News-Record.com

I do not have time to read all the paper, or listen to all the hype, but I did hear enough about Reza Salami protesting a Christian bumper sticker in a patrol car.

I, too, could be considered a practicing Christian, and I, too, would be offended to be placed in the back of a patrol car with a sticker aimed at me shouting,
"Jesus is your savior."

First off, I think we know not all denominations use this phrase.

Secondly, I feel that my spiritual or religious beliefs are personal, and Bible-thumpers are intrusive.

Lastly, such an evangelical remark really does not belong in a vehicle that was bought with my tax money.

I can't sit in judgment of whether Salami was right or wrong in whatever he was apprehended for, but I can say that as a spiritual person, I am offended at times by what people pass off as being Christian.

Valery Kepley
Oak Ridge

We have had a scandal with the police chief, murders up in our community, sex scandal with officers, etc. I work in manufacturing. If we ran our business like our Police Department is being run, we would not be in business any longer.

Why are the citizens of Greensboro accepting this? Sure, our illustrious City Council, made up of lawyers, real-estate and land developers, says it is concerned. It will
"meet" on the subject!

I run in the downtown area about every day and it is a lawless society while on foot. No one follows any pedestrian right-of-way laws. We had a friend whose house was vandalized. The burglar was still in the house when 911 was called. The police said they were busy and it took more than 20 minutes.

Something is wrong, and the answer is not getting more officers. It is getting the right officers and leadership. Maybe Greensboro should consider getting outside the
"good ol' boy" network and hire someone to run the department who is an accomplished businessman.

I think others would agree the citizens of Greensboro really only want one thing out of the Police Department: customer service in the way of a safe and law-abiding community.

Cary Wren
Greensboro

The following id a Counterpoint

By Susie Barnes

Francie Portnoy was inspired to write "How can Christians be so mean-spirited" (Counterpoint, Dec. 22) after reading a Leonard Pitts column. I'm rarely inspired by Pitts. He'll use anything to bolster his opinion of what is right and wrong with the world, rarely looking beyond his favorite stereotypes. The N&R editorial staff publishes his column probably because it's easier to run it than to ferret out other more worthy material.

The N&R wasn't just lazy when it picked Portnoy's Counterpoint, it was asleep at the switch. Her article was one-dimensional, and she lumped all Christians together under a single umbrella. Since the label "Christian" describes millions of people all over this planet, her generalization is patently untrue and should've been rejected by the N&R as a waste of ink.
Portnoy wants us to believe that this enormous group of people are all prune-faced, judgmental people. A vast percentage of Christians strive to emulate Christ as well as demonstrate his love for others and aren't as judgmental as she thinks we are.

That acquaintance of hers isn't mean-spirited because she's a Christian. She's mean-spirited because she's a butt-head. Butt-heads come in all different stripes, ethnicities, religions, genders and sexual orientations. People who hurt others do so because they don't care about anyone else's feelings. They just want to prove how smart, clever, right or righteous they are. That's what her acquaintance was doing, being a butt-head.

You know what to do when confronted by butt-heads? Ignore them. The more attention these people attract, the stronger they get and the worse you feel. Don't talk to this woman, don't open her e-mails, don't return her calls.

Maybe the next time the N&R gets a letter like Portnoy's, it will consider whether it will add to the free exchange of ideas that typifies a good opinion page. I would also hope that Portnoy opens her eyes and sees how many Christians there are who stretch themselves toward the kindness end of the spectrum. They outnumber the butt-heads tremendously.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

No matter when I read it or how I read it, the Constitution does not contain within it the phrase "separation of church and state." Nor does the Bill of Rights nor the Declaration of Independence. It just isn't there.

It was not intended to be there. If the framers had wanted it in there, they could have written it in just those words. Rosemary Roberts had no trouble writing those words six times in her brief column (Dec. 14). Surely our founding fathers were as skilled in using the English language as she is.

For those who really want to know, the phrase was culled from a private letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Association of Danbury Baptists 11 years after ratification of the First Amendment. Jefferson used his wording, "a wall of separation between church and state," to assure the Baptists that the federal government would not establish a federally recognized "state" religion. That was a private letter, not a federal proclamation.

It has been said that if you repeat something loud enough and long enough, people will come to believe it. Don't believe this repeated falsehood, that the separation of church and state is in the Constitution. It isn't and it never has been.

Harold F. Waldruff
Madison

The prospect of New Hanover County state Rep. Thomas Wright becoming the first legislator expelled from the N.C. General Assembly in nearly a century provides another jolt to citizen confidence in our democracy.

The state legislative ethics committee charged with looking into Wright's legal woes apparently found enough evidence to warrant a hearing - which could lead to a recommendation for Wright's removal from the office.

When that hearing takes place, it will be fully open to the public - a first for North Carolina, as until 2007, all legislative ethics hearings were held in closed session unless the legislator in question requested an open hearing.

The N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform was the primary instigator calling for all state ethics hearings to be open once probable cause is found. We applaud legislators for heeding this call and changing the law to make all state ethics hearings open.

Government works best in full sunshine. More transparency, not less, is how the people's confidence in our democracy will be restored.

Jane B. Pinsky
Raleigh
The writer is director, N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform

I feel compelled to offer a few words in support of capitalism during these holidays. I know most members of the community feel differently.

Over time my enthusiasm for Christmas has waxed and waned, often in response to additions and subtractions in my family or bank account. Constant, however, was my belief that civilization needn't grind completely to a halt, whether one celebrates the birth of a savior or a once-a-year chance to gather with family. Separate occurrences this Christmas have reinforced this belief.

A Christmas Eve blood-clot scare sent my girlfriend's mother to the hospital. She's fine, but none of the mega-retailers clamoring for my business all year could fill her important prescriptions at 9 p.m. except one: Walgreens.

Family celebrations completed, Christmas was to be spent experimenting with our present to ourselves, a new all-in-one printer. A USB cable adapter kit from Walgreens, which an incompetent printer salesman twice assured me wouldn't be necessary, rescued the day.

Judging by the volume of business on both occasions, I'm not alone in my beliefs. Society needs more than doctors, policemen and firemen to function, whether Tuesdays or holidays. Walgreens wisely filled a niche and won my business in 2008.

Hank Greeson
High Point

Your article of Dec. 23, "Retire? He's not ready," says a lot about 6th District Congressman Howard Coble. But perhaps the article says even more about Jay Ovittore, an announced Democratic challenger. Ovittore suggested that anyone who has served as long as Coble begins to get cynical and corrupt.

I have known Coble for many years and shared the platform with him at numerous events, especially programs honoring our veterans and ex-POWs. Coble is a man of the people, visible throughout the 6th District. He is constantly meeting with constituent groups, area businesses, speaking to schoolchildren, veterans' groups and listening to the concerns of voters. He has assembled a talented and committed staff that provides perhaps the best constituent service of anyone in Congress.

Coble consistently receives 70 percent voter support. This suggests many Democratic voters appreciate the solid job he delivers in representing them. I commend Ovittore for joining the political discourse, but he should drop the personal attacks and debate the real issues.

Coble has always served the good folks of the 6th District with honor, distinction and dedicated service. I will do all I can to ensure he continues as "Our Congressman."

Bill Wright
Pleasant Garden

The writer is chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party.

I just read the article, "Teachers' pet peeve: Useless gifts."

As an elementary school teacher, I sincerely appreciate any gift a student gives at Christmas.

The best gift I've received was a toy duck. The duck was in poor condition, but the heart and attitude of the student were not.

Teachers who complain that they didn't get something that fits their style should consider the selfless nature of our profession. How unfortunate it is to complain about a gift from a child.

Brian Webb
Greensboro

After reading headlines, "Credit card debts, defaults rising sharply," "Recession on the horizon," "More foreclosures," "Unemployment rises," you would think we need to put any extra money we have in our mattresses.

It is time to report the other side of these headlines. I realize that people have financial burdens, and I know what it feels like. I just wish all the news was reported.

Did you know that in the United States, 96.3 percent of the people are working? Did you know that inflation is under 3 percent? Did you know that the stock market was up approximately 6 percent for 2007? Did you know that more than 97 percent of mortgages are being paid on time?

It is time for those who report the news to report all of it. It is sad that our news outlets don't provide accurate information. By the way, if I have any extra money, I will be investing it, because that is one way to become less dependent on Uncle Sam!

Don Wendelken
Summerfield

I understand that corporations, including insurance corporations, have a responsibility to their shareholders. That does not give them the right to make medical decisions that contribute to a patient's demise. Cigna effectively did that in the case of Nataline Sarkisyan, the California teen who was denied coverage for a liver transplant by Cigna Healthcare.

The insurer was not there by her bedside to make an adequate assessment. Insurers simply have medical directors sitting at desks, rubber-stamping denials for critical patient care. Their subscribers rely on them to approve coverage for medical treatment requested on their behalf by qualified physicians, yet it's so simple to deny coverage if you remove yourself from any emotional attachment to those vulnerable patients.

We have no way to know if the transplant would have given this critically ill teen another chance. Of course, by the time Cigna reversed its decision, Nataline Sarkisyan had absolutely no chance of survival.

The insurance industry has contributed to a very sick health care system in our country. This case is a tragedy. As Cigna Healthcare reaps the benefits of its bottom line, I hope that its employees are ashamed of this decision.

Rita T. White
Greensboro

It's the New Year, and that means resolutions. I'm ready (a survivor of many well-intended and long-forgotten resolves).

With clean slate in hand, I promise to dump the Bah Humbug attitude of looking at things. Forgive and forget is the way to go. No longer will these petty annoyances irritate me:

* Loud, obnoxious and silly advertising (TV and newspaper). Buy one, get one free. $4.99, not $5. Cars on mountain peaks and in the middle of rivers. Head On! (Repeat five times and end with Head On!)

* Bad drivers, it's OK. Pass me full speed ahead, cell phone in hand, no turn signal.

* Technological advances. HD, DVD, LED, MP3, blue teeth, Ipod, digital this and that. No on/off button.

* Extreme politics: Washington, Raleigh, Greensboro, everywhere.

Suggestion: Work together for the common good. Leave religion out of it and check the dictionary for Integrity and Principle.

Hey, I'm feeling better about 2008. Bring it on!

Bill Beerman
Greensboro

In 1996, my husband and I moved from our hometown of Jacksonville, N.C., to Greensboro to start our family. As medical professionals, we are able to find employment virtually anywhere. We chose Greensboro because of its reputation as a thriving center for the arts.

However, I am beginning to regret that decision because of a recent ruling by the Guilford County Board of Education to cut my child's elementary art and music classes by 50 percent.

Does Greensboro truly value the arts? Do we want to be the kind of city that attracts young professionals and hardworking families?

While studies prove art and music improve test scores and lower dropout rates, don't all children deserve arts education, not just children who attend private school or whose parents can afford private instruction? With climbing dropout rates and gang violence threatening our schools, are we willing to widen the gulf between the privileged and disadvantaged children in our county?

I believe there's hope for all children in the arts. We must pass this gift on to the next generation through strong support of arts education.

If just one generation fails to value the arts, we are in danger of losing them forever.

Catherine Barnette
Greensboro

On behalf of the multiracial team of folk who spearheaded the communitywide effort for a state historical marker in honor of the 1957 sit-in in Durham, we thank you for the wonderfully supportive News & Record editorial that appeared Dec. 27 ("Durham sit-in gets its due").

Throughout the campaign for the Royal Ice Cream Sit-in marker, extreme care was taken to ensure that there was not even the slightest perception of competition with the more famous Woolworth's sit-in in 1960.

Your editorial positively confirms that the Greensboro Four, the Durham Seven and citizens from many other locales had the very same goal, which was to end racial segregation.

Thanks again for the editorial.

Eddie Davis
Durham

The United States starts another year without single-payer, government-funded health care. Europe, Canada and Japan adopted this humane policy decades ago.

American generosity doesn't mean much without a policy that extends to all Americans the health coverage that has worked so well for those older than 65. Oddly enough, a generous plan like single-payer would save us money.

Americans with their profit-driven private insurance are widely reported to spend twice what any other nations do on health care. Yet we rank 37th in quality.

Why the low rating? One in six is uninsured, including Americans working full time. More are poorly served by the coverage they do have.

This lack of health care drives our costs up as health problems worsen without early treatment. This neglect also leads to an estimated 18,000 excess deaths a year.

That means 20 times more Americans died from lack of health coverage this year than died fighting in Iraq.

A single-payer plan would also be simpler and protect us from poverty. Missing or inadequate health coverage is a major reason Americans fall into poverty.

Isn't it time we direct our presidential candidates and representatives to get behind single-payer universal health care?

Anne Cassebaum
Elon

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Mona Shattell

UNC President Erskine Bowles' proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition has fueled a strong anti-immigrant tone in our community. Jennifer Krawiec's Counterpoint, "Helping illegals harms the rest of us" (Dec. 19), is just one example.

Like Krawiec's great-grandparents, many of the undocumented immigrants to which she referred endure poverty. Poverty among the Latino population in the United States is astonishing.

According to the Census Bureau, 22 percent of Latinos live below the federal poverty line, versus 10.6 percent of Caucasians.

The out-of-state tuition requirement is a major barrier to a college education for undocumented immigrants. Only an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of undocumented immigrants attend college after high school.

Some undocumented immigrants have overcome financial barriers and have enrolled in the UNC higher educational system. Undocumented immigrants enrolled in the UNC system are required to pay out-of-state tuition, even if they have lived in our state for many years (brought to the U.S. by their parents) and were educated in our public schools.

From an economic standpoint, improving the opportunities for a college education makes sense; college graduates have greater earning power and therefore pay more taxes.

According to the Immigration Policy Center, "a 30-year-old Mexican immigrant woman with a college degree will pay $5,300 more in taxes and cost $3,900 less in government expenses each year compared to a high school dropout with similar characteristics."

But it is more than business and economics. It is what is moral and just. The anti-immigrant sentiment evidenced in Krawiec's Counterpoint, in addition to several recent letters to the editor, has made me question, Where is our humanity?

Why aren't we as a community interested in the betterment of everyone?

Where are the compassion, empathy and concern for others?

I am reminded of a poem on display at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.:

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Socialist.

"Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Trade Unionist.

"Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Jew.

"Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me."

The writer is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at UNCG.

In reference to your article in the Dec. 29 News & Record and previous articles about the three local police officers who allegedly sexually assaulted a female police officer, I would like to make the following comments.

Your newspaper complained about the lack of information regarding the circumstances of the alleged assault and rightly so. Now that the City Council and Police Department have released more information about the situation, it helps me and others to understand what might have happened.

According to the articles, there was another female (friend of the alleged victim) also picked up. There has been no other information about the friend. Was she a witness to the alleged assault or perhaps also assaulted? If the City Council or Police Department won't say, the News & Record could at least relate that there was no information submitted to the paper about the other female.

So, your paper is just as guilty as the others as far as withholding information.

Bernard L. Zales
Greensboro

Due to exceptional drought, Gov. Easley has mandated citizens and municipalities "tighten their water belts" several more notches. The town of Elon has asked residents to cut back on consumption and curtail unnecessary usage.

The drought indicator well in Gibsonville shows a frightening and continual drop in ground-water levels. Area lakes and ponds are shrinking, and rain that has fallen in the past few months has not changed things one iota.

According to the Burlington Times-News, Elon University is conserving both energy and natural resources. The administration, staff and student body deserve praise. However, the water in its Lake Mary Nell periodically and mysteriously overflows, even in the drought.

We were shocked to learn that the university pumps water into the lake through a 3-inch pipe from a well on its property. It uses this "lake water" for landscape irrigation. Evidently, this is OK because they're important people with lots of money and powerful connections.

The university should be ashamed. While maintaining one of the most beautiful campuses in the country is admirable, doing so by depleting the water table is not.

Judy Barbour
Elon

As another year closes and an election year begins, it might be good to recap the accomplishments of the Bush administration these past few years:

1. Our schools have been converted from places of learning to places of testing, leaving many children behind. (Farewell, love of learning.)

2. We invented the practice of having a secret panel of oil and gas executives shape energy and climate-change policy. (So long, ice caps.)

3. Free speech has been relegated to approved "zones." (Goodbye, Constitution.)

4. We have learned that simulated drownings are not really torture. It depends on what you mean by torture. (Adios, clarity.)

