turners. See http://northcarolinawoodturning.com.

Bob Muir
Greensboro

As an experienced registered nurse and former nurse educator, I support the decision of the N.C. Board of Nursing to require that all nursing instructors be prepared at the master's degree level.

Nursing practice has become very complex as the result of the aging of a large group of the population, better technology and managed health care. Today's nurse must possess strong critical-thinking skills. Teaching critical thinking is not an intuitive process and is a significant component of master's degree programs preparing nurse educators.

The major issue with nursing education is the low compensation offered by both community colleges and higher institutions. Nurses with master's degrees have many other career options, which offer better compensation and working conditions. I truly enjoyed my role as a nurse educator but found it increasingly difficult to justify the low salary in conjunction with a heavy teaching load. Therefore, I am pursuing an advanced practice role, which will provide better job satisfaction in conjunction with appropriate compensation.

Nursing is a wonderful profession, and the education of the next generation of nurses is extremely important. However, we cannot sacrifice the quality of preparation to address the current shortage. The focus needs to be one of making nursing education a more attractive career option, which will encourage more master's-prepared nurses to accept the challenge.

Margaret Hancock, RN MSN
Jamestown

I have received a huge stack of sale flyers in my newspaper and mailbox. Almost all mention a holiday. Several refer to "gifts," yet not one mentions any purpose for the gifts and only one identifies a "holiday" (Hanukkah). It seems to me that any "holiday" that creates so much retail activity should at least be named.

I and millions of others around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. He was born miraculously to a virgin woman more than 2,000 years ago. He fulfilled ancient prophecies and was revealed to be God incarnate. He lived a perfect life and performed miracles of healing and salvation. Through his sacrificial death and his resurrection, he provided mankind with the possibility of redemption from sin, reconciliation with God and eternal life with him in heaven. His birth is certainly worth celebrating!

If stores advertising "holiday sales" are ashamed of their holiday, I invite them to join in celebrating mine. It is not necessary for them to join in the worship portion unless they really believe, but if they wish to profit from Christmas and solicit my hard-earned money, I expect them to acknowledge what they are doing!

Charles E. Baker
Trinity