Let’s strive to become great

To the Editor:

Been thinkin’ lately ’bout MAGA. What an acronym! It sounds strong. Unfortunately, there is a built-in weakness.

It is this: great is an opinion only. It cannot be measured or agreed upon. When was it great? How was it great? Was there widespread greatness or only pockets here and there? Is there a chance that America has never been great?

Yet, Donald Trump has exploited many Americans and deceived them into believing he could restore America to greatness when for many that simply hasn’t been so. His red cap became a symbol of something that may only be imaginary – a by-gone era that will never return because it never was here in the first place. Much like “Gone with the Wind” as written by Margaret Mitchell. Back when Blacks and women couldn’t vote. When only property owners could. When some people were enslaved. Who wants to go back to those times?

Now, don’t tell me I’m being less than patriotic. I served four years in the Navy. Members of my family have used copyright as well as patent laws to improve our lot in life. I have read/studied most of the Constitution. I have read the Bible extensively. I have voted for Republicans and Democrats. I am a native of Jackson County. And, I happen to believe Johnny Cash knew some people had been held back when he sang “Man in Black.” Listen for yourself.

In addition to that his musical friend, Waylon Jennings, sang: “I can’t say I’m proud of all of the things that I’ve done. But, I can say I’ve never intentionally hurt anyone.” How many can honestly say that? Can that be said about America?

I admire those two musical legends. I also admire Jesus Christ. We have to get better at caring for others. If we don’t we can never reach the level of greatness. We are told that by every major religion as well as most philosophies.

Let’s strive to become great, though. Jesus, Waylon and Johnny will guide us.

Dave Waldrop, Webster

The survival of public education that serves all of our children is the true concern of the July 26 school board election. Public education is not, nor was it intended to be, religious education.

We have a choice of an incumbent, Abigail Clayton, that has family in the school system. Or the other choice is someone that is a strategic widget of those that fear teaching bona fide history, and prefer to mix public education into teaching Christianity and prayer in a public school. More bluntly, the other choice, the other candidate, is part of the warped philosophy that wants to blend her own flavor of religion into public education.

And, it becomes more and more clear that we better pay attention, and hope that our children can overcome the hot mess “we” have created losing sight of the purpose of public education. We can only hope that today’s children can right the ship of a country that is not acting in their best interest by teaching facts and critical thinking rather than religion in public schools.

So who are “we”? “We” are voters, or maybe even the sometimes nonvoters that have placed or allowed to be placed “representatives” in Washington, D.C., and Raleigh that find that public law does not apply to them, and basically set an example of the very behavior we would not accept in our children. This behavior violates not religious standards, but violates common law abiding standards consistent with our state and federal constitutions. Religious teaching belongs in religious institutions. We are seeing a trend in the leadership of the United States and North Carolina, and now maybe our school board, leaning toward a government that does not consider the needs of the future generation, (climate change, for example) and attempting to substitute true public education with religion.

But, we have a choice. We can choose to avoid the misguided candidate that wants to change the purpose of public education. The only real choice is to vote for Abigail Clayton, who has the best interest of our children and their future, public education, and will continue to work for Jackson County students.

Pamela Krauss, Webster

To the Editor:

Regarding last week’s article, “Nonpartisan school race…,” (District 2 candidate Lisa) Buchanan made this a partisan race when she first declared herself a ‘Conservative Christian’ in your previously published “Meet the Candidates” feature. The simple fact is that religion has no place in our public schools. If you disagree, feel free to enroll your child in any of the religiously-affiliated schools in the area (I would also encourage you to not accept taxpayer subsidies to pay for that, but I digress).

Imagine the outrage if a candidate had declared themselves a ‘‘Traditional Hindu,” ‘‘Progressive Buddhist,” ‘‘Orthodox Jew” or ‘‘Devout Muslim.” But ‘‘Conservative Christian” gets a pass because many people see them as non-offensive because they look similar or have the same beliefs. Those who do not look or believe the same have all too often seen the predictably toxic and venomous response from the evangelical right and decided that expressing their disagreement and concern is not worth it.

If a candidate cannot separate their religious beliefs from their public duties, they are not representative of all people and are unfit for office. There can be no doubt that the ‘‘parents rights” these candidates champion line up conveniently with their chosen religious principles.

Andy Barber, Cullowhee

Take action to save a child’s life

To the Editor:

What would you do to save the life of a child?

Would you make a donation to a children’s medical organization? Would you get the proper child restraints for your vehicle? Would you jump, fully clothed, into a swimming pool to save a drowning child? Would you jump in frigid water to save a child who fell through broken ice? Would you jump in a fast-moving creek or water to save a floundering child? Would you fight off a dangerous animal who thought it had a juicy, young meal? Would you take on a child predator? 

Of course, you would! What wouldn’t you do to save a child?

Would you sell back your semi-automatic rifles, all of them, and give them up forever?

No? Coward.

Jane Koenig, Tuckasegee

To the Editor:

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and yet another mass shooting in America I am trying to make sense of the Second Amendment. It states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” It is difficult to disagree with those words if we study them and determine what they mean.

Still, three words beg for clarity: Militia, regulated and infringed.

By definition a militia is a military force that is raised from the civilian population to supplement a regular army in an emergency. Please don’t tell me that gun owners in America today are a form of militia. I own five firearms. Still, I have no connection to any organization that makes up a legal militia as referred to in the Second Amendment. I do not belong to the U.S. Navy Reserve or the National Guard. Who would call me to duty in an emergency?

How are firearms regulated at all today in the spirit of the Second Amendment? I contend they aren’t “well regulated”. I also contend that the United States Congress must act soon to develop a formal Militia rather than continuing to allow individuals to believe they belong to a militia that doesn’t even exist.

How could a militia be well regulated?

Register all firearms with the newly established militia.

Ban new sales of assault weapons.

Disable privately owned assault weapons or store them in a legal armory.

Levy taxes on firearms (much like vehicles are now).

Require gun owners to insure each firearm.

Require all firearms sales to be recorded with the appropriate agency.

Develop/enforce stringent background checks.

As we begin to fulfill the letter and spirit of the Second Amendment there may be other steps we decide to take. Clearly, this will address the term “infringed.” That definition is: to break off, break, impair, violate.

The Second Amendment is established law. It provides the right to bear arms. It also paves the way to establish a militia. And, it requires the militia to be “well regulated.”

Congress, do your job!

Dave Waldrop, Webster