5. We have revived the Watergate practice of destroying tapes containing incriminating evidence. (Go figure.)

6. We have decided to spy on Americans, just in case they are involved in terror. (Talk about terrifying.)

7. We have continued to spend billions of dollars -- and many young lives -- every day in a made-up war against an enemy who had no WMDs, who did not attack us, and who is long gone. (No goal, no end in sight.)

8. We have reinvented the American language to include new pronunciations like nookyulur and sossel security. (Goodbye, English.)

Christopher Poulos
Greensboro

In his Counterpoint, I found Paul King's comments (Dec. 30) about Marcus Kindley's letter (Dec. 15) somewhat correct for all the wrong reasons.

I agree that keeping church and state separate is necessary, but to imply that "secularism" deserves some kind of over-importance to the spiritual values that can be found within religions is a misstatement.

Truly, we all hold separate "truths," but they are based on our separate impressions. To espouse the idea that "I've found 'The Truth' and you've missed it" would be wrong. Edgar Cayce said it best: "We do not 'go' to heaven, we 'grow' to it."

If "heaven" and "spiritual happiness" equate to the same thing -- and I think they do -- then religion has its place and its limits, which includes a responsibility for not lording separate beliefs over others. Otherwise, all that this country was built on is forever lost.

Ray Hylton
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Glenn D. Dobrogosz

Please visit the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Web site and read the statement released by Jim Maddy, president and CEO. The following is an excerpt:

"AZA accreditation standards contain no specific dimensions for big cat enclosures. Our highly trained inspectors consider many factors when determining if an exhibit meets the standard. They look at the number, nature, and location of barriers; physical terrain; number, age and physical condition of the animals; and the scientifically known physical capabilities of the animals in the exhibit."

The Natural Science Center's new Animal Discovery project has been inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the AZA. Our institution will freely release these recent inspection results.

Both affirm our institution's high standards. USDA inspections are federally mandated, while AZA accreditation is completely voluntary with only 10 percent of the nation's USDA-licensed facilities meeting these rigorous standards.

The Science Center's AZA inspection results listed one major and 11 minor concerns, none of which contained anything to do with the tiger enclosure. In fact, the inspection went so well, our only major concern was to fix an $8 GFCI outlet.

With the outrigger, our tiger exhibit fence is 14 feet tall. Unlike a solid rock barrier, like the alleged escape route in San Francisco, our 9-gauge steel, plastic-coated fence does not provide structure or grip for these big cats. In addition, our professional keepers inspect the exhibit perimeter daily under a strict two-person protocol.

Visitor, animal and keeper safety, as well as meeting AZA standards, were the foundations on which we designed and built Animal Discovery.

The role of the Natural Science Center is to spark interest, inspire curiosity and instill knowledge about science, species conservation and the spectacular diversity of our natural world. We encourage and promote fun, safe and family-focused learning.

The writer is executive director, Natural Science Center of Greensboro.

Francie Portnoy asks why Christians are mean-spirited (Counterpoint, Dec. 22). She alleges narrow-mindedness because we don't accept other ways to heaven except through Christ.

Blaming the messenger rather than the message, her problem is with Jesus, not His followers. She claims Jesus never made exclusionary statements. Really? Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That's exclusionary.

My problem with her letter is this statement: "While I see Jesus as a very wise prophet, I do not define him as God." The question isn't how Portnoy defines Jesus but how Jesus defined Himself. Scripture shows Jesus claimed Divinity ("Before Abraham was, I AM"). He cannot be a good man by claiming to be God if He isn't; that would make Him a liar. Either He's a liar, or He's God. Isn't God trustworthy?

True Christians aren't mean-spirited. They have a heartfelt concern for a lost and dying world refusing to accept Him as savior.

Read II Corinthians, chapter 3. My wife, born Jewish, came to Christ in her 20s and relates to these verses.

Don Phillips
Reidsville

We have been working on a project to clean up the environment. It surprised us greatly how many recyclable items were thrown on the side of the road. Most of the items were glass and cans.

It would be awesome if everyone would start recycling. It bothers us to see all the damage it is doing to the environment. What many people probably don't understand is how it affects the environment. It harms animals because they might eat glass, a can or paper and choke. It also harms people by contaminating the water they drink.

In the end, it hurts all living things. So, if everyone could start or continue recycling, it would be greatly appreciated. Not only by us humans, but by the animals, too!

Breanna Hunt
Elizabeth Ward
Reece Floyd
The writers are Kernodle Middle School students.

Memo to all federal employees:

Since the federal government, at the insistence of the ACLU, has decreed that God and His Son, Jesus Christ, are no longer recognized as part of the makeup of this country and its citizens, all employees of this government, and especially the Congress who initially issued the decree, will observe Christmas Day as a normal work day. If anyone has scheduled this day as a day off, you will be penalized one day's pay with no appeal, even though you might profess Christianity as your religious belief and claim that the day is the birthday of Jesus Christ and shall be a day of Christian observance.

Therefore, I want to see all government employees at work on Christmas Day, carrying on business as usual.

Your Employer,

An Irritated Taxpayer and Practicing Christian

As a Christian, I am offended that our government is eliminating all references to God and Jesus Christ everywhere.

Note to non-Christians: Celebrate the holiday your own way, but don't tell Christians how to celebrate the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Cecil Livengood
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By David K. Rice

Regarding the editorial, "Agenda for 2008: Promote One Guilford" (Dec. 30), and John Robinson's column, "Council's action a good first step toward healing" (Dec. 30):

You talk of a united Guilford for 2008. You point to many diverse interests. Need a rallying point?

Our history teems with patriotism, from Gen. Greene to the Overseas Replacement Depot here during World War II to the troop support stickers on every other auto. We have young people yearning for direction in the high school and college ROTC programs. We have returning Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans. Let's go all out on the front page for our history and our returning veterans. Let's turn out the mayors, commissioners, bands and floats and make a big deal of it. We are at war, guys, and the nation needs our support. Let's be the heart of it.

Put aside our petty self-complaints. Get the governments, hospitals, schools, colleges and tech colleges on board. Promote special jobs and education for the veterans, especially in the nanotech and jet fields.

Celebrate their returns. Develop special local tax and education benefits.

Be proud of our young aspirants, our prospective military leaders, including our service academy appointees. Energize our veterans' groups. Recognize our local heroes: Gen. Hugh Shelton, who led the famous "All-American" 82nd Airborne Division; Charlie Myers, who lied about his age to get into the military, was bombed by the Japanese in the Aleutians and flew C-47s (remember the Berlin Airlift?). And what about the in-flight refuelers, flown over the Atlantic by Lee Richmond? And/or the Navy P-3Es guarding our skies and seas over the Aleutians, flown by Larry Phillips? And then there are the wives who kept the home fires burning. The returning veteran, Spc. Ann Bowen, should have been on the front page.

Stand up, be proud, Guilford.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

Forsyth County commissioners Chairwoman Gloria Whisenhunt and her board enhanced citizen involvement in the Heart of the Triad's planning process. Heeding Commissioner Walter Marshall's concern that business and development interests could hijack the residents' positions of the committee, they clarified the resolution by noting that the Forsyth County residents serving as property owners on the advisory board cannot be qualified to serve in another capacity.

In a separate action, commissioners resolved not to use eminent domain to aid development in that area.

The Winston-Salem City Council validated landowner concerns by unanimously changing the resolution to state that the "city does not endorse any specific plan" for development. Citizens are pleased with the added language.

Perhaps other governing bodies will follow Forsyth County and Winston-Salem leadership. Adding language that requires clear, reasonable goals by which the work of the HOT committees' success may be measured and seating agricultural, environmental and historic preservation experts on the committees would be invaluable.

After all, active listening is what endears officials in the hearts of their constituents and celebrates the wisdom of all the community.

Donna Bonds
Kernersville

The past 12 months have indeed been the year of eating dangerously.

Consumer Reports got things rolling by reporting that 83 percent of all raw chickens harbor campylobacter or salmonella, leading causes of food-borne disease. Spring and summer brought 20 recalls of 30 million pounds of ground beef contaminated with lethal E. coli.

All through the year, two dozen scientific reports, including a mammoth one by the World Cancer Research Fund, linked meat and dairy consumption with elevated risk of colon, stomach, pancreatic, prostate, breast, uterine and ovarian cancers.

A dozen more reports linked meat and dairy with obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. A survey of 30,000 children by the National Center for Health Statistics indicated an alarming rise in high blood pressure, a precursor to heart attack and stroke.

Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary, "The 11th Hour," reminded us that, according to the U.N., animal agriculture accounts for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions — more than automobiles.

The national uproar over Michael Vick's brutal dogfighting operation made us wonder why we tolerate the brutal treatment and slaughter of billions of cows, pigs and other innocent, sentient animals for our dinner tables.

Glenn Gustafson
Greensboro

The article on the Army wanting to set up light-infantry training grounds at the Savannah River Site and National Laboratory ("Army looks to S.C. nuclear site for training in total darkness," Dec. 24, page B4) suggested that the reservation occupies only 310 acres in South Carolina. In fact, the Savannah River Site is spread out over 310 square miles and encompasses portions of Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties. The site was built during the 1950s to generate and refine nuclear materials for deployment in nuclear weapons.

As the Associated Press story indicated, the original production facilities, such as reactors and heavy-water separations, waste storage tanks and analytical laboratories for nuclear materials, occupy about 10 percent of the area, leaving the majority of the land available for alternative uses. However, given the highly sensitive and secure nature of this site, the uses are extremely restricted. It is debatable whether the Army should be allowed to conduct training operations under such conditions.

Continued research into alternative forms of energy (e.g., hydrogen), safe disposal of radioactive waste and the ecological effects of ionizing radiation and heavy elements seem to be more desirable uses of this unusual chunk of land.

James L. Wilmer
Stokesdale

Most Americans know who said, "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."

I would like to modify that saying a bit: "Ask what you can do for your pocketbook and for your country."

On a recent trip to New Jersey, I set the cruise control on our 2001 Dodge Stratus to five miles below the speed limit. The average miles per gallon at the end of the trip was 38.7.

Driving the local roads, I try to stay also at five miles below the speed limit. The miles per gallon range about 24 to 26 miles. Frequently, on local roads, I catch up to those who have passed me at the next traffic light.

The point being, if we all drove at a lower speed, the miles per gallon would increase with less demand for imported oil, less demand on the refineries and a surplus of gasoline with a drop in price.

Raymond G. Brandes
Colfax

If the point of the letter by the Rev. Harold Waldruff (Jan. 1) is that there is no constitutional wall preventing religious arguments in our current political discussion, I quite agree. But if his meaning exceeds this, and even slightly suggests that this is a Muslim, Jewish, Christian or even a godly nation, then he implies a religious test for office.

The position is a clear rejection of our right to the free exercise of religion under Article VI of our federal Constitution.

May we never forget that we broke away from the awesome power of His Britannic Majesty George III, designated so by the grace of God and who was by law an Anglican Christian. We adopted a constitution, a government, simply by "We the people ..."

Leigh Rodenbough
Greensboro

You move here illegally from a foreign country at 18 months old with your parents. They work hard, pay taxes and make sure you go to school. You graduate from high school third in your class, with many of your peers going to top colleges. But what about you? It does not matter how smart you are or how much savings you have. The best you can do is get a job as an illegal alien. There is no college for you.

Looking at the bigger picture, if we do not grant guest worker passes to those who are already here, what will happen? We will have a huge population of "Americanized" kids only allowed low-income jobs. Crackdowns on hiring illegals will result in more of what we saw in Texas on Nov. 14.

There are half a million illegal immigrants in North Carolina. Let's allow them to continue their education. Education has proven to reduce crime and create "good citizens." Since most Latinos already have fantastic family values, a real sense of responsibility and the desire to achieve their goals, I think making them legal, contributing visitors is more important than how many seats their children are taking. Let's treat them with the respect they deserve.

Tracy Lamothe
Greensboro

With the exception of bonafide employers, most all U.S. citizens (including politicians) have absolutely no knowledge of capitalism even though they support and participate in it daily. No matter man's attempt at regulation, capitalism will always have its way of mandating the best product at the least price.

We citizens are indeed capitalism, and therefore encourage and invite undocumented Latino migration into our great country. There are no exceptions, none.

Prove it by asking yourself some simple purchase questions. We could have reasonable immigration reform if we could accept ourselves as we truly are.

Richard Lloyd
Thomasville

Environmental safety. What does it mean? The environment is very important. As students and citizens of Guilford County, we are concerned about what is going on in our environment. Our group went to Bur-Mil Park and picked up trash.

This was a project that all students on the Murphy/Craven team at Kernodle Middle School did. We were sent into groups and had to choose something that had an effect on the environment. We found that we mostly picked up trash that was soda cans and plastic bottles. Altogether, we picked up 85 items.

While we were at Bur-Mil Park, we went on Big Loop Trail (which was near the pool entrance). Overall, we had a pretty good time helping our environment.

Tiesha Lea
Zoe Schulze
Amelia Fuqua
Hunter Nunley
Aaron DiMattia

The writers are students at Kernodle Middle School.

Elon University shares the concerns of a newspaper reader about the ongoing drought affecting North Carolina. Her recent letter, "Elon should explain use of lake water to irrigate" (Jan. 4) misses an important aspect of our conservation efforts.

Elon uses campus lakes to collect rainwater for irrigation. The university routinely transfers water between lakes using a 3-inch pipe to maximize water retention. Because the lakes collect runoff from surrounding neighborhoods, even a small amount of rain can quickly raise water levels. Maintaining optimum lake levels allows us to make the most of environmental conditions without depleting natural resources.

Unfortunately, the reader may have mistaken that water transfer as evidence that the university was pumping water from a well. While we typically do pump from a well when needed to maintain an irrigation supply, Elon chose to stop the practice this fall because of dry conditions.

Elon supports the sentiment of this reader, who is concerned about water conservation in a time of shortage. The university has initiated many water conservation projects over the years. As a result, per-capita water usage by the students who live on campus is 35 percent lower than the average per-capita indoor consumption for families nationwide.

Tom Flood
Elon

The writer is superintendent of landscaping and grounds, Elon University.

Thank you for reminding readers about opportunities to donate used items to area nonprofits ("Donate Do's," Dec. 27).

The Barnabas Network, a nonprofit not listed in the article, is an interfaith collaborative effort to help significantly disadvantaged families and families experiencing major crises. This includes mothers and children fleeing domestic violence, families moving from homelessness, and families whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by fire or other disaster.

The Barnabas Network takes donations of gently used furniture and gives to people in need. Drivers receiving donated furniture are prompt and courteous and will gladly remove pieces from attics and basements. Barnabas uses warehouse space, donated by business owner Jim Rucker, where clients may "shop" for free items.

Unlike other area nonprofits, Barnabas will accept box springs and mattresses in good condition. In fact, Barnabas has a great need for beds, especially for children, hundreds of whom sleep on the floor every night in the Triad.

The holiday season is over, but the need for used furniture exists year round. When someone donates furniture to The Barnabas Network, there are at least three good outcomes: The donor gets a tax credit, furniture is kept out of landfills and a family in need receives help.

Rosalyn Orr
Greensboro

Having recently read an article in the News & Record, I am struck by three thoughts.

First, I find it inconceivable that Jesus, who advised his followers to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's," would have any problem with the concept of separation of church and state.

Legal scholars have specifically stated that posting religious slogans of any sort in a publicly owned vehicle is in violation of the law. Why do we continue to debate this dead issue?

Second, the Ninth Amendment clearly states that "the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

As such, Harold Waldruff's assertion (letter, Jan. 1) that such separation does not exist because it is not mentioned in the Constitution is without foundation. The concept repeatedly has been upheld by the nation's courts.

Finally, Susie Barnes (Counterpoint, Jan. 1) urges us to "see how many Christians there are who "outnumber the butt-heads tremendously." She might do well toward convincing us of that by refraining from the use of puerile insults.

I've searched my Bible and I can't find a single instance of Jesus calling anyone "butt-head."

Charles W. Ward
Greensboro

Regarding the article, "Clubs climb aboard carousel project" (Jan. 3) where it is explained that the Greensboro Rotary Clubs want to raise $2 million plus for a carousel for children downtown, I say this is absurd.

Greensboro has long struggled to fund and finish the International Civil Rights Center & Museum downtown. This museum will bring adults and children from all over to learn about the courageous act that fueled the Civil Rights Movement. This is the most important thing that can be done in downtown.

Get on board, Rotarians!

