No room to joke about racism

No room for joking about racism

It was with complete sadness that I read the article about an isolated incident at Fred T Foard High School. I am a local youth pastor and I spend hours and hours at FTF. I truly love the school and the students there.

There is really no excuse for this kind of “joking.” This shouldn’t happen. It is not funny. It is not ok. The students involved should be suspended without question. There is no place in our school system for this kind of behavior, ever.

Let us not forget that there is a human cost in this story and it is not the punishment of a few knuckleheads. A teenage girl was just given a real reminder of what is ugly and disgusting in our community. Will she forgive? Will she move on and hold a fear that all prominently white communities will in some fashion wish her dead? I don’t want to carry it too far but you never know what goes on in the mind of someone? It sounds like she has great and loving parents who moved here to avoid stuff like this.

Please wake up Fred T Foard. There is no symbol or racism that is ok, not a noose, not a flaming cross, not a confederate flag. If we truly loved our neighbor this wouldn’t be an issue. Let us unite. All of us.

Chad Cozad

Hickory

Voter ID bill has human, financial costs

James McCall is a regular contributor to the HDR’s letters to the editor, and he has made it clear many times over that he is a fiscal conservative.

Why then, does he support the Republican-dominated NC legislature’s $20 million Voter ID bill? In NC and other states where Republicans are pushing for Voter ID laws, being struck by lightning is a more common occurrence than voter fraud. Voter fraud is already a felony in NC.

The Democratic Party supports prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for anyone who tampers with the election process. However, our State Board of Elections estimates that nearly a half-million NC voters do not have state-issued identification. Of the 25 counties with the highest percentage of voters lacking ID, 15 of these counties also have the highest poverty rate in the state.

The fraud that’s occurring here is Republican legislators’ continuing insistence that the voter ID bill is necessary to correct voting irregularities in our state.

Those of us in the Democratic Party see this bill for what it is: A devious and dangerous attempt to suppress the votes of the poor, elderly, and students, traditionally the more Democratic constituencies.

Perhaps to James McCall and folks like him, that’s worth $20 million.

Elizabeth Glynn

Chair

Catawba County Democratic Party

New law hampers authorities

While the 2011 legislative session produced a number of new laws that assist law enforcement and prosecutors across the State, a recent drug arrest in Catawba County illustrates where the legislature enacted a new law that is anything but helpful to law enforcement.

N.C.G.S. 90-96 prior to this year provided that a judge could in his or her discretion allow a defendant charged with possession of narcotics to enter into a deferred prosecution and ultimately receives a dismissal of the criminal case provided the defendant qualified for a 90-96 and successfully completed the terms of the 90-96. The new law effective Dec. 1, 2011, makes it mandatory for the court to order a 90-96 conditional discharge. Therefore, under the current law a defendant charged with felony possession of meth, crack cocaine or various other narcotics must be given the opportunity to enter into a 90-96 conditional discharge. By law a defendant who successfully completes a 90-96 conditional discharge is given a court ordered dismissal of the charge.

Recently a felony drug arrest was made that involved a defendant with a criminal history. Under the old law the judge would be allowed to consider the criminal record and hear the arguments of the district attorney and defense counsel regarding whether or not to allow a 90-96. However, under the new legislation the court’s hands are tied, and the judge must enter an order allowing the defendant to enter into a 90-96 conditional discharge and ultimately receive a dismissal.

Judges are in a unique position to consider all of the facts and circumstances surrounding a matter that is set before them. We entrust them with the authority to use their experience, education and common sense to make judgments. Under the new 90-96 legislation the essential role of discernment and determination that defines a judge is replaced with a fixed outcome of leniency. This new law takes away the discretion of the court and hampers effective law enforcement.

James C. Gaither Jr.

District Attorney

Recess appointments frequently used

The hypocrisy in the opinions (on recess appointments) is amazing. Research shows that presidents use recess appointments liberally. It is a last resort to appoint seats that need to filled and blocked by political grandstanding. Both parties do it.

Unconstitutional? Bill Clinton used this presidential power 139 times. So far, Barack Obama has used this approved measure 28 times. George W. Bush used this presidential right 171 times.

So, this mean George W. Bush was six times more unconstitutional than Obama?

Allan Hodges

Taylorsville

What’s wrong with Voter ID?

Why would anyone be against requiring identification to vote? I have to show identification to work for a living. Those who vote for a living should be required to as well.

J.B. Cook

Hickory

Christianity is progressive

Today we us the words "traditional" and "progressive" about everything. The word "traditional" means: old, conservative, and Christian and "progressive" means: new, liberal, and skeptical.

Progressive is used whenever a break from morality is occurring. Pro-choice is "progressive," yet Carthage sacrificed children in the name of materialism long before Planned Parenthood. Art that is provocative and extremely violent is pressing against imaginary "traditional" barriers, but every ancient civilization is found with naked sculptures and stories filled with adultery, torture and murder.

If anything is traditional to man it would appear to be obscenity, vulgarity, and violence. G.K. Chesterton summed this up once by saying that "Things that are degenerate and sinful are called progressive and liberating."
The point is, there is nothing really progressive about what moderns call "progressive." The only real liberal thing is the doctrine of "free will." The most sensational thing in the history of the world was the information that God had become a man. That the world had tortured this Divine Man and killed Him, buried Him, and that He has rose from the dead.

As Dale Ahlquist wrote, "Nothing is more progressive than telling the world that death has been conquered, sin can be conquered, everything dark and despairing can be conquered by the wonderful paradox of Christianity. No wonder the message has always been called the Good News."

Jamie D. Clements

Newton