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‘Refreshing’ letter to the editor appreciated
It was refreshing, to say the least, to see a letter to the editor, Sept. 8 edition, which was thoughtful, accurate, factual, and most of all, did not contain the juvenile, small minded rhetoric which has been coming from the “D” side of the aisle, all the way to the top! I commend Loretta Hastings for her documentation of the facts, policies and occurrences with which our democratic Republic is having to deal right now. Every person who loves our country and cares about our children’s’ future, who considers himself/herself to be a “red blooded American,” should talk to their families, friends, and neighbors, get on their soapboxes and spread the word, and get every possible individual who is a legal U.S. citizen, to vote in the Nov. 8 election, and to vote Conservatively!
There has been nothing but division from a so-called “leader,” who vowed as he was campaigning, to be a “unifier.” Evidences of the division are: inflation, the economy, the open border for millions to come into our country needing to be provided with food, housing, medical care and work, as well as drugs and drug cartels; criminals who are released without the criminal justice system ever dealing with them; an education system which is leaving our children and their education far behind, as well as teaching them immoral and unrealistic “values” about themselves and even their sexual gender. Wake up, people! Our nation was founded on spiritual principles, and it is time for us to get back to the foundation on which we were built, with faith and hard work guiding us. The outcome of the battle still belongs to the Lord!
Joyce Roberts – Franklin, N.C.
A taste of true freedom
Freedom is defined differently for many. Some view freedom as doing what one wants, without any restrictions, as in entering our borders or criminals controlling our cities. Freedom of or against religion, freedom of speech, or freedom from government oppression. And there again this depends who is on the giving or receiving end, because both say it’s their freedom to impose or oppose. You can have the Hitlers of the world claiming they have their right to be superior and exercise their freedom, and in the opposite you can have those like Mother Teresa using their freedoms to help the poor and needy.
So the word freedom seems watered down or meaningless. Just saying the word freedom brings to our minds what we want it to be. It’s lack of it being meaningful is reflects our personal view of life itself being meaningful or meaningless. If freedom has only a value of me, myself and I, then freedom’s definition really becomes a selfish type of freedom, in what’s in it for me, with no concern for any other. But yet we can tell in most all occasions where the true and unselfish part of freedom takes hold and flourishes.
Today’s freedom is blurred and viewed differently. The evils and depravity of Hitler, is surprisingly OK for some modern people. They cannot say with certainty that he was wrong in what he saw as a freedom to achieve supremacy over others. Sadly, we deal with this today, and many in leadership while condemning this, are following this same pattern of thought. They show themselves in hate and evil towards those who choose the freedom to disagree, then they try degrading and pushing many into silence, and so, too, freedom is silenced. But freedom shines itself in those who look at freedom for “all” as in the care and sharing of freedom toward others in unselfishness, as in the Mother Teresas of the world. I more than ever see freedom as a reflection of what God has given to us all in a freedom of a self directed choice and we having our say in what reflects Godly values and worth within life and living. I truly cannot find where else we find these values that are good, just, peaceful, pure in truth and trustworthiness.
God gives the taste of freedom and we either degrade or uphold these freedoms. He gives freedom to put Him first, and He also gives the freedom in allowing us to put ourselves first. His freedom is not forced, it’s a freedom to choose. To choose God is the beginning of a freedom we all long for but few choose to follow within the freedom he gives each of us. God gives the most freeing and peaceful living one could ever hope for. For it’s a personal relationship with the creator the Divine, who walks and guides a life he created of a heart willing to freely follow Him. He Himself is the truest definition of freedom. Here is where you truly begin to know yourself as well as the one who created you. It’s the beginning of a true taste of … “Freedom.”
Re-thinking life, Deni Shepard – nds13@frontier.com
It all comes down to foundational ideology
In response to another David Snell letter again generically blaming Trump for all the problems of America, many of us would agree with him that our nation hasn’t upheld many of its institutions. Namely, the U.S. Constitution. When the entirety of federal government and the unelected deep state becomes absolutely criminal and politicized, the Constitution is dead. Americans on both sides of the aisle do not trust “institutions” anymore. The FBI, CDC, EPA, CIA, Federal Elections Commission, etc. have all lied repeatedly to the American public and are no longer credible. We should have learned by now there will not be political solutions from the government, but rather intellectual solutions from the people in a decentralized system.