Bob Plain
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Judy Godfrey

Elizabeth Edwards wasn't the only one trying to purchase Christmas gifts made in America. I found this a most daunting task. One store employee even told me I was in the wrong store. They were an import business.

We can forget the notion of quality control. Think the American toy companies got what they paid for? Maybe so at 50 cents an hour.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, since 2001 our trade agreement with China has cost American workers 1.8 million jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. North Carolina was second on the hardest-hit list, losing 77,200 jobs or 2 percent of our total state employment. Virtually all of these jobs were in manufacturing. Do textiles and furniture ring a bell?

Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau reports a trade deficit with China of more than $25.9 billion as of Oct. 31, 2007. This cannot be considered a healthy situation for our economy.

Next time you are shopping for clothes, household goods or even pet accessories, read the label.

The icing on the cake was a bed I purchased for my dog. She refused to have anything to do with it. After her reaction, I sniffed it to find a heavy petroleum/chemical odor. Sure enough, it was made in China. After I aired it in the sun for a day and dried the cover with six dryer sheets, it was still offensive. Needless to say, I returned it.

Washington, wake up and smell the coffee, or tea in this case. What were you thinking? Rethink and repair this misguided and unfair practice. Foreign trade, in this case, has gone to the dogs.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

A carousel that goes round and round on the taxpayers. I don't know if I am the only one who has a problem with organizations in Greensboro that decide that they are going to build something and then give it to the city of Greensboro to be supported in perpetuity ("Clubs climb aboard carousel project," Jan. 3).

A good example of this is the carousel the Rotary Club and others want to purchase and then give to Greensboro. I am not sure that they understand that many of the taxpayers in Greensboro do not want gifts that we will have to support through our tax base for the rest of our lives.

A carousel and Center City Park and other projects are great for Greensboro, but why does the taxpayer always have to bear the burden of upkeep? If these projects are so vital to Greensboro, then let the organization that builds them keep them up.

You will notice that when the new baseball stadium was built, it was not given to Greensboro. That's because it makes a profit.

I wonder if I can donate my house to Greensboro and the city will keep it up, assume taxes for the property and let me live in it until I die? I don't think so.

Then why does the city accept these gifts, which the taxpayer has to support, and the gifts are removed from the tax books?

Max Madrin
Greensboro

Your Jan. 4 editorial supporting the new helmet law for motorcyclists is a head start toward the "stinkin' protection" motorcyclists need. We enlightened bicyclists would welcome such a law for all of us, not just bicyclists below age 16.

Meanwhile, it would be helpful for your future comments on the motorcycle helmet law to make a clear distinction between "bikers" (motorcyclists) and "cyclists" (bicyclists). Technically the terms are interchangeable; however, in common parlance there is a clear distinction between a "cyclist" and a "biker" and a clear difference in perspective on helmet use. No serious cyclist is so headstrong as to ignore the need for proper head protection; a serious biker should have a similar attitude.

Phyllis Shaw
Greensboro

"Wall of separation" isn't in the Constitution. Thanks for your letter (Harold Waldruff, Jan. 1). I shall sleep better tonight! God bless.

Jane Dunlap
Mayodan

Regarding Harold Waldruff's letter, "Wall of separation isn't in the Constitution" (Jan. 1): Our founders ensured secular government, writing separation of church and state directly into our Constitution. They wove a path keeping freedom difficult to unravel.

Many states refused to ratify our Constitution without its First Amendment. Weary from a war against overwhelming odds, many were concerned the Constitution as written left us vulnerable again.

Madison wrote the Bill of Rights during this time, pacifying criticism from Jefferson and others. It is absurd poppycock to now claim and pretend our founders did not put in the separation clause specifically to avoid another fate caused by a state/church.

Perhaps even more absurd is the balderdash claiming our Constitution has no separation clause. Our Constitution contains the phrase that amendments "shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution." This phrase, combined with the wording of our First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," gives us the freedom and power of separation of church and state — even though the exact phrase will not be found anywhere in the Constitution.

Hank Wilkinson
Greensboro

I found it interesting that the day Don Wendelken's letter was published pointing to the lack of optimistic financial news (Jan. 2), oil prices topped $100 a barrel and the Dow-Jones Industrial Average had its biggest first yearly business-day loss in history.

I can't share Wendelken's optimism. Like calling someone "the world's tallest midget," numbers can be manipulated to look like good or bad news. The statement that "the stock market went up 6 percent in 2007" is technically true, for only the 30 stocks comprising the Dow. The S&P 500 increased 3.5 percent, showing the disparate impact of a few stocks in the Dow.
Quoting inflation at 3 percent may also be technically correct, but when you look at items that most consider necessities, you get a different picture: energy +21.4 percent; food +4.8 percent; transportation +9.6 percent; medical care +5.0 percent.

Mortgage defaults and foreclosures have hit levels unseen since the Great Depression. Trade deficits, a weak dollar, Chinese funding of our economy and slowing growth of GDP are only a few of the arguments to be made against a rosy economic outlook.

L.F. Rappaport
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By KELLY KENNEDY

I am concerned that the National Animal ID system is too invasive into people's lives. If the real purpose of NAIS is to track the food supply in certain instances — for example, an outbreak of mad cow disease — then:

l NAIS is not necessary for horses, donkeys, guardian animals, dogs or other non-food animals. These animals are not going to enter the human food chain in our country and should not be tracked by the government.

l NAIS is not necessary for sales direct to the consumer from the farm. In these cases there is already far better tracking of the food chain. I breed and raise my own pigs and chickens. I sell directly to the consumer. The consumer, my customer, knows me. I know the consumer.
I know my animals. My customer knows exactly where their food came from -- me.

l NAIS should not be at all involved with people who are raising livestock for their own family consumption. They know exactly where the food came from -- they raised it. There is no need to have any government involved in our own kitchens and backyard food raising.

The NAIS program is being implemented too broadly. To include the above groups suggests the government has ulterior motives and is trying to invade people's privacy.

Something needs to be done. Big Brother was in "1984," a book -- not my life.
If totally implemented, NAIS will cause many people who raise their own animals or buy from small, local producers to submit to the government surveillance or to stop raising their own food.
There should be voluntary exemptions that allow small producers to opt out of compliance.

The writer lives in Madison.

In regard to your editorial, "Hats off to safe helmets for bikers" (Jan. 4), you gave me the impression that you didn't know this was a "Freedom Ride." All we bikers are requesting is our right to decide.

A little more time researching and you will find that the state of North Carolina may be guilty of many of the motorcycle fatalities mentioned in your editorial. As a biker for 35 years, I can tell you that a person taking the state motorcycle course (without any previous experience) may not be qualified to be on the state's roads. These people are trained on a bike weighing less than 500 pounds, get their license, purchase a motorcycle weighing almost twice as much and hit the streets.

Check the number of fatalities involving people with two years or less of experience after being issued a motorcycle license by the state. I had the misfortune of witnessing a couple of these fatalities, and no helmet in the world could have saved them.

As for being "cool," ask anyone driving a convertible how they would feel wearing a helmet. Say the car flips. What is protecting the driver's head?

Steve Morris
Reidsville

In considering the proposal to offer in-state college tuition to North Carolina-resident undocumented immigrant applicants, I am moved by Mona Shattel's call for "compassion, empathy and concern for others" (Counterpoint, Jan. 3).

She presents well-thought-out defenses of her position, both factual and ideological.

She does not in any way demean the position of those opposed to this policy, and I am moved by her concern for her fellow human beings.

Unfortunately, the News & Record headline calls opposing views "mean, shortsighted." While at heart I agree with the headline's opinion, I deplore what I see as a possibly unintended result: The reader who has "anti-immigrant ... mean, shortsighted" views simply won't bother to read the opinion piece.

I don't think the writer wanted to exclude those opponents from considering her well-expressed opinion.

Kit Ravenel
Greensboro

It was so refreshing to open my newspaper Jan. 7 and read such an uplifting positive article by Jason Hardin concerning the poor, unfortunate dog and the angel of mercy who rescued him.

Laura Gonzo is a wonderful person to have shown such compassion and concern for this animal. It was a really nice experience to read about her and Benny on this particular Monday morning. It reminded me that all the news fit to print does not have to be negative.

How about printing more stories like this one -- the kind of story that impresses rather than depresses?

Van Flowers
Asheboro

Some say religion has no place in politics. I disagree. I am not concerned with a particular denomination or dogma, but I want a president with a strong moral code of right or wrong.

I believe that such morals come from a belief in some supernatural being, not from a subjective decision of someone who creates his own morality in each situation. Most of us have ideas of right or wrong, maybe unexplainable, but deep in our minds. We had some earlier religious training, with rules determined by a higher power. We were taught certain things were good or bad objectively, and we could not change one to the other for momentary convenience.

My president must have executive experience in government or business, where important decisions have an ethical side, based on some kind of spiritual belief, even if not self-admitted. I would not vote for an atheist or an agnostic, who doubts everything.

Our Constitution forbids any religious test for political office, but I can consider it when I vote.

Our forefathers would not have voted for a candidate denouncing religion, declaring his morals would be self-decided.

Each candidate should tell us what he believes.

Dick Douglas
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Allen Bullard

Francie Portnoy's Counterpoint (Dec. 22) was misleading about Quaker beliefs. As a graduate of Guilford College, a Quaker minister for more than 42 years, and a pastor of six Quaker churches, I can say that neither she nor liberals of Guilford College qualify to portray what most Quakers believe.

We believe the Bible is God's Word and Jesus is God's Son and man's Savior. We affirm "the Lord thy God is one God." Portnoy doesn’t "define Jesus as God" and feels only a portion of Scripture attributed to Him is authentic.

How does one honestly worship an anthropomorphic god, limited by the confines of time and space and human definition? Her "higher criticism" claims Mark's gospel was original, the other three gospels were copies and that other people claimed Jesus was God, not Jesus Himself.
Not so! The first 11 chapters of Mark are about miracles only God could perform. Jesus asked Peter in Chapter 8, "Who do you think I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ (God’s Son)."

Portnoy claims Jesus is a "wise prophet ... of love, acceptance, and charity," not God.
How could He be a good man and mislead people to believe He is God? If you don't accept His deity, you have only a lying lunatic left.

No, Jesus and Bible believers aren't "exclusionary." Yes, He is the only way, truth and life, but His Mission Statement is, "I came to seek and save all who are lost. ... I reject no one who comes to me."

The problem with Jesus for some is His salvation comes only on His terms. When He sent His disciples out to evangelize the lost (yes, He sought to convert other religions to Himself), He said it would be better for Sodom and Gomorrah at the judgment than for those who rejected Him.

Portnoy may want to read Chapter 9 of Mark about Jesus' belief in hell. The peace she hopes for is found only in commitment to the Prince of Peace.

Portnoy fell into the trap all liberals eventually end up in, calling us Bible believers (the only Christians accepted in the Bible) "mean-spirited, violent, self-serving" -- hateful, intolerant names.

Mark's gospel leaves us with two cautions from Jesus: "Ye do err for ye know not the Scriptures ... (therefore) you make the Word of God of no effect."

The writer lives in Randleman.

Your willingness in your editorial (Jan. 4) to cite seat-belt laws in support of the new helmet law demonstrates that proponents of the slippery slope objection to these laws were correct.

Since we are apparently willing to cede control to the state of any potentially hazardous personal activity, I look forward to future restrictions on skiing, listening to loud music, eating fatty foods and any other dangerous activities.

Steven Brown
Summerfield

I'm sitting here watching the public access station showing the teachers of the year for Guilford County Schools. As their pictures and names are shown, I have goose bumps. Why? Because teachers are my heroes.

Teachers are people who sacrifice monetarily to help their children. Teachers are people who sacrifice their own time to help our children succeed. Teachers really do care about our children.

My wife works at a middle school, and while things are not perfect and never will be, I'm impressed by the stories of devotion and caring by teachers.

Thank you, teachers, for being there for our children. Thank you for your devotion. It doesn't go unnoticed. You are the best.

Ben Jones
Greensboro

I applaud Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dempsey Benton's candor and concern for our mentally ill expressed at his recent press conference. Taking more of a hands-on approach with the staff overseeing the mental institutions will be crucial in his quest to better serve our less fortunate. The task that lies before him and the legislature is daunting. I remain cautiously optimistic.

It is refreshing news that John Tote of the N.C. Mental Health Association and Debra Dihoff of National Alliance on Mental Illness-North Carolina will be on two of the committees proposed by Benton. This potential exchanging of ideas and opinions rarely occurred over the past six years. Valuing outside viewpoints will push this process forward positively.

My hope is that Benton is sincere in giving the patients the best possible treatment to live more productive lives. He can show them his revised plan is not tied to budgets and timetables etched in stone by his predecessor.

Once Dorothea Dix Hospital closes, there will be no safety net statewide. These committees might conclude that time should be on the side of the patients and their families for a change, not on the side of politics.

Steve Church
Willow Spring

The article about milk in the Life section (Jan. 7) was very interesting. Monsanto, the producer of the bovine hormone injected into cows, claims the hormone is safe to the public. Monsanto had to submit a report to the FDA and show there were no problems with the hormone and its consumption by the public.

The person who put the report together was Margaret Miller. Miller resigned from Monsanto shortly before her report was to be released. Miller then took a job with FDA. One of her first jobs at the FDA is to decide whether to approve the report she wrote for Monsanto. Monsanto, the maker of Agent Orange, also claimed it was safe when it sprayed more than a million Vietnamese and 100,000 allied troops in Vietnam. Monsanto continues to bully small family farms by pushing genetically engineered crops and hormone-filled cows.

Starbucks and Caribou coffee have eliminated the hormone-filled milk from their coffee. If the hormone is safe, why not let the public know whether the milk they are drinking has it? I believe the reason is that more Americans are concerned with where their food comes from and, most importantly, what's in it.
Jason Roberts
Greensboro

Since Sept. 11, we’ve been living in fear and further discomforted by the notion that the spectacularly inept Bush administration is somehow responsible for having prevented more attacks on U.S. soil. All the soaring rhetoric of Republicans high on Christian fervor hasn't made us safer or better off, and their final gift to the nation appears to be a recession that promises to unite red and blue states in economic misery.

Into this sad mess charges Charles Davenport with tales of gruesome crimes, which he concludes can only be prevented by an armed citizenry (Jan. 6). He thinks we'd be out of our skulls to believe eight years of tough-on-crime, my-way-or-highway, big-on-defense, law-and-order, pre-emptive-strike Republican rule would actually amount to a safer society. In other words, Davenport suggests we should behave like the Iraqis - arm ourselves and shoot it out when threatened.

But the U.S. Army and everyone but the Bush folk are saying the violence there will end when people put down their guns and talk. Saying your ideas have failed and you have run out of new ones is not easy for either Davenport or the Republican Party.

Andrew Young
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint

By Roseann Olejniczak

Am I the only one with concerns over the new DWI law that takes away the judge's right to try each case on an individual basis?

I am referring to the law that allows a young person with a first-time DWI (non-moving violation) to be convicted with a felony. The person has now been asked to resign her position with the agency where she was employed as a caregiver. She has been a caregiver for my 28-year-old daughter for going on two years. She made a mistake last January right after the new law went into effect. She is in college and now has a felony that makes her unemployable with a majority of the health care agencies.

The case dragged out from January to October (when the arresting officer finally showed up in court). She has had equipment installed in her car, been to classes, paid all kinds of fees, has driving restrictions and now, on top of all that, a felony.

How many people in North Carolina are going to be employable in another five years? When I think of a felony, I think of someone who has killed someone, robbed a bank or stolen a car. I totally believe in stiff punishments for DWI, but I also am a strong believer in "the punishment must fit the crime." She was parked when arrested but, because of the motor running (it was January), it becomes a felony.

Maybe I am the only one who feels this way, but I think we need to think about how this is gong to impact the future of this state. Background checks are becoming more and more mandatory, and I think it is totally unfair to label a person with a felony without the judge even being able to make a "judgment call." Why do we have courts and judges if the sentence has already been determined?

The writer lives in Greensboro.

While responsible Americans are finally getting into the "go green" movement, the city of Greensboro has decided to devalue recycling by reducing the pick-up days for recycling containers by one-half. To add outrage to absurdity, those of us who recycle everything on the list must pay for an additional brown container to hold recyclables for two weeks. Of course, we can always haul trash to a drop-off site in our spare time.

