Pet waste DNA registration raises a howl of protest
Regarding the May 27 article “DNA sample from pet will ensure owner responsibility”:
I’m outraged! Where are the dogs’ constitutional rights? And a database called Poop Pints of DNA!
And are we gonna have to outlaw poop if it’s not in the database? Will there be wanted posters out for the owner of the poop?
And discrimination! What about cat poop? Or hamster poop? Or snake poop? (Do snakes poop?)
Come on, all you have to do is have a “no pets” policy — or after two “incidents,” evict the pet. But fines? Seems the apartments have found a unique way to get money.
— Rick Morgan
Salisbury
We are paying enough
Well, it didn’t take Doug Paris long to show what his plans are to help the citizens of our city. First he wants to raise our property tax rate 2 cents, then create a storm water department that will cost each resident $4.25 per month. Next he wants to turn our garbage service into a business; this would raise our cost from $1 to $14.06 per month. So if he gets his way, our taxes will go up, and we lose our garbage service. Oh, but wait, he doesnt want to stop there; then he want to give everyone a raise for a satisfactory job performance. Maybe Mr. Paris has money to burn with his new $135,000 salary but the rest of us don’t!
— Dennis Lunsford
Salisbury
Living by the Bible
Regarding Ellie Mae Lambert’s recent letter (“Stick to the Bible”):
According to the logic that you have while sticking solely upon the Bible (“Genuine happiness only comes from loving God”), then what about Muslims who believe in Allah or Buddhists who believe all life is sacred and should never be harmed? Do you propose then that the Quran, the Torah, the Book of Morman and other sacred texts are irrelevant and should be ignored by the global community?
You state that “Every one of those words is true and a revelation of God to man.” But, Ms. Lambert, each gospel in the Bible was written by men and then translated by men and then was voted on by men as to which gospels should be kept in the Bible. (I am, of course, referring to the gospels of Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot.) How can a person rely 100 percent on a book that has been manipulated by man so much? I am not saying that the Bible is irrelevant. (I, for one, believe that one should hold oneself with high priorities, ethics and beliefs, regardless of where one learns these, in an effort to better society). The Bible can be used to justify any cause: “Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and equitable but also to those who are perverse” (1 Peter 2:18). “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). “Happy those who seize your children and smash them against a rock” (Psalm 137:9).
So please, Ms. Lambert, read your Bible and tell me how successful you are at following every single verse to the letter. Then you can tell me what gender my lover should be.
— Anthony Camacho
Salisbury
Much ado about trolls, goats
The problem with the Dixon-Neely incident is not with the teacher but the national media coupled with the absolute abandonment of locally grown common sense. Does viewing Mrs. Dixon-Neely as some mad oppressor of freedom who must be routed from the Rowan educational system stem from contempt of Barack Obama and not because of this manufactured dust-up? How many teachers get fired for controlling their classrooms or demanding a modicum of respect for the president of the United States?
The student got the better of the teacher’s emotions, but she was well within her right to control her classroom. Further, no student ever possesses a freedom of speech in order to disrupt a classroom. When a teacher asks for silence, it is required; otherwise, a class could be hijacked perpetually.
I don’t blame the student for his trespasses because youth is rarely mired down by wisdom or intellect when wanting to have a little fun. Teacher “trolling” has always been big fun. If I knew where a teacher’s goat was tied, then I stood vigilant for any chance to fetch yon goat, but I never got one fired or even suspended when they were a step out of line.
Here’s the big bottom line about getting arrested for anti-presidential sentiment: She was right! People have been wrongly arrested. One couple received $80,000 for a wrongful arrest due to the words on their T-shirts. Google “anti-Bush protesters arrested.” It happened.
There are bigger problems to solve and far worse things in our educational system than this, but it fits this silly narrative of “left vs. right,” so Fox News and Drudge decided to play tetherball with our community, our educational system and our teachers. I think they know where our goats are tied.
— David Benton
Salisbury
Teacher has a solid record
“To err; is human, to forgive divine.”
On behalf of the teacher who is being ostracized by much of our community, I would like to say that she would not have been allowed to teach this long if she had not shown a measure of professionalism. I’m sure this must be documented in her observations and yearly summative. It appears that an impromptu discussion or debate got away from her, but if you continue to listen, she was able to get students back on task. In the future, however, it would be wise to make all discussions or debates research based for accuracy.
On the flip side of the coin, if this student has had a problem with this teacher all year, why weren’t his concerns directed to the administrators in charge? I’m sure that after having been in this teacher’s class for sometime, he knew exactly how he could manipulate the conversation into one that would become combative. (Believe it or not, some of our students are capable of this type of ingenuity.) Of course, the student seems innocent and sincere in his performance because he knew he was recording the discussion. I wonder what the discourse has really been like for this student and teacher this year. I know for a fact that this teacher is dedicated to educating our youth and has a genuine concern for children. This YouTube tape does not show her in her best light. I hope that those who are investigating this incident will take into consideration her cumulative history before pronouncing their judgment.
I am proud to have worked with this teacher in the past and even prouder to call her friend.
— Cynthia M. Sloan-Bailey
Salisbury