Just as the 13 Colonies were better without British rule, Texas was better without Mexican rule, Eastern Europe was better without Soviet rule, so also would our sovereign states be better without WashDC rule. Our founders gave us the 9th and 10th Amendments for a reason and never intended for a population of over 330 million to be ruled by centralized elitists. Just as a hypothetical North American Union with the U.S., Canada, and Mexico all being ruled by one centralized government would be unsustainable, we also have freedom disappearing with 50 independent states under one umbrella. There is a peaceful and simple solution to this dilemma because neither side is willing to compromise. For further reading beyond our status quo bias, freedom lovers should check out www.nationaldivorce.com or www.thetenthamendmentcenter.com because why should Alabama be forced to live like California and why should New York be bothered by what happens in Tennessee? Sovereign states can still collaborate to repel foreign invaders (aka national defense) which was the primary reason the U.S. was even created from the independent states.
Furthermore, it is reasonable to say that the Republican party and the Democrat party are two long-standing institutions, now both compromised, but they are just two paws of the same wolf in sheep’s clothing that has created the current banana republic atmosphere that we have today. It should be noted, however, that the Democrat party has completely lost its way as a defender of the lower and middle class as they have torn down American democracy at a much higher rate than the GOP. The Democrats are now the institution of blatant deception funneling money to corporations among other crimes. Their supporters refuse to believe this basic fact, but an easy search will reveal the truth. Both parties have blood on their hands for sure, but it comes down to what someone has as their foundation for ideology and the Democrats have abandoned the institutions of democracy and freedom while ruining historical and scientific truth. If someone believes in limited government, low taxes, and genuine freedom as our founders did, there is no way an honest person could be a member of the Democrat party today. The Democrat party in 2022 is not the same as the Democrat party of 1970 or even 1990. I would be willing to go back to the Bill Clinton days rather than this obviously irreconcilable cluster of chaos today… I have friends who are Democrats, but their party has been the institution to tear down other institutions. Democrats are as dangerous to the local treasury as the charlatans in WashDC. Even Democrat county commissioners who might be nice people wrongly dole out goodies like Santa Claus against the wishes of constituents. Democrats have proven that they desire for government to get bigger, not better. This is done by taxing more and spending more despite uncertain economic times. A pattern of endless government growth tears down society and actually hurts the lower and middle class by driving up prices and hindering the free market of business opportunities. Just ask the people fleeing from Democrat-controlled cities and states. Taking from the producers and giving to the non-producers is un-American and lacks consistency when local magistrates hand out public money to their friends and pet projects instead of cutting wasteful spending.
Everyone in Macon County who desires for our area to stay conservative needs to vote against any and all Democrats up for election despite how well they might be known in the community. We should also ask Independent candidates who exactly they voted for in the 2020 election because it has been said that, “our vote is the currency of our virtues.” When it comes to protecting sacred institutions such as freedom, there are several Democrats and an Independent candidate that might have good intentions, but they are drastically compromised for conservative Macon County. They either support special interests instead of fiscal responsibility or they are ignorant of government’s proper role in a society. For example, government should never be the referee of businesses. That is not their constitutional job. No government is capable of managing a complex local or national economy. Besides, the free market solves all problems if government does not interfere. Government has proven it kills competition and attempts to pick winners and losers because it never acts (aka referees) without bias, thus insuring we have monopolies which are the very thing Democrats claim they hate, yet they enable. Any member of the Democrat party running for election should be asked why they are members of an institution that supports killing babies, keeping borders wide open for illegals, focusing on gender confusion instead of economic stability, taking God out of everything, spreading fear by ignoring proven science, stirring racial division to their benefit, censorship/denying of 1st Amendment rights, and printing money out of thin air to give to lazy people in an effort to buy votes. This is what the Democrat institution represents today. Period. A far cry from what the party used to be. Voters should take note and not be fooled by big personalities, word salads, and cliché slogans from local candidates. See what institutions a candidate aligns himself with and if it is the Democrat party, that is all you need to know because association always trumps superficial “experience.”
Jim Gaston – Franklin, N.C.