While our brown containers overflow, we will have a green container one-half to three-fourths empty every single week. Furthermore, the article in the News & Record (Jan. 8) states that the leaders who decided to implement this new schedule believe that there will be no change in the tons of recyclable materials collected each year. In other words, making recycling more difficult will produce the same outcome. All of this to save $150,000 a year!

A better, more environmentally friendly solution to save tax money is to reduce by one-half the money paid to these forward-thinking, policy-making individuals.

Perhaps they will make half the regressive decisions.

Sandra Eldred
Greensboro

Steve Sumerford's recent column, "Get involved in one of these literary events in 2008" (Books, Jan. 6), couldn't have come at a better time. With one in five adults in Greensboro reading below an eighth-grade level, Reading Connections always needs volunteer tutors, and we currently have 90 people on our waiting list.

Our aim is to always have a tutor available when an adult student calls. Unfortunately, that is not always a quick reality. Every volunteer makes a huge difference!

Sumerford's column prompted a half-dozen people to contact us to become trained as a tutor for an adult struggling to read. Our next new tutor orientation is Jan. 16 for anyone desiring to gain more information on the tremendous need and the difference one individual can make in the life of another. Thank you for focusing on this important issue.

And thanks again to Steve Sumerford and the Greensboro Public Library for being a constant support for literacy, helping the larger community understand and share the joy that comes from communicating through the written word.

Jennifer Gore
Greensboro

The writer is executive director, Reading Connections.

I always find your TriadCareers section very interesting. The Jan. 6 edition was certainly a "gem" (excuse the pun).

Having been involved in the gem industry for the past 17 years, I can assure you that it has its fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly. Though I met gemologist Sterling VanDerwerker approximately 1 1/2 years ago, I can vouch for all that was written. For one person to have all of these skills is very rare.

Since I have been involved in much larger companies than his business, the qualifications mentioned are normally served by three people -- not one. Being both a certified GIA and AGS gemologist separates him from most; however, to have experience with CAD (computer assisted design), hands-on ability to physically make the product and then the capacity to make the presentation with passion (as mentioned in the article) is a remarkable combination. The reason that I can attest to all of the above is that I am a customer, and have seen it all come together.

Bravo, and well-deserved accolades, to a gentleman, a friend and a master craftsman. Visit his "little" domain -- he'll show you excellence, without bravado.

Tom Ludwinski
Greensboro

In the Jan. 8 edition of the News & Record (A2), there was a story, "Driverless car." In it GM stated that it was planning on introducing a driverless car within 10 years.

All I have to say is, GM, get real! Stop wasting your design and development money on something that probably 99.9 percent of us have no interest in.

How about giving us what we want: vehicles with better fuel efficiency and alternative fuel vehicles. I'm not talking about ethanol.

Let's hope our new president, whoever that may be, will stand up to the big oil companies and their obscene profits and mandate the auto makers increase the fuel efficiency of their vehicles.

Bob Ketay
High Point

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Steve Taub

So George Will thinks that the middle class is just fine and that the candidates expressing concern for its health are just "encouraging self-pity and economic hypochondria" (column, Jan. 8).

His commentary is based primarily on an economist telling us that, since 1979, the percentage of Americans making less than $30,000 a year has remained unchanged, but the percentage of those earning more than $100,000 a year has increased.

Let's start with the obvious: If, after 29 years' worth of inflation, the percentage of Americans making less than $30,000 hasn't changed, poverty has increased. Also, capping the middle class at $100,000 a year in 2008 is ludicrous. Does Will think a family with an annual income of, say, $120,000 qualifies as rich?

Will says that the ultra-rich pay an outsized proportion of American taxes. That's because they own an outsized (and growing) proportion of American wealth. Will conveniently ignores corporate taxation, which is proportionately at its lowest level for at least half a century, and that's while we're at war. There's a reason our soldiers need to rely on homemade body and vehicle armor, and it isn't inadequate middle class taxation.

Certainly, the middle class is in trouble. We're dealing with at least three expenses which are way, way larger than in 1979: housing, medicine and higher education, leading to dangerous levels of consumer debt.

A lot of the world economy is driven by American middle class spending, and we don't have a whole lot of disposable income left. Economically, the American middle class is the goose that lays the golden eggs. Feeding that goose less and failing to pay its vet bills isn't sound fiscal policy -- it's fiscal suicide.

To their credit, John Edwards and Mike Huckabee seem to be the main candidates who really take the problem of income polarization seriously, particularly Edwards. Edwards is right on two counts: 1. Government is contributing to the problem in that those who are subsidized are mostly those who can afford to lobby for those subsidies, and 2. Those who are subsidized most aren't about to give subsidies up voluntarily, even for the good of the country.

Addressing this problem is obviously in the interests of the middle class; what many don't seem to get (emphatically including Will) is that it is also very much in the long-term interests of corporate America.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

Who can blame the millions of illegal aliens for coming here where they have practically been invited by contractors, farmers and individuals wishing to profit from their cheap labor?

There are many U.S. citizens who think we should give them driver's licenses, voter privileges, Social Security benefits, send their children to school, etc. In the meantime, our economy is sinking like the Titanic. Ask yourself, do we need an illegal immigrant political party? Maybe they could pass laws that could be obeyed concerning immigration.

Our governmental policymakers are busy passing no-smoking laws. Not many yeas ago, tobacco was among our largest taxpaying industries. Are no-smoking laws more important than our immigration laws? Should smokers just be allowed to ignore them, or maybe drug laws? Where do we draw the line on what can or cannot be ignored?

No matter how compelled the bleeding hearts feel, the United States cannot save the entire world. My experience is they often violently resent interference by us in their affairs.

Joe Newsom
Star

Experience is one of the themes that keep coming to the forefront of our presidential elections. Some say experience is a key factor, others say not. For most of us in America, when we apply for jobs, we must establish experience. Experience is key. I don't want a physician operating on me who does not have experience. I do not want a lawyer defending me if he or she does not have any experience.

But when it comes to filling the office of the president in this current election, some are saying experience is not necessary. Go figure! That's like telling the owners of a mom-and-pop store that they need no experience to run a Fortune 500 company, isn't it?

Well, all I can say is that if experience is not required to handle such issues as national security, balancing a budget, etc., then whoever becomes the next president of these United States had better surround himself or herself with some very experienced Cabinet members and advisers.

Barbara Brimmage
Greensboro

Motorcyclists cry out for their "rights." What rights? We do not have the right to do anything on the public highway.

We have the privilege to have a driver's license if we meet certain criteria and demonstrate a proficiency to operate a motor vehicle within the parameters of the laws that govern the privilege. If we exceed the human factor (acquire sufficient "points"), our privilege can be reduced or revoked. The only right we have in this state and country is to be able to apply for the privilege.

A larger question would be if a motorcyclist should have the privilege of riding without a helmet. Taking an approach much like the concealed-carry permit, a motorcyclist with the privilege of riding without a helmet would agree and demonstrate the ability to meet certain criteria. Would such a rider agree to demonstrate his ability to operate a motorcycle via a program such as BikeSafe or another real-world program on a scheduled basis?

Age or maturity of the rider would also factor in. Would he agree to zero tolerance (just like the concealed-carry permit holder) regarding alcohol? Many single-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles also involve alcohol.

Jack Snead
Jamestown

Our state government has really made a backhanded move under the auspices of "caring for the farmers" during this drought. We have been watching the N.C. Department of Agriculture (www.ncagr.com) Web site to find out when the emergency hay was to be delivered to the state to help offset the hay shortage due to the drought. We fully expected to pay premium price for this hay, but now they are saying we cannot buy it without a National Animal Identification System Farm Premises ID.

I believe this had nothing to do with providing emergency hay and everything to do with forcing our hands to sign up for this oppressive program (which is supposed to be voluntary?). No one even bothered to let us know about this requirement until the hay was delivered and everyone was in a scramble to buy. I find this kind of coercion incomprehensible. This is not what "voluntary" means in a free and equal society. Voluntary assumes no coercion by means that would require the common man to relent due to uncommon pressure.
I am furious. What is interesting is that I was not a vociferous opponent of NAIS in the past. That is no longer the case.

Heidi Sutton
Walnut Cove

Regarding the editorial, "Military suppliers should like calling North Carolina home" (Jan. 9):

This is laudable and common in virtually every state in the union. Everyone wants a piece of the Department of Defense procurement budget. And as pointed out, North Carolina benefits from bases and the active duty service members and their families assigned thereto at a rate greater than all but two states.

Regrettably, North Carolina's record in these regards does not extend to offering the full services of the state's higher education system to these same service families. A review of higher education opportunities provided by Fort Bragg/Pope Air Force Base, Camp Lejeune/Marine Corps Air Station New River and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base shows many educational institutions offering their service to military members and their families. Most are out-of-state, such as Boston University, which, for example, offers graduate courses on base at Camp Lejeune. UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State are notable by their absence.

Why do service members in North Carolina (many of whom are North Carolina residents by virtue of birth) have to depend on the university systems in other states to provide extension programs where they work? Why cannot the first-tier institutions in the North Carolina university system provide these services?

Gov. Easley has described North Carolina as the most "military-friendly" state in the nation. If this is "military friendly," what do unfriendly states do?

I have previously written the governor on this issue -- with no response.

Joseph E. Lyons
High Point
The writer is a retired commander, U.S. Navy.

You allowed Jill Wagner too much space to berate us for not helping immigrants learn English (column, Jan. 10). There are two major flaws in her article.

First, as someone who has been fortunate enough to travel overseas, I can only agree with one statement: It can be difficult to communicate beyond basic conversation if you don't know the native language of the country you are visiting.

But, Ms. Wagner, as someone who is legally visiting another country, I will learn some basic communications and work to increase my vocabulary of the native language. If I intend to stay in the country for more than a short time, I will make the effort to increase my working vocabulary of the language. If people visiting the United States don't make similar effort, how much effort should we make to help them? And, if the people are visiting the United States illegally, without the intent to stay, why should we make the effort to help them?

The second flaw lies in the biographical snippet at the end of Wagner's column, which states that she will be teaching an English as a Second Language class at GTCC this year. If Wagner is so intent on us volunteering to help people learn English, then why is she accepting money in exchange for her involvement?

Len Docimo
High Point

When Mark Bowden defended waterboarding (column, Jan. 6), essentially arguing that it is ethical to do evil to achieve a possible good, I was left wondering whether we as Americans consider it moral to disown our commitments.

The United States ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

We ratified the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit "torture … and humiliating and degrading treatment."

We ratified the Convention against Torture, which declares that "no exceptional circumstances whatsoever … may be invoked as a justification of torture."

Bowden suggests that waterboarding is not torture "in the traditional sense of inflicting pain." That is not a "traditional" definition. In the U.S.-supported Convention against Torture, torture is defined as "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental," is inflicted to secure information. Waterboarding certainly fits. And if it didn't, what about our pledge to avoid "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment"?

Bowden acknowledges that those who engaged in waterboarding were breaking the law; he just says it's OK to ignore law and treaty. We've pledged to the world to uphold certain universal moral precepts. We need to honor our pledge.

Leon Spencer
Greensboro

Bob Plain has a point (letter, Jan. 8).

I have been a Rotarian for more than 15 years, but I have to admit to some doubt about the relative merit of the carousel project endorsed by the Greensboro Rotary Club.

As Plain suggests, support for the Civil Rights Museum would be so much more meaningful.

Jim Kennedy
Greensboro

Two columns in the Jan. 6 News & Record made me want to cry. Charles Davenport Jr.'s column, "More Guilford County residents taking up arms," ended with a quote by a Greensboro citizen, "We must be prepared to defend ourselves." The second column, "In defense of waterboarding" by Mark Bowden, concluded that "water boarding Abu Zubaydah may have been illegal, but it wasn’t wrong."

In addition, in an Associated Press article in the same paper, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was quoted as saying,"There is no painless requirement" in the Constitution as far as lethal injections during state-sanctioned executions are concerned.

What made me want to cry is the not-so-subtle appeal to our dark side, such as let's shoot each other when we feel threatened, torture people as we deem it necessary, and why not inflict some pain as we kill the perpetrator on death row?

What is happening to our ideals of creating an exemplary society for the rest of humanity? Are we becoming the "beast" we want to exorcise in others?

And, last but not least, what happened to the teachings of the New Testament? We seem to be regressing to the Old Testament's notion of "an eye for an eye."

I firmly believe and hope that we need and can do better!

Michael H. Hoppe
Greensboro

Bernie Man has always been a man to admire. Thank you to him, Rotary clubs and Sertoma for the carousel project. Sarah Jones' column (Jan. 9) criticizes the project's fundraising for this, suggesting that money would be best spent on homeless beggars.

Regarding the old "give them fish" story, maybe the "teach them to fish" idea is better. Possibly tax money spent to do so exceeds willing learners.

Meanwhile, it is pleasant to anticipate a visit to the carousel downtown (before sunset, of course).

Frank M. Freeman
Greensboro

I am writing in regard to an incident I observed while visiting Greensboro on Jan. 9 at the intersection of Fordham Boulevard and Wendover Avenue.

While a man was trying to cross Wendover (when the pedestrian traffic signal indicated he could), I saw him narrowly avoid getting hit no fewer than three times by vehicles making a right turn. Each time a car nearly plowed into him, the man looked at the driver and pointed to the traffic signal.

I would like to remind these careless "vehicle operators" of N.C. General Statutes 20-155c and 20-158(b)(2)b-d as well as Chapter 4 of the "N.C. Driver's Handbook" under the subheading "Basic Driving Skills and Rules, Part 2." It might also be helpful to review NCGS 20-16 and Chapter 3 of the "Driver’s Handbook." They can access this information easily via the Web at www.ncga.state.nc.us and www.ncdot.org.

"Yield to the pedestrian," should be one of the many pearls one takes away from a basic driver's education course in high school. Memorize it!

I was both indignant and disheartened to find that Greensboro is still the pedestrian-unfriendly city that it was during my days at UNCG. Some things never change.

Brian Holcomb
Weirton, W.Va.

In a Jan. 8 op-ed, Cary Allred of Burlington unleashed a tirade against Congressman Howard Coble, accusing him of being ineffective. Let's look at some facts:

Only recently we read that Congressman Coble secured $10 million for projects throughout the 6th District. Painter Boulevard is being constructed around Greensboro with the help of millions of dollars that he made possible through his membership on the House Transportation Committee.

He was instrumental in getting federal funding for the Galyon Transportation Center in downtown Greensboro at a time when the project’s outcome was in question.

If these are examples of being an ineffective member of Congress, why do 70 percent of voters continue to return him to office?

Allred chose to focus on an obscure tax provision that has no relevance to today's realities. Congressman Coble runs a model campaign that reflects the level of service he has rendered in Washington; he has always been prudent in how he spends campaign donations and has never finished a campaign in debt. That's the true mark of fiscal responsibility and of someone we need to represent us.

Better that Mr. Allred find a real issue to carp on - if he can.

Bill Knight
Greensboro
The writer is treasurer, Coble for Congress Campaign.

The following is a Counterpoint

By Joseph Saldarini

News & Record, you couldn't be more wrong in your editorial, "Hats off to safe helmets for bikers," (Jan. 4). Helmet laws are about selling helmets, not safety.

You and the North Carolina Legislature bit on the insurance and helmet industries' statistics on accident survival and claimed that those who survive head injuries cost themselves and taxpayers for their rehabilitation.

First of all, no helmet manufacturer will guarantee safety from injury above 15 mph ... so much for safety. Next, wearing a 3-pound helmet can make injury worse in many accidents by causing severe neck injuries. My former stockbroker experienced a survivable crash but was killed when the momentum of his helmet snapped his neck like a twig.

As for costing the riders and taxpayers money for rehab, what happens when your head is protected and you snap your neck? Calculate the cost of rehab for a para- or quadriplegic versus funeral expenses and I am sure you'll retract that claim.

And personally, there are things much worse than death, and those two rank high on my list.
Your argument is moot; states with voluntary helmet laws for those older than 21 require accident insurance coverage and, frankly, if I wanted to be safe, I would not get on a motorcycle.

On May 21, 2004, I wrote and you published my comments on mandatory helmet laws and my viewpoint has not changed: Let those who ride decide. On many occasions I feel a helmet is appropriate and others when I prefer not to wear one, and as a free adult (with ample insurance) that choice should be my right.

I'll close with a short story for you and your readers to think about: A News & Record editorial staffer has the opportunity to travel back in time to the founding constitutional convention. Our founding fathers greet the staffer warmly and inquire about the latest laws of the land 200 years hence.

The staffer proudly announces that we have passed laws mandating helmets for personal transportation devices. The founding fathers are incredulous and inquire why such a law would be needed. The staffer replies, "Why, it's for their own and the public's good!"

The staffer is sent back to his time wearing a coat of tar and feathers and the founding fathers go back inside and weep for the loss of freedoms in the future.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

My daughter and son-in-law, who live in Greensboro, were awakened New Year's night by gunshots. Shots were fired into their automobile and also into their home.

These two people are not drug dealers nor have they broken any laws. They are guilty only of buying a 1927 home and living there while renovating it themselves. They are a credit to the community.

I've discovered through research that the community has drug dealers, prostitutes and other criminals with little or no progress in bringing it to a halt.
What a terrible shame that in the Gate City a couple lives in fear due to such crime.

We here in Charlotte, the Queen City, have the same problem. Is it possible that the residents of these two cities and other cities in the Carolinas and elsewhere can put our heads together with our city leaders and police forces and alleviate this severe problem? These drive-by shootings have resulted in deaths in our city of Charlotte.

Please tell me someone has some answers.

Don Lomax
Charlotte

You might recall that you ran a three-part series I wrote earlier this year about a re-enactment of Inman's 1864 trek across North Carolina from the novel "Cold Mountain." This past year the News & Record kindly and prominently announced signings that were held at Barnes & Noble and the Kathleen Clay Edwards Library for my book, "The Blue Ridge Parkway by Foot: A Park Ranger's Memoir."

I mention this information only as a matter of introduction and remain appreciative of all that the News & Record has done for me. I also depend on the paper for informative, unbiased news, humor, my daily Sudoku fix, etc.

But I am Mormon and am very disappointed in the "Out or In?" article in the Jan. 11 Live! section. I am referring to the second item in the vertical column, which notes that "Mormon undergarments" are "out" and "Spanx" are "in."

I am hurt that you have blasphemed such a private, sacred matter and am disappointed that religious bigotry is alive and well in my hometown newspaper.

Tim Pegram
Oak Ridge

Honesty and integrity are not dead in High Point. On Dec. 31, while riding my motorcycle on Hartley Drive, my wallet containing more than $600 fell out of my jacket pocket. I was on my way to the bank, and when I discovered it was missing, I retraced my route, but I could not locate it.

I went to my residence to report the missing items to the proper authorities. When I picked up the phone, I had a message from Stan Smith, a young teacher at Page High School. He wanted to return my wallet. I went to his house and he returned my wallet and the contents. He refused to take a reward.

Being a retired police officer, I know firsthand that the possibility of someone returning a wallet with that much money in it is very low.

It was refreshing to meet an honest person with the integrity and kindness of Stan. This speaks very highly not only of him but also of the caliber of teachers in Guilford County.

Jerry Streetman
Kernersville

I love religionists. There seems to be at least one form of belief that fits almost everyone. Even among those who consider themselves members of the Society of Friends, there is always lively debate and a diversity of faith.

Allen Bullard's Counterpoint (Jan. 10) is telling about the variety of Quakers one is likely to find around here. He claims to have been "a pastor of six Quaker churches." My Friends don't meet in churches. They used each other's homes in secret during the earliest days of Quakerism, back when it was dangerous not to be part of the state religion. My Friends now use meeting houses open to all.

God sometimes speaks to me out of the silence of the meeting, or in signs and wonders, and occasionally from words uttered or written by others like those of Pastor Bullard. Francie Portnoy couldn't have been "misleading about Quaker belief" in her Counterpoint (Dec. 22, 2007) if she was speaking from her own experience. Why would any Quaker want to be?

Peter Deane
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint.

By VICKI SMITH

The year 2007 was a dangerous time for individuals living in the state psychiatric hospitals. Cherry, Broughton and now Umstead have been cited by the federal government for treatment conditions so poor that residents have been abused and in some cases died.

So, who is responsible for the increased violence in our state hospitals? Umstead Director Stephen Oxley was recently quoted as saying, "This is not a problem of our hospitals screwing up, of just not doing what they're supposed to do. ... We're being confronted with a significant increase in violence in our facility."

If it's not a problem of the hospitals screwing up, then what is the problem?
One solution would be to blame the victims of this violence, the residents with mental illness who are in the hospital, often not voluntarily, to receive treatment. But how could this be their fault?

There are more suitable places to look for the cause of this systemic problem. The inevitable consequence of understaffing, overwork and low wages is poor employee morale. Poor morale results in staff turnover, making it harder to ensure that workers are appropriately trained. Poorly trained workers provide poor services. This translates to poor patient care, meaning increased abuse and neglect. This is the fault of a system that provides the staffing ratios of patients to health care workers and establishes employee salaries. It cannot be resolved by isolated, after-the-fact firings.

Second, there must be adequate community-based services, including crisis facilities, to prevent, when possible, the necessity for hospitalization. Without appropriate community services, people with mental illness can experience rapid escalation of symptoms. Added to this dangerous lack of services is the long transport from local neighborhoods to overcrowded state hospitals. Now it is beyond crisis. It is a tragedy waiting to happen.

A community-based service delivery system for people with mental illness, substance abuse issues or developmental disabilities cannot be built by closing down institutions. There must be an array of regionally based community services. There must be adequate housing, supported employment opportunities, safe recreation and other service options readily available across the state. As people move through the system, there must be crisis services, including trained first responders.

Most importantly we have to stop thinking the bottom line is preceded with a dollar sign and recognize that what we are really spending — not saving — is human lives.

The writer is executive director of Disability Rights North Carolina.

I am troubled by a recent letter that suggested the absence of corporal punishment has left a generation of miscreants who not even remarkable teachers can restrain. To impose the thought, "Behave yourselves and get an education" meshes too greatly the world of child and adult morality. With maturity, this gap between child and adult morality is bridged.

In the earlier stages of moral enhancement comes the ability to regard the expectations of others in one's environment. It is a question of whose role it is to guide the child across this gap. Non-parents are expected to orient this moral compass for a minimum of seven hours a day.

My fondest memories of teachers were from those who agreed to a mutual bond of learning and development through commitment and yes, respect. They established boundaries through reason, logic and understanding. As opposed to behavior, the issue may be deeply rooted in moral expansion.

The challenge of how students act in absence of punishment lies in the hands of the educators. Shouldn't every teacher, from certification down to the beginning of every single class period, be charged with the duty to enhance the moral fiber of every student he or she encounters?

Colin Campbell
Elon

"Press one for English." For a moment I thought that I was living in a foreign country. On second thought, maybe I am.

I have nothing against the Spanish language or those who speak it, but let them "Press one for Spanish," unless we've already been taken over as well as invaded.

Al LaMachio
Greensboro

January is a significant month for those of us who honor our Confederate heritage. Gen. Robert Edward Lee was born Jan. 19, 1807, in Virginia, the son of a Revolutionary War hero. He considered it his duty to honor his legendary father by pursuing a military career, serving in the U.S. Army for 30 years.

In 1860, the election of a radical Republican, Mr. Lincoln, as federal president caused several Southern states to withdraw from the Union to form a new nation, The Confederate States of America.

Lee opposed secession, but when Lincoln ordered an unlawful invasion of the Southern states to force them back into the Union, Lee, after refusing command of the Union forces, had no choice but to resign from the federal army and assume command of the Confederate forces.

For four tragic years, Lee brilliantly defended his beloved Virginia, but was forced to surrender the remains of his ragged little army on April 9, 1865.

With the destruction of the Southern Confederacy, also was lost the constitutional republic, which had been so skillfully created by the founders in 1787. With unlimited powers thus vested in the central government, we have now seen the development of an all-powerful, all-intrusive, imperialist federal bureaucracy.

Tragically, the Republic, states' rights and the Constitution died at Appomattox with the Confederate Army.

W.K. Oden Jr.
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint:

By James Andrews

Robert Baugh, executive director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council, once told Congress, "The loss of our manufacturing capacity -- the intellectual and technical capability to make things -- is a profound threat to the nation's economy and our national security."

He wasn't specifically talking about the new Air Force air tanker project, but he could have been. The Air Force is considering giving all or part of this important military contract to a foreign company, while a proven U.S. supplier stands ready to meet our needs.

The U.S. company is Boeing, whose workers have supplied America with military aircraft for more than 75 years. The foreign company is EADS, a European firm that is being sued by the U.S. for unfairly using foreign government subsidies in an attempt to push us out of the commercial airline business.

If EADS gets this contract, it will mean the loss of more than 20,000 American jobs, most of them to France. That's about half of the 44,000 total jobs Boeing's air tanker would support in this country.

Even though the jobs lost would be significant, the greater damage would be done to our defense manufacturing capacity. Outsourcing jobs in any industry is bad policy; in the defense business it is downright foolish.

Think back to World War II. When our way of life was threatened, American workers answered the call. At Boeing, they increased monthly production of the legendary B-17 bomber by an incredible 600 percent between 1942 and 1944. In one stretch, they pushed one off the line every hour and a half.

That's what we can expect from U.S. workers. If a situation like that ever arises again, will French workers do the same?

North Carolina would play a direct role in building the Boeing air tanker. It would support 250 total jobs here and provide $10 million in annual economic impact. Like other states, we've been hit hard by the outsourcing of our jobs to other countries. The federal government should seize this opportunity to bring new jobs into America for a change.

When I served this nation in Vietnam, I took great comfort in knowing that the equipment I depended on was made in America by American workers.

Our servicemen and women today deserve that same reassurance.

The writer is president of the N.C. AFL-CIO.

Recycling is neither a state religion nor a sham. It is a common-sense way to save natural resources, reduce landfill flow and pollution,and ease the tax burden of property owners.

Unfortunately, conservative columnists have come to ignore conservation, just as the Greensboro City Council has abandoned any semblance of fiscal responsibility by reducing recycling pick-up to once every two weeks. As usual, the development community is laughing all the way to the bank.

The reduction of recycling pickup will invariably lead to increased flow to landfills, and local government will once again turn to property owners to foot the bill for additional landfill space -- and if property taxes won't cover the cost, there will simply be another bond or the city will once again artificially increase the value of property through reassessments.

Meanwhile, the developers' dream scenario will continue with ever-expanding subsidized sprawl (think Outer Loops to Oblivion) and total freedom from accepting the consequences of growth and development.

Need new schools, more police officers and firefighters? Just place the burden on the existing property owners instead of forcing development to pay its own way. Progressive Greensboro? Don't make me laugh.

Bryan Chitwood
Greensboro

Thoughts the morning after New Hampshire:

Obama is still a breath of fresh air. But is there more behind it than just wind? Sure there is: intelligence, a feel for the need for change, and a personality that comes through as what you see is what you get. But breadth of experience and the scope of his background are limited.

New Hampshire minimizes the ridiculous antipathy of some screwballs toward Hillary. Registered Democrats heavily supported her and she won, period. It will be unfortunate if she lets image-builders and strategists tell her too much to say. Better she project herself as the good, strong lady she is. She needs less Bill; he makes her look a little like a throwback, when people want change. She would be more able, competent and connected than Obama to perceive and lead in what change is doable.

Mere politics: Would the Democrats lose the South if Obama is nominated (white vote), or would there be an offsetting turnout (black vote)? Or was Iowa a reliable signal on race?

Interesting times ahead. And John Edwards is gone.

Dick Wharton
Greensboro

The writer of a Jan. 7 letter talked about how well-educated immigrants make better citizens. I agree they make better people, but at what cost? In the letter, they were referred to as citizens, but by definition, a citizen has been born in the country or accepted as a permanent resident. By definition, a person not a legal resident of the United States is considered an alien.

The UNC system has been in the news about allowing immigrants to receive in-state tuition. It said there are four illegal immigrants in the system already who received full financial aid. While this is not state or federal aid, think of how many legal in-state students attend these schools who could use it and have taxpaying parents. Suppose after these immigrants graduate, they decide to go back to their own country. Then we have spent money to educate another country.

In order to ensure they remain citizens, they should be required to work on their citizenship while in school. I have no problem with immigrants receiving an education, but they shouldn't have special privileges.

Shaunta Harris
Burlington

The tragic death of a teenager killed by a tiger at the San Francisco Zoo should inspire policymakers to take action. If tigers can escape from an accredited zoo, imagine what can happen if they can be kept as pets as in North Carolina. Some localities have stricter rules, but the state only regulates native species, not exotic animals.

An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 big cats live in captivity in the United States. While some live in accredited zoos and responsible animal sanctuaries, most too often live in miserable conditions as part of roadside exhibits, traveling shows and pseudo-sanctuaries, and even in basements and backyards. Bought as cubs, they quickly grow too dangerous to handle
.
Eleven people have been killed by captive big cats since 2001 and many more have been injured. In North Carolina, a 10-year-old boy was killed by a relative's pet tiger in 2003; a teenager was bitten by her father's tiger in 2004; and two tiger cubs were found wandering along a roadside in 2005.

Most states outlaw tigers as pets. North Carolina should join them. Tigers aren't pets.

Ann Church
Morehead City

The writer is regional director for The Humane Society of the United States.

In response to the letter, "What is happening to this nation's ideals?" (Jan. 15), Michael Hoppe's apparent argument against the use of our Second Amendment rights for self-defense shows a terrible lack of historical awareness.

If one would read not only the Second Amendment but the Federalist Papers and other arguments presented at the time the Bill of Rights was debated, one would understand that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms was not written for the main purpose of self-defense or hunting. It was written so the public could protect itself from an overbearing federal government and rebel if it again became necessary.

The federal government was expressly limited in its scope, with its powers very well defined, and those not expressly delegated belonged to the states or the people.

The Second Amendment was written in the hope it would stave off what we now have in the form of an overbearing, bloated federal system that runs roughshod over both personal and states' rights. Congratulations to all our liberal friends for making us serfs to another king.

The fact we can use the Second Amendment as a means of self-defense is a welcome byproduct.

Steve Gorden
Kernersville

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Amos L. Quick III

On Jan. 10, the News & Record published a mostly factless story regarding the arrest of a 24-year-old man (page B3). The large headline read, "24-year-old man charged in trying to sell marijuana, cocaine at Dudley." That was followed by the sentence, "A man was arrested Wednesday at Dudley High School after allegedly trying to sell marijuana and cocaine on campus."

The article later identified the man as a student. All three of these statements, while probably effective in conveying a hidden message, were not true.

After speaking with people associated with the school, the school resource officer and an additional Greensboro Police Department officer, I was informed this individual was arrested at Phillips Avenue and Lombard Street. I have also been assured that no 24-year-olds are enrolled at Dudley. There's also no evidence, of which I am aware, that this individual was at Dudley at any time in the recent past.

So why does Dudley even get mentioned? It took me three phone calls and a total of seven minutes to get the correct information.

While I understand the News & Record will publish some type of small retraction, we have to expect better of the largest newspaper serving our area. The students, staff and community of Dudley High School work hard daily to educate and prepare the next generation of this nation's leaders.

On the same day this story was published, I was fortunate to be on the campus and witnessed a school abuzz with excitement over the judging of senior projects.

Is it too much to expect that a community news leader check facts before it decides to smear a local school filled with children striving to get an education and training for their future?

At the very least, as a teacher once taught our English class when I attended Dudley in the 1980s, "If you're not going to help, don't hinder."

The writer is vice chairman, Guilford County Board of Education, representing District 9.

Pessimism about "going green" abounds and as always, key points are missed.

Many people discredit bamboo (for making cloth) without considering the fact that cotton remains the second most highly polluted crop, in terms of pesticide usage. (Let's also think of the workers in that environment!)

And how about diet? Why does no one ever mention factory farming and the abomination that it is to the workers, the animals, the environment and to the general health of every human being?

Buying organic and local is important, but how about buying in bulk more often too -- that surely eliminates paying for more packaging, not to mention the responsibility consumers should have in choosing which organic products to buy. The Horizon and Cascadian Farms brands are owned by Dean Foods and General Mills, respectively. Do we really believe that the same people who make Boo Berry cereal are truly concerned with improving our health and the environment?

To summize: Reduce, reuse and then recycle. This order is so important. Please remain educated and responsible consumers. Your money, your planet and your health are all related -- know where it is going! Visit www.coopamerica.org/programs.

Jennifer Oliva Kroll
Greensboro

I propose that Israel cede to the Palestinians a narrow strip of the Negev between the most northerly point of Gaza and the most southerly point to the Egyptian town of Taba. The wealthier nations would offer to purchase from Egypt a similar strip on the coast to include the land between a line drawn from Al Arish to Taba on the Gulf of Aqaba.

For its concession of this part of the northern Sinai, which is of little interest to Egypt, the wealthier nations would offer the sum of $20 billion over 20 years. Such payment would enable Egypt to develop a long-term program of housing, sanitation and education for its people, raise the Egyptian standard of living and eventually pay off its foreign debt. Egypt would thus show its Palestinian brothers its real concern for them.

Such action by Egypt would encourage the economically strong nations to aid in the construction of a stable Palestinian economy without which no solution to this problem is possible.

Israel would also contribute by providing the Palestinians with the agricultural expertise they have developed in the north, causing the biblical prophecy that they will "beat their swords into plowshares" to be realized.

Bernard J. Flatow
Chapel Hill

The Burnett Poll announced today (Jan. 16) that Sen. Hillary Clinton will be the Democrat Party nominee. And she will be elected the next U.S. president in November. Sen. Clinton will succeed as president because she is smart and hard-working, does her homework, cooperates with others, stands up to bullies, and has a long history of accomplishments.

She advocates common-sense policies that clearly align with historical American values. And, significantly, she is the best prepared presidential candidate because she has eight years of on-the-job training in the White House. She will be a great president.

Now I must say right away, I do not oppose Sen. Barack Obama or former Sen. John Edwards. If either one is the nominee, I will be satisfied. For to clean up eight years of the mess left by George W. Bush, the nation may need two terms of President Clinton, two terms of President Obama, and two terms of President Edwards.

Bill Burnett
Greensboro

The win for Mitt Romney in his home state of Michigan means only one thing. Tell the voters what they want to hear, and they will vote for you knowing what you are telling them is probably a lie.

I hope voters do not fall for the same message Barack Hussein Obama is spreading.

Ken Sawyer
High Point

Mona Charen's column of Jan. 12 in the News & Record ended with a call to Sen. Clinton to exploit the "opening labeled patriotism." Sen. Clinton should be cautious about moving patriotism into nationalism, an "ism" to be avoided.

Barbara P. Walker
Greensboro

In reference to the story of the heroic boy who saved Maldives leader Maumoon Gayoom, I wonder whether we are as morally fit as this brave young man.

Mohammed Jaisham Ibrahim, this 15-year-old Boy Scout, risked his own life for that of the president, whom he felt a civic and moral duty to protect. This young man was able to put his learning to the ultimate test, which ended in a life saved. He was able to decide quickly whether to save his own life or to uphold his duty to protect human life and save another's, even if that meant he gave up his own.

This is such a difficult decision, and his moral ability raises the bigger question at hand: In a society where our duties seem to lie in our need to better ourselves and to put ourselves first in life, would we be able to make that split-second decision and weigh the dilemma of whether to save ourselves or to protect someone else? Are we willing to put ourselves on the line to better someone else when there is a chance we will not live to see that person's betterment?

Frances Gee
Elon

School administrators are struggling to find a way to stop fighting in Guilford County schools. Rather than "stern disciplinary action," administrators could teach students about the root of conflict. Students see fighting as an answer to conflict. In reality, fighting just makes the conflict bigger. If students were taught about resolving conflicts, they might respond to their problems more logically and responsibly.

When someone starts a fight, it is probable that he or she only looked at the fight from his or her own perspective. The fighter probably doesn't realize how the victim felt. If students were taught how to view conflict from the victims' perspective, they might think in a new way about fighting.

At Grimsley High School, the battle is ongoing between two neighborhoods. If students from different neighborhoods came together as one class and discussed conflicts they share, they might realize they aren't that different. Students might learn to put neighborhood differences aside and learn to talk about their fears and problems with other students. Stern disciplinary action and arrests are not the answer to fighting in Guilford County schools. Instead, administrators need to educate students about conflict.

Cameron McClellan
Greensboro

The writer is a seventh-grader at Northern Guilford Middle School.

On Saturday night, Jan. 12, my wife and I were traveling north on U.S. 70 near High Point when we struck a large amount of debris in the highway. One of my tires was ruptured, and I was able to pull safely off the driving surface. Within seconds, a Guilford County deputy sheriff, Jim Shipman, stopped behind us, and I was never happier to see blue lights.

Deputy Shipman suggested we stay safely away from the traffic while he returned to clear the trash that had been dumped or spilled on the highway. He also suggested that I not attempt to change the tire in the car's precarious position and that he would return. Shipman came back within a short time and very expertly replaced the damaged tire with the spare.
I have never been more favorably impressed by anyone in law enforcement. His professionalism, commitment to public service and manner of handling problem situations is a real credit to the Sheriff's department and to Guilford County. We are also grateful to Sheriff Barnes for providing the leadership and the atmosphere that motivates people like Jim Shipman to do the exemplary job he is doing.

Jim Dula
Burlington

So a 19-year-old is free to face combat in Afghanistan or Iraq but is not allowed to purchase a six-pack of long-neck Budweiser at the local convenience store. Is this a great country or what?

Guy Sinclair
Graham

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Brenda Hodge

An article by Jim Schlosser (Dec. 10) stated that Mike Sistrom, a Greensboro College history professor, and his students did a research project to learn about J.C. Price's history. Greensboro College now owns the J.C. Price campus, and the new owners plan to replace Price School with a new football stadium for the college. Many Price alumni have been rejecting this idea for many months.

Sistrom's attempt to record facts that have already been stated and call the effort "research" does not meet our standards or appease us. The article, "Project sheds light on history of Price School," is no more than another subtle attempt by Greensboro College to trivialize another place of historical significance to black residents of Guilford County.

Schlosser and Sistrom can neither write nor understand the history of African Americans. Schlosser was impressed with how passionate Price alumni are about our junior high/elementary school. The writer also tries to compare the "pride" Greensboro College students may feel for their "new" stadium with the "pride" that Price alumni feel for our "old" school. It is impossible for Schlosser or Sistrom to explain our passion or to compare the two "prides."

Thomas Hamilton wrote in 1858:

"Negroes, in order to assert and maintain their rank among men, must speak for themselves. No outside tongue, however gifted with eloquence, can tell their story; no outside organization, however benevolently intended, however cunningly contrived, can develop the energies and aspirations which make up their mission."

Considering that we are still passionately proud of J.C. Price school, Johnny Hodge, a former Warnersville resident, commented:

"J.C. Price, like other segregated schools, gave us some identity when the only other identity we had was our color -- black. No other physical characteristics have defined our boundaries of life as much as skin color -- even to this day. Our schools as well as our churches removed some of these boundaries and we are passionately proud of both."

The writer lives in Greensboro.

On Jan. 14, I once again attended a rezoning hearing for the intersection of New Garden Road and Garden Lake Drive, an entrance to a quiet, low-density residential neighborhood, the third time this particular piece of property has gone in front of the Zoning Commission or City Council. It has been submitted and withdrawn many more.

Time and time again, it has been stated that, although the comprehensive plan map shows parts of these lots as an area for mixed-use commercial zoning, that "mixed use" already exists in all the rezoning that has taken place closer to Bryan Boulevard. According to the zoning reports, the potential for 1.14 million square feet of commercial/retail space already is there.

The New Garden Road Corridor Study also stated that this area should stay residential on both sides of New Garden.

The former mayor, the present mayor and a majority of the City Council voted this same project down in May 2007, stating that this was not the appropriate use for this location. The residents of this neighborhood are not naive enough to think it won't change, but is a 24-hour retail location, a bank and more retail shops really necessary, especially across the street from Price Park and Jefferson Elementary School?

Rhonda Strader
Greensboro

Bill Wright, chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party, needn't rush to defend Rep. Howard Coble ("Coble's opponents should stick to issues," Jan. 2). There are few who think that advanced age is a serious source of voter dissatisfaction with Coble.

Coble recently failed to support poor (SCHP) and disabled children (Lifespan). In a letter to me, he claimed that it was fiscally irresponsible to propose social programs that are unsupported by new taxes. Yet, Coble nods in support of expenditures already over one-half trillion dollars in support of the inept and corrupt al-Malaki government.

Wright touts Rep. Coble's support for veterans, but the congressman approves Bush administration limitations on services for our returning heroes. These programs sound too much like social welfare.

In the early 1990s, Michael Moore had a program on Fox called "TV America." Faced with cancellation by the network, Moore hired a Washington lobbyist to get a member of the House of Representatives to propose the dedication of an official "TV Nation Day." That ludicrous proposal was read before our national legislature by Howard Coble.

Age is not the reason voters should call Coble home, but call him home we should.

Don Ward
Stokesdale

I read the column by George Will (Jan. 13), and I'm disappointed by the way he portrayed Mike Huckabee's FairTax.

I am not an economist and certainly don't claim to be an expert in this area. But if people would actually read about the FairTax (see FairTax.org, or read "The FairTax Book" by Neal Boortz), I suspect most would conclude that, although not perfect, it's a much better option than our current income-tax system.

Scaring the public by writing that the tax rate will be 30 percent is unfair, since it isn't comparing apples to apples.

Will states the tax rate would be 30 percent under the FairTax, but that's the tax-exclusive rate. Personal income-tax rates are reported as tax-inclusive rates, so in keeping with this, the FairTax rate should be listed as 23 percent. That's the number needed to keep revenue-neutral with our current tax-inclusive personal income tax.

Huckabee is a solid candidate, and the FairTax he supports has potential to be great for the U.S. economy if it works as predicted.

I wish people would become better informed about the FairTax before making negative statements like George Will's. The FairTax is certainly worth discussing.

Michael Hilts
Greensboro

Just a note to say I take exception with the ratings Joe Scott and Mike Compton gave the Consolidated Grande in their article on the local movie theaters ("Grand Slam/How three theaters with similar names stack up," Go Triad, Jan. 17).

I, too, am an avid movie buff and I agree The Carousel has the upper hand with the independent/art films and The Grand may be newer, but The Grande is my favorite movie house and largely for the reasons the boys found fault -- I adore the pre-movie entertainment. The more movie trailers the better.

The Grande has an excellent staff and has consistently proved a superior movie-going experience. I will scream it from the echo-dome -- take back the "B" and give The Grande the "A" it so rightly deserves.

Susan L. Jones
Greensboro

Nothing draws the public's attention faster than stories of triumph or tragedy. In this case a tragic event unfolded on Jan. 16 in Greensboro when a mother found her daughter dead in their home. I am a friend of Lois Bailey, and it tore me apart to see the large, front-page photo of her being led away by the police. I realize that photos speak a thousand words, but I could only think of one when I viewed that photo: intrusive.

The media are all over this story and we know they won't go away any time soon. That means there will be ample opportunities for the newspaper to capture the grief and pain that surround this horrible crime. As though we have to measure such things by those emotions.

I find it regrettable that your editors could not deem that such a personal, private and horrific moment for Mrs. Bailey should have been left off the pages, especially the front page. My hope, as is the hope of all families and friends whose loved ones face a tragedy of this magnitude, is that more sensitivity will be used in future coverage of this story.

Mary Coyne Wessling
Greensboro

I know first-hand the pain of being a bereaved parent, and I also happen to be a friend and neighbor of Lois Bailey, a woman of great compassion, intelligence and personal integrity.

To see your paper callously splash her private pain on the front page following the death of her daughter is nothing short of reprehensible. Shame on you. Please remove her photo from your Web pages immediately.

What's more, the article accompanying the photos stoops to new lows in terms of innuendo and speculation replacing factual reporting. Regan Bailey was so much more than what you reported to those of us who knew her and loved her.

Maura Barber
Greensboro

In March 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower made a speech called "The Chances for Peace," in which he declared that "any nation's right to form a government and an economic system of its own choosing is inalienable" and "any nation's attempt to dictate to other nations their form of government is indefensible."

If our current federal government these past several years had followed President Eisenhower's advice, we would not be in our present dire straits.

G. William Scott
Greensboro

It really makes no difference where Mr. Cho obtained his gun prior to his slaughter at Virginia Tech. The point is that every loophole that could possibly enable a criminal or mentally ill person to obtain a firearm must be eradicated — even if the possibility seems remote to some that guns can indeed be more easily purchased because of these loophole lapses in our current system.

Are the members of the Republican-dominated committee that ignored the pleas of the families of the Virginia Tech victims so misinformed, or dare I say, ambivalent about this issue that they believe only federally licensed gun dealers are in a position to put firearms into the hands of above-referenced criminals and mentally ill people? Was it a coincidence that several of the families of the Virginia Tech victims were given less than 24 hours notice of the meeting of the committee?

All gun dealers should be required to conduct criminal background checks on all potential gun purchasers — no exceptions. This should be a given. Grow up, wake up and smell the gunpowder, people!

Deborah W. Stanton
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint.

By Joel Landau

In the Jan. 13 News & Record, there's an article by Max Borders of the Civitas Institute titled "State has made a religion out of recycling." Borders lists a series of arguments intended to demonstrate the folly of recycling. I hope he's making money for his writing because he sure isn't making sense.

Borders writes that "recycling bottles and cans doesn't make a significant impact on conserving landfill space." Fact: Over the past five years, Greensboro's recycling program has kept 246 million pounds of recyclables out of landfills. Sounds significant to me. Perhaps we could've just dumped it in Borders' backyard; sounds like he wouldn't notice.

Borders claims it's "some murky idea that recycling ‘uses up' fewer resources than making things from scratch, but it doesn't." Ah, but it does. It greatly reduces energy usage and resource consumption as well as reduces water pollution, air pollution and mining waste. There's not space here to cite statistics, but they're easy to look up.

Borders writes, "The more paper we consume, the more trees there are" because paper companies replace what they cut. This may be true, but it is misleading. Cutting down a stand of mature, 50-foot trees and planting a bunch of saplings in their place may increase the number of trees, but their volume is greatly reduced. We also lose the mature trees' ability to prevent erosion and flooding, to reduce wind damage, to stabilize groundwater and to provide habitat for a variety of animals, birds and insects.

Borders quotes former Greensboro Council member Tom Phillips that recycling costs far more than regular garbage collection. This used to be true, but no longer. Greensboro formerly paid $62 per ton to FCR, our recyclables handler. But since July 1, 2007, we only pay $20 per ton, significantly less than the $36 a ton we pay for trash disposal. In addition to paying less for handling recyclables, the city also received revenue of $1.2 million in 2007 from the sale of our recyclables. So recycling is good for Greensboro taxpayers.

Recycling is not a panacea. Even better than recycling is to reuse products, or best of all, reduce consumption of excess packaging, throwaways and unneeded items. But recycling does play a role in the overall effort to preserve our environment and quality of life and saves us money on waste disposal. So recycle; it benefits us all.

The writer was an at-large candidate for the Greensboro City Council.in 2007.

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Sue McBean

It is a rare opportunity to be the superintendent of a brand-new state park. It is even more of a rare privilege to witness overwhelming community support for such a park.

I've had the honor of serving as superintendent of the Haw River State Park for more than one year, and in the last six months I have been witness to the type of support that changes the outcome of history.

Now 692 acres have been added to the existing 300 acres of the park. This would not have happened without a tremendous amount of community involvement.

There is not enough space here to individually thank every person or group that wrote letters and spread the word. Every time I saw a yard sign supporting Haw River State Park it warmed my heart. It truly has been an honor to be involved with something that so many people feel so passionately about.

I am thankful for the landowners, who took such good care of this land for so many years. I am sure that these last several months have been very stressful for them as they awaited the outcome of the negotiations. I hope they will be pleased that what they have protected and cared for will continue to be protected and cared for.

I am also proud of the state Division of Parks and Recreation staff, who have worked so hard behind the scenes to work out a deal, and I'm grateful that Bluegreen Corp. was willing to work with us.

Someone said to me recently, "This is not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning."

That sums it up very well. Guilford and Rockingham counties now have a 1,000-acre state park. There is a lot of work to be done before the area is operational and open to the public. We are still a work in progress. But the park staff are up to the challenge.

I know Haw River State Park has a bright and vibrant future, and I look forward to continuing to work with the wonderful community that came together to make it all happen.

The writer is superintendent of Haw River State Park.

It was with a sense of hurt, confusion and wonderment at the hypocrisy of the progressive mind that I read the editorial entitled "Much farther by faith" (Jan. 20).

The editorial board touts the use of faith to combat social ills, yet in the same space declares over and over that religion, i.e., faith has no rightful place in the governmental square.

You complain when someone of faith gives witness to the model of life given in the Scriptures, yet when Martin Luther King’s birthday arrives -- honoring a Baptist minister who has a national holiday named for him -- you now champion the usefulness of government and religion.

Dr. King was not a secular individual, but rather a man who witnessed his religious beliefs in the acceptance of each individual as a person of worth. And what of an elected official holding meetings at a church to work in the community spreading their beliefs and thereby changing minds and hearts? You now welcome it?

The progressive secular religion of political correctness has stopped many from exploring the peace of God’s grace, which is portrayed as intolerant and colloquial.

Wouldn't the picture be different if the media were as tolerant as they demand others to be?

Marcus Kindley
Greensboro

Regarding Bill Burnett's letter, "Hillary Clinton will be a superb president," (Jan. 19): Of many obviously easy rebuttals possible, I submit three.

First, show me her "long history of accomplishments."

Second, when her husband's second term ends, Laura Bush will have had the same eight years in the White House as did Hillary -- qualification?

Third, and easily the most important, you claim, "She advocates common-sense policies that clearly align with historical American values."

The founding of this country was based on individual freedom and limited government. Clearly Mrs. Clinton is not thinking about this when she suggested that all newborns receive $5,000, or when she wants to seize corporate profits, or when she tried to force socialized health care onto Americans.

Paul Camp
Greensboro

Regarding Robert Bell's story, "It's a neighborhood with a dream" (Jan. 20): Please don't be so quick to dismiss Southside when writing about Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Of (at least) 19 businesses in Southside, at least seven are owned by African Americans. That's almost 37 percent!

According to the 2006 North Carolina census, only 21 percent of companies in North Carolina were owned by African Americans. The majority of those business owners also own and reside in the buildings in which they operate, and even more African Americans own pretty, single-family homes in Southside.

Please don't dismiss our neighborhood as "young, hip and overwhelmingly white professionals" when writing about MLK Jr. By doing so you dismiss the accomplishments of our African American residents -- and you overlook the true diversity of our neighborhood.

Among our African American, white, Hispanic, Asian (and other) residents, we have young professionals, retirees, business owners, government workers, educators, car salesmen, students, hairstylists, artists, healthcare workers and many others. All of this diversity has occurred naturally -- it wasn't forced or "bused in."

I believe Southside would be something Dr. King would be proud of, and it should have been included in the article on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Kristi Benedict
Greensboro

You have brightened my day with your essay in Go Triad (Jan. 17), "What's your dream, and how will you fulfill it?"

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream, though not complete, is still alive and well in 2008. You have painted a beautiful word picture of this dream.

I was born in Durham in 1929, the same year of Dr. King's birth. As a small child, I remember having similar daydreams, wishing I would live long enough to realize that dream. This may seem odd since I am a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). I was born into a family with very little money, but rich in love.

Our mother, father and maternal grandmother (who lived in our home) taught us four children, not only by words, but by their daily actions the meaning of real love for all mankind.

You made it so clear and in such a lovely way that Dr. King's dream and my dream are still unfolding! Thank you, Josephus, and God bless.

Rhe Baldwin Markham
Greensboro

The weather fiasco on Tuesday that many parents, including myself, found themselves in makes me feel that I have to question the decision-making ability of those in charge for Guilford County Schools.

The combination of cold temperatures, rain, sleet, freezing rain and ice were all in the weather advisory issued the evening before. This was not a surprise event.

Once again, Guilford County Schools stayed quiet and never issued a delay or cancellation. Instead, they allowed buses filled with children to navigate treacherous roads only to order them to pull over and wait until conditions improved. At that point, the weather was only going to deteriorate.

One suggestion to help avoid this in the future is to divide the county into sections and then determine for each one if roads are safe to transport children.

Now, the decision is made countywide when weather and road conditions in the southeastern part of the county can be completely different than in the northwest.

In the future, Guilford County Schools needs to err on the side of caution when it comes to inclement weather.

Lisa Lemieur
Greensboro

Isolationism is not the answer. But the pendulum has gone too far the other way. We have military bases and troops throughout the world.

We meddle in the affairs of foreign governments. We disagree with the politics of a sovereign nation (Cuba), so we impose a boycott.

We are complicit in the outcome of foreign elections. We have taken the Monroe Doctrine worldwide. Our CIA has installed and maintained dictators.

The United States is the No. 1 military and economic power and also the No. 1 meddler. We cannot be the world's policeman. That is the function of the United Nations.

But gently brokering a peace agreement (between Israel and Palestine) is good stuff. Doing it gently without imposing our will. While conducting our foreign policy, can't we pull back a little? Close some overseas bases. Stay out of the internal affairs of foreign countries.

Imagine the outcry (and justly so) if a foreign power overtly or covertly interfered in our politics. Let us turn a bit inward and give more attention to the needs and dreams of our own. Is that cockeyed optimism?

Peace.

Max Roseman
High Point

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Gay Cheney

The public policy position of The League of Women Voters of the U.S. is that citizen participation is a necessary component of decision-making.

Our local League members are concerned that this principle was ignored by the planning committee of the Heart of the Triad (HOT). Members of various city and county organizations willing to "pay to participate" formed the initial planning committee. Local residents were not included.

We are concerned that there might be some conflict of interest among the principal participants. Several are real-estate developers who would stand to benefit greatly from HOT.

They and others serve on the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) while making decisions regarding the roadbed at the same time they were serving on the planning committee for HOT.

We wonder where the TAC came from, how members were chosen, and why it has the power and control it seems to have over elected officials.

Another important concern for the League is the preservation of natural resources. It seems little consideration has been given to water quality and wildlife habitat in the area.

With our current water crisis, air-quality problems and lack of funds for road repair, it seems not to be the time to be developing a whole new town that needs water and roads and will affect air quality with additional traffic.

We, in the League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad, are concerned that the HOT plan is not being designed with the best interests of the citizens of Guilford and Forsyth counties in mind and without the input of the people most directly affected.

We will continue to follow this process and hope that the new committees being formed to discuss the future of the area will be made of a better cross-section of interested parties and will make better decisions than the former steering committee.

The writer lives in Browns Summit.

I read with interest Al Mankoff's piece on restoring trolley service in the Triad (Ideas, Jan. 20). I have a suggestion that can be immediately put to use in Greensboro.

Let's use the existing rail line that runs up Battleground Avenue but is currently not in use. We also might want to consider some type of self-propelled rail cars. These would have the advantage of being implemented much quicker and cheaper than traditional trolley cars. Annual operating expenses might also be less.

I realize there are greenway plans for this rail route up Battleground, but I think some type of mass-transit option would be of greater benefit to Greensboro. I'd hate to have the tracks pulled up and then 10 years down the line, we want light rail and incur major expense in putting them back down again.

Patrick Harman
Greensboro

Seventy percent of Americans feel "we're on the wrong track." Ronald Reagan rallied Americans by giving them a sense of hope after years of civic and financial turmoil. His policies are now part of what ails us.

Under Reagan, "greed is good" became the mantra. It put Coolidge's "The business of America is business" slogan on steroids. The bottom line became the Holy Grail and corporations the new feudal lords. Wage stagnation, job outsourcing, dividend and capital gains tax cuts, all were designed to pad the bottom line. (Not to mention the CEO's pay envelope.)

We now live in the Age of Corporate Feudalism. Ironically, the Reagan administration dismantled most regulations in the name of property rights. Apparently the only property rights that are worth protecting are those of Big Business.

The free-marketers see no hypocrisy in demanding monopoly protections for their industries, tax benefits that feather their nests and bankruptcy laws that make it impossible for you or me to start over but allow corporations to write down billions in subprime losses. Derivatives (as described by one of the inventors) were designed to give hedge funds and Wall Street banks a way to leverage capital. So much for moral hazard.

Sandi Campbell
Siler City

It greatly concerns me when someone endorses a person for office who is liberal and pro-everything that goes against the Bible.

The Clintons brought much scandal, plus there were mysterious deaths including a "suicide" that definitely wasn't. We don't need these types in office anywhere. I've been praying for another Christian to uphold morality in this nation gone so extremely liberal (right now I'm for Huckabee).

People are thumbing their noses at God. God told Noah to build an ark. He was fed up with Sodom and Gomorrah. I applaud George Bush for not backing down. I don't agree with him on every issue -- immigration is a major problem. But overall, he has done a wonderful moral job in spite of tremendous opposition from liberals. How dare they withhold needs from our troops just to stop Bush? They're stabbing us in the back and handing us to al-Qaida on a platter!

God is very upset with this nation. The Bible says many will be deceived. Whether you believe or not, each person will face a judgment day.

There are only two roads. Please listen before it's too late.

God bless.

Elizabeth Jones
Greensboro

To the good ladies of Reidsville and the surrounding communities:

Dr. Joseph Guarino's column, "Abortion should be top issue in presidential vote" (Second Opinion, Jan. 22), declares that you are second-class citizens.

Guarino writes that a medical procedure, called an abortion, should be declared illegal. The physical or mental health of the woman probably would not be considered if Dr. Guarino gets his wish.

Ladies, what can you do if you think this column calls you second class? I would vote with my pocketbook. Find a new physician who supports your right to all proper and private health-care options.

James Lamar
Kernersville

The following is a Counterpoint:

By José A. Villalba

Charles Davenport's column on English as the language of opportunity for immigrants (Jan. 20) was less about English and more a not-so-veiled example of racist and xenophobic rhetoric. First, however, I would like to address some misconceptions about English language acquisition.

When Davenport writes about English being an opportunity for immigrants to become more successful U.S. residents, I could not agree with him more. It is interesting to me, however, that Davenport generously quotes from several politicians and newspaper editors regarding how and why immigrants do and don't learn English. Unfortunately for his readers, none of his information on the topic comes from language-acquisition experts, the very people who make a living out of studying this topic. Specifically, I'm curious as to why he doesn't advocate for allowing immigrants more time to actually learn English.

It takes the average individual five to seven years to become proficient in a second language, and that's assuming that they are proficient in their native language. Experts such as John Cummins, Kenji Hakuta and Stephen Krashen have been writing about these scientifically proven facts for more than 30 years. I wonder why Davenport didn't reference these experts. Possibly, it's because they don't head public policy institutes or radio talk shows to showcase their work. Consequently, we as a society are left with unfounded "data" from politicians and newspaper columnists who know (and possibly care) very little about how hard it is to learn a language different from an individual's native tongue.

Davenport concludes his diatribe by stating, "English is part of the cultural heritage of the native-born, and there's nothing xenophobic or racist about preventing its dilution." Perhaps. Perhaps not. What is racist, however, is calling out the "immigration status" of Latino individuals without having any reason to do so. I mention this because Davenport callously and without any grounds challenges the legality of two individuals in his column, which prompts me to ask Davenport, Why would you talk about the immigration status of two folks you do not know?

Implying that someone is in this country without proper documentation solely because of his Spanish last name and language preferences is discriminatory and racist. It's these types of accusations and assumptions that actually give immigrants little reason for acculturating into the fabric of U.S. society, thereby preventing Davenport's very own calls for "social harmony and cohesion."

The writer lives in Greensboro.

This responds to Rosemary Roberts' scurrilous slamming of Sen. Jesse Helms in her Jan. 18 column. Roberts failed to mention that 1) One of Helms' legislative aides was civil rights icon James Meredith; 2) Helms and his wife adopted and raised an autistic boy; and 3) when Helms campaigned for Ronald Reagan for a few months in the 1976 primaries, he returned his Senate salary for that period to the taxpayers.

One of Helms' "no's" was opposing government funding for pornographic and obscene art. What's wrong with that? And so what if Helms lacked "compassion" by opposing many government programs? Is it really "compassion" for government to take money by force from one individual or group and bestow it on another? True "compassion" is when one voluntarily helps the less fortunate from her or his personal resources.

Roberts needs to learn what Reagan said nearly 35 years ago about historic figures — it's healthy to study them, warts and all, but when you dwell only on their "faults," it's irresponsible cynicism.

Al Shumard
Greensboro

You really should not base commentary on things you read in The News & Observer of Raleigh, which declares that it will support the objectives of the Democratic Party. (At least it is honest and up-front about that!)

Bill O'Reilly did not accuse John Edwards of inflating the number of homeless veterans. His point was that Edwards blames the number of homeless veterans on our poor economy. Even the Veterans Affairs report that was cited acknowledged that most of these sad cases are attributable to drug abuse, alcoholism and mental illness. These numbers remain high regardless of the state of our economy.

Our economy is faltering, and everyone in and out of government is concerned about it. Regardless of the economy, there are safety nets for people who are sober or sane enough to request them or even willing to accept them.

Jane A. Boyer
Climax

Editor's note: On "The O'Reilly Factor" Jan. 15, O'Reilly repeated his challenge of the figure used by Edwards: "They may be out there, but there are not many of them out there, OK?"

On Dec. 17, our president said, "this economy's pretty good," with a disclaimer that "storm clouds" are looming. Just a little over a month later, this sudden storm is here, and he's scrambling to stop it by giving rebates to a certain portion of the population to stimulate spending.

Retirees who worked for more than 40 years most likely will not be included under his plan. He wants to benefit only those who are now working and file tax returns, no matter how much they earn. But there are millions of seniors who do not qualify because they pay little or no income tax. However, we still spend our money for gasoline, medical bills, food and clothes, just like everyone else. We hereby promise that we will continue spending any extra money they throw our way.

Some of the presidential hopefuls have their own ideas to help us, but it will probably delay the administration's launch date. And then they'll say that the liberals are using political ploys to block Bush's plan to boost our bad economy (which, by the way, he helped get to this point).
We'll remember the final decision on this issue at the voting booth. According to the 2000 census, there are at least 35 million over the age of 65.

Paul Manzi
Greensboro

It's been nearly four terms since we've had a president who hasn't disgraced this nation through personal behavior, then painful incompetence. Across our history, however, with few exceptions, our batting average has been remarkably good at selecting well for this job. How did we lose that? How do we get it back?

Unfortunately, all of the mincing of our candidates' remarks or statistical analyses of endless polls are not getting me there. I don't know the answer but would offer up a personal description of the person I want to move into the White House.

Given shameful behavior exposed, he or she would graciously resign. Given the advice of a Colin Powell vs. a Rumsfeld and Cheney, he or she would make the right choice. I want a president who can say that waterboarding on behalf of the American people is wrong in all circumstances, and that we will not allow fear to cause us to abandon our 700-year heritage of habeas corpus. I want a president who can ask us all to bridle our over-consumption of this world's resources and gluttonous creation of debt instead of passing those legacies on to our children. It's time.

Bill Yaner
Jamestown

Regarding your opinion (editorial, Jan. 19) saying I have a unique obligation to rebuild Eastern Guilford High School: You mentioned the insurance would not cover the replacement costs of a 32-year-old building. Why was the insurance not upgraded? Why should the taxpayers pay for something that was deliberately destroyed by arson and negligence on the part of Guilford County? I do not feel obligated at all! Property owners are paying for everything! Since 2001, my property taxes have been raised $500 and I have a modest home.

It is ridiculous how the Board of Education is always begging for money for schools and what have you. School taxes are already out the roof. Retirees cannot afford all these bonds that are being asked for. It is taking all of our pensions just to pay property taxes. I am thinking very seriously about moving out of Guilford County and a lot of others have the same agenda. With gas, grocery and utility prices raised, we just do not need more tax hikes, period. That goes for all the other bond referendums that are going to be on May 6.

Earline Woods
Greensboro

As we approach another official recession, let us look back at what history should have taught us. Even though most feel we are already in a recession, we haven't reached two quarters of downturn, which marks an official one.

History should have taught us that the economy only succeeds when a majority of the people benefit. That majority has not been the benefactor of the policies of the last seven years. The trickle-down theory will never work because of the greed of corporate America.

The National Bureau of Economic Research, the official arbiter of recessions, records 93 months of recessions since 1950. If you give John Kennedy the last month of Eisenhower's recession into February 1961, the Democrats have had seven months of recessions.

When George W. Bush took office, the Republican administrations had already had 78 months of recessions. Bush added eight more in 2001. Now their failed policies are catching up with them again.

The Republican money has bought print and airwaves and brainwashed Americans for the last 40 years.

My question to the American people: Why do you continue to vote against your best economic self-interest?

Jim Dye
Greensboro

There's new hope for the Guilford County school system. We now have a chance to get someone to run our school system who will back our outstanding teachers. Maybe now there will be some order to the classrooms and the students will not be running the classrooms.

I pray that we will get an administrator who will give the students who are in school to learn the opportunity they have been denied. There is always one troublemaker in each class who requires the teacher to spend the precious learning time being a baby-sitter to a few students. We need someone who will not let a student prevent others from learning. The teachers need the support to keep order in their classes, and this has to come from the administration.

Please, bring some discipline to our school system. The Guilford County school system is a joke right now at the taxpayers' expense.

M.F. Earl
Greensboro

A 60-year-old man killed his 78-year-old mother and then himself. It has been speculated that the reason he committed such a horrific act was because he could not handle her Alzheimer's disease. Obviously he lacked the ability to cope and handle stress and probably suffered from a mental illness. But he also fell victim to the struggle many caregivers face when caring for a person with a terminal illness.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, every 72 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. As the disease progresses from experiencing memory lapses to personality changes to unresponsiveness, the caretaker and loved ones suffer from witnessing these dramatic changes.

Murder is murder, but I immediately felt empathy for this man. Assuming the role of caretaker is not an easy task. However, caring for a parent or loved one as they face a terminal illness does have rewarding benefits.

I hope this tragic incident will provide awareness of the importance of education about the disease process. Knowing the effect Alzheimer's has on the mind and body during different stages could prevent another unfortunate loss. Also, it is essential to not only provide emotional support to the person with the illness but the caregiver as well.

Jamie Bryant
Greensboro

I am writing to express my outrage at the way we were treated at the Guilford County Department of Social Services. I was helping a Montagnard refugee family apply for services a few weeks ago and we were treated with an appalling lack of respect.

We arrived at 10:15, and the family was not seen until after 4:30. I would have thought this was because the county had cut the funding for workers except that an American family arrived several hours later than we did and was seen several hours earlier than we were. I talked to them and know they did not have an appointment, and they were applying for exactly the same services.

The intake worker had a hostile attitude and was repeatedly rude to us. Even though she was angry because she had to stay late, there is no excuse for being rude to the clientele.

Joscelyn S. Nickerson
Greensboro

In 2002, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 579 children in foster care in Guilford County. I believe more people should become licensed foster parents to help provide a home for children placed in foster care.

Sometimes I wonder why people would opt to spend thousands of dollars on in vitro fertilization or adopt a child from China when we have so many children in need right here in the United States.

I am a senior at UNCG, and I intern at the local Department of Social Services. It is hard to watch the social workers have to deal with the limited number of people who are licensed to find a placement for a child.

If that were not bad enough, they also have to consider all the special requests people have in what kind of child they want. There are so many children who have gone through terrible circumstances and have to be placed in group homes simply because someone does not want them because of their race or gender.

We need to wake up and do our part to help because children in America still need us.

Jacquelynn Trueitt
Greensboro

Your article, "A history of trolleys in Greensboro" (Ideas, Jan. 20), ignited some fond memories for me.

Until I was 10 years old, I lived on East Market Street, one block from the N.C. A&T campus. The trolley bus -- No. 1 Pomona/Bessemer -- passed our house.

This vehicle was a great upgrade from its mule-drawn and rail-powered predecessors, but it did have a few disadvantages. For instance, it could run only in places with overhead electrical lines designed specifically for it, and it did not turn well at corners.

When the vehicle was required to make left or right turns, the electrical connectors on the trolley would frequently become dislodged from the overhead wiring, and the trolley would lose power. At this point, the driver would have to exit the vehicle and reconnect it.

All trolleys were equipped with a long pole with which the driver could raise the connector and re-attach it to the overhead wire. Showers of sparks fell each time the trolley became separated from its power source. This electric light show occurred frequently at the corner of Elm and Market streets.

While progress has moved us beyond the era of the trolley, the fond memories remain.

Crystal McCombs
Greensboro

The problem of global warming relates directly to problems we face in North Carolina.

Our population has swelled to 9 million and counting. Our schools can't build fast enough to accommodate the flood of new arrivals. Farms are giving way to housing. Add the drought and we face possible water shortages as well.

How do these facts relate to global warming? The politicians and technicians in Kyoto and Bali dealt only with symptoms of our problems, not with causes. They promoted nuclear energy and hybrid cars -- but never addressed the population demanding more energy and more cars. I propose four minimal steps to make any significant difference in our future: "Four P's":

* Population control -- family planning worldwide.

* Public transportation -- much more effective than continuing to crowd roads with cars, even hybrids with alternate fuels.

* Promote vegetarian meals Monday, Wednesday, Friday to stop destruction of woodlands to grow grain for cattle.

* Plant trees.

As a bonus, controlling population would solve the main cause of our illegal immigration problems, too.

None of these solutions would come easy. The question remains: Do we want to solve the problems or simply tinker with symptoms?

William T. Bode
Liberty

The writer is an 82-year-old registered Republican and retired teacher.

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Erik Huey

While some are dwelling on the legacy of outgoing Guilford County Schools Superintendent Terry Grier, it's more important to look ahead because the task ahead is far more significant.

We're now faced with the mission of selecting someone who will run the school system and, while this will be a colossal task, there's a smart way to go about it. With six school board seats up for election this year, it's essential to consider two things: timing and quality.

On timing, an interim superintendent should be named as soon as possible. Also, I'd suggest delaying the start of any search until after school board elections this year because it's unfair to launch a search when it's possible a lame-duck board will oversee the process.

On quality, we must acquire someone who has these traits: a proactive management style; effective leadership and communication skills; the courage to tackle the big issues; an interest in supporting the cultural arts; a commitment to a safe school environment by punishing wrongdoers and enforcing rules and policies; the belief that a teacher's voice is important; and the willingness not to seek retribution if employees report complaints.

He or she should be someone who will turn employee morale around; who believes a well-rounded education has more value than a test score; who will take responsibility and not pass the buck; who won't recklessly spend money; and who believes that children of any color can succeed.

This person either should come from within GCS or somewhere locally, as there is a wealth of talent from within the Triad, and no need to hire a search firm.

We must involve the community in the search process through direct forums with any potential candidates, and appoint community members and teachers as part of the search committee.

We've reached a golden moment in Guilford County Schools history where we can begin putting our county's children first before all else. This is an opportunity to turn things around, an opportunity for our schools to grow and shine.

Let's not blow it.

The writer lives in Jamestown and is a 2008 Guilford County Board of Education candidate.

As a mom, I was deeply concerned that the Guilford and Randolph County schools did not close on Jan. 22. During my attempt to drive my children to school, our car skidded off the road as my oldest screamed that we were going to die. I was able to get back on the road and back home safely, but not everyone was so lucky.

In my attempt to get to a safe location to turn around, I passed at least three accidents and no fewer than four cars in ditches.

I later learned that the roads were so bad in parts of Greensboro that the school buses had detained the children at safe locations until the roads improved.
To me, this situation was not fully thought out.

The decision to keep the schools open put many lives in danger, many of which would have included newly licensed high school students driving their siblings and themselves to school.
I urge the Board of Education to take this as a learning experience and to do whatever they can to keep this from happening again.

Shannon Wilkerson
Liberty

Most recent media coverage of N.C. mental health reform has focused on the N.C. officials' crackdown on more than 185 companies for overbilling roughly $45 million in community support services. However, there has been little coverage of the fact that these same officials help create the environment for this misuse. And even far less coverage of the fact that more focus is being placed on money than actually enhancing individual or community welfare.

The state and federal officials who implemented community-support services failed to provide enough regulatory structure, clear service definitions and sufficient training. So, who is really to blame? More importantly, who is really suffering?

The true losers are the individuals and communities who need these services. Taxpayers are losing either way. They've already lost to abuse that resulted from "official negligence" and now they're paying for the "official clean-up."

As a part-time community support provider, I have witnessed the potential benefits of a better community-support program. However, I have also witnessed the hindrances of the current one, such as continued limiting of services. Better regulation rather than limitation is needed!
One wonders if state and federal officials want to pay for mental health, privatization or not.

Carlos D. Graham
Greensboro

With regard to Raleigh, the Great Pyrenees involved in the wreck that took his owner's life (Lorraine Ahearn column, Jan. 16): Guilford County Animal Shelter Director Marsha Williams needs to find a job where a lack of compassion and common sense is required.

What was she thinking, if the dog, days after the accident, still wore the blood of his owner? This woman hasn't got a clue and Guilford County should be ashamed of itself for having someone with such an obvious lack of compassion to run the shelter.

Directors and employees should be held accountable for treating all animals with compassion, regardless of why they are at the shelter. The attitude that you are doing a job no one else wants doesn't cut it. Nor does hiding behind the statement of "everything being done by the book."

Whatever "book" Williams was referring to needs to be thrown out and rewritten. Raleigh was not a stray. Like his owner, he was the victim of an accident. Let this be a lesson to all directors.

Sometimes, Ms. Williams, you just need to use your head. Raleigh deserved better while at the shelter. Is this your idea of what it means to run a humane shelter and care for animals?

Carla Hughes
Asheboro

Will Greensboro only deny and dream or ignite the flame of hope for our youth?

Upon assisting Darryl Kosciak of Youth First with the pushing of a communitywide program known as the Hope Project, I have come to the realization that many of us either deny or dream about the reality of gangs in the Greensboro area. I am guilty of being the dreamer: "Oh! Greensboro will overcome this! We just need to get through to the broken and angry youth!" There may be some of you out there thinking, "Gangs in Greensboro? Nah … that is just an L.A., Boston, or New York problem." Both views are wrong.

According to Greensboro Police Department data from August 2007, there were 236 validated gang members in Greensboro, representing a 46 percent increase from 2006. In addition, for every one identified gang member, there are at least five to six unidentified.

Until we awaken from our dreams and swallow our denial of the gang problem in Greensboro, the issues will only shift from a prevention and intervention stage into the sole realm of immediate intervention.

Melea Collins
Greensboro

I want to thank Ken Sawyer (letter, Jan. 19) for helping me decide which presidential candidate I will support in 2008. Anyone Mr. Sawyer is against must be worthy of my vote. Thanks again, Ken.

Donald Conrad
Greensboro

The following is a Counterpoint.

By Alan Duncan

The Guilford County Board of Education would like to wish Superintendent Terry Grier well in his move to lead the San Diego Unified Schools and thank him for his efforts here. We have made great progress with Dr. Grier as superintendent during the past eight years, and we appreciate his efforts to improve the lives of our students.

Dr. Grier is an energetic and dynamic leader. His innovations related to creating schools and programs to serve the diverse needs of our students, his work to reduce the dropout rate and to increase our graduation rate, and his development and execution of the Home Field Advantage and Mission Possible programs are particularly noteworthy.

As Dr. Grier departs, we are extremely confident in, and most grateful for, the excellent staff currently serving the students of Guilford County and look forward to the future with assurance that the district is well poised to continue to strive, achieve and excel.

We will assemble leadership to carry us through the process of finding the next superintendent and will work with the community, parents and staff so that we involve all citizens in the process of finding a leader for the next chapter in the Guilford County Schools.

Meanwhile, we rest assured in knowing that students will be well cared for by our many outstanding employees, volunteers and supporters, who remain completely committed to making Guilford County Schools a district of excellence.

Alan Duncan is chairman of the Guilford County Board of Education. He wrote this column on behalf of the entire board.

Please help me understand, News & Record. Barack Obama (55 percent) trounces Hillary Clinton (27 percent) and John Edwards (18 percent) in the South Carolina primary, yet the News & Record headline of the event is "Edwards camp remains upbeat despite setback"? A setback? How about a resounding defeat?

John Edwards narrowly won second prize in Iowa but placed a distant third in New Hampshire, Nevada, and now South Carolina, his home state. He couldn't carry North or South Carolina for John Kerry as a vice presidential candidate.

I've noticed many News & Record articles featuring Edwards, who is lagging a distant third in most national polls. Why all the Edwards press? Perhaps due to Edwards living in a nearby Orange County palace or serving a brief stint as a U.S. senator on the way to a perpetual run for president? That's irrelevant.

Please focus on the true contenders for the Democratic nomination, Edwards is history. Before anyone assumes I'm a Barack or Hillary fan, I'm a conservative and would never vote for either of them.

Tom Imbus
Browns Summit

In watching the Democratic presidential debate on Jan. 21, I find it amusing exactly how these three candidates who participated were calling for racial equality, equal justice for all, an end to poverty, universal health care, employment with great benefits, etc., on the annual day of observance for civil rights advocate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I imagine King probably rolled over in his grave. It has been said King fought for civil rights of everyone. If this is true, why do the Democratic candidates try to garner the black vote by telling them anything they want to hear as they have done year after year?

Many of my African American friends tell me nothing has changed; they feel that it never will. Yet, they vote for the "jack-asses" in each and every election.

These politicians are interested in themselves, their families, immediate friends and cronies they will represent if and when they are elected, along with the power, prestige and wealth that accompany the position.

Welcome to America!

Jackie Ray Nelson
Eden

Regarding your article about the closure of Friendship Care Assisted Living (Jan. 25):

I'm writing to emphasize the importance of community involvement in long-term care facilities. The most vulnerable members of our community -- the frail, elderly and disabled adults -- reside in these homes. As a community, we have a responsibility to ensure that they are receiving quality care.

One opportunity for citizens to make a difference in the lives of long-term care residents is to serve on a local Community Advisory Committee (CAC). CAC members are trained volunteers who are appointed by their county commissioners. These committees were established to be volunteer, grass-roots advocates for residents in long-term care facilities.

Committee members make regular visits to local facilities to ensure that residents' rights are being honored. Additionally, the volunteers serve as the nucleus for increased community interaction with facilities. The very presence of informed, concerned citizens in facilities can make a critical difference and provide a force to ensure quality care for residents.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the CAC Program can contact the Regional Ombudsman Program at (336) 294-4950 or dfredricksen@ptcog.org.

Dorian P. Fredricksen
Greensboro

The writer is senior regional long-term care ombudsman.

The homicide that occurred recently in New Irving Park is without a doubt a tragedy. Lives lost due to crime are a serious matter. With this increase in crime, Greensboro must find a way to help the community.

The meeting that happened in Mendenhall Middle School Jan. 22 for the New Irving Park homicide is a great first step to educate the public. Yet a question must be raised as to why this meeting happened for New Irving Park residents when homicides and burglaries happen frequently in low-income neighborhoods.

I have not read of any recent attempts of the police department holding community forums to address those issues. We need to address crime as a whole city, a functioning community. To address crime in different areas of Greensboro and not as a whole is just not effective if the police department truly wants to lower crime rates and inform the public.

Nicole Fauble
Greensboro

Editor's note: City leaders and police officials have scheduled meetings in other parts of the city dealing with crime, including the teen gang problem and the East Market Street robberies.

The following is a Counterpoint:

By Charles Jones

The purported "gun show loophole" hawked by anti-gun media and organizations does not, in reality, exist. But the phrase makes for good anti-gun press.

In reality, two types of sellers attend gun shows. Firearms dealers sell firearms as a business; they must have a federal license. Private individuals, who are not dealers, take firearms to gun shows to sell them much as individuals, not dealers, take antiques to antiques show to sell them.

Dealers must conduct background checks regardless of whether they sell firearms in their stores or at gun shows. Private sellers, however, can sell firearms at gun shows or anywhere else without conducting a check.

While sales by individuals are called "gun show loophole" sales, the term is misleading because private sellers can legally sell firearms anywhere (homes, offices, etc.) without conducting checks. Federal law does not yet prohibit private citizens from selling firearms to other private citizens without performing a background check. What gun-control advocates want, and what I suspect the NRA wants, are federal or state laws requiring anyone selling a firearm to conduct background checks, which would mean that private sellers would have to sell firearms via dealers who can conduct checks. I am no fan of the NRA and suspect that, since it represents dealers as well as individuals, dealers want such laws so that they can charge private sellers fees, as much as $30, to conduct checks.

Absent a rapidly approaching police state, we simply cannot ensure that everyone who buys a potentially dangerous product (gun, alcohol, knife, vehicle, etc.) has no mental health problems. The protesters in Virginia, recently prone on the ground in a "die-in" to protest the nonexistent "gun show loophole," are in a world of fantasy and ignorance since "gun show loophole" sounds and feels menacing, notwithstanding the facts or the law of firearms transactions.

The writer lives in Norfolk, Va., and is a Greensboro native.