Letters to the editor — Saturday (6-7-14)

Published 12:00 am Saturday, June 7, 2014

In online comments about commissioners withdrawing a financing application, members of La Resistance said we are a democracy. It pains me every time I hear this. My son had the same thing taught to him this year at school. His teacher acknowledged her mistake to my son, but never responded to me.
Members of La Resistance, I urge you to research for yourself, but I will include a bit of what I sent my son’s teacher. With all going on in our country, it is more important than ever to teach students the true history of our great nation.
Many believe our form of government is a democracy, or representative democracy. This is untrue. The founders were extremely knowledgeable about democracies and feared a democracy as much as a monarchy. They understood the only entity that can take away people’s freedom is their own government, either by being too weak to protect them from external threats or by becoming too powerful and taking over every aspect of life. They knew very well the meaning of the word “democracy” and the history of democracies and they deliberately did everything in their power to prevent having one.
In a republic, which we are, sovereignty resides with the people. In a republic one may act on his own or through his representatives to solve a problem. The people have no obligation to the government; instead, the government is a servant of and obliged to its owner, we the people. Many politicians and educators have lost sight of that.
The critical difference lies in the fact that a constitutional republic has a constitution that limits the powers of government. It also spells out how the government is structured, creating checks on its power and balancing power between the different branches.
— Wes Rhinier
Salisbury

I fully believe that our governor should get involved with the Erica Parsons case. Better yet, let’s take it a step further and ask John Walsh for his help! If the lack of money would be the hold up in doing so, then the Salisbury Mall (which we didn’t need) could be sold and that money could be used to pay the expenses.
I can think of a few scenarios which may have caused Erica’s disappearance. The Goodman woman (if she exists) came to take Erica to a boot camp. Erica could have been sold to a sex crime ring or to people who use young girls to produce babies for black-market adoptions.
There is one question I keep asking which has kept me suspicious since day one: If the Goodman woman is actually Erica’s biological grandmother, then wouldn’t it have made more sense for her to come all the way to Erica’s home to pick her up? After all, she was already that far from Asheville. Salisbury isn’t much further. The only answer I can come up with is that the woman’s real identity wasn’t supposed to be revealed.
We have many questions and suspicions, but no answers as to how and why Erica disappeared. We pray that Erica will be brought home soon, solving the case and serving justice to those that deserve it.
— Ellie Mae Lambert
Salisbury

Regarding the current VA situation on scheduling and care for veterans, I’d like to add my words. Most VA medical care and administrative support I’ve experienced since 1953 has been great! The medical personnel and their supporting people have been top-notch.
I’ve experienced VA services in hospitals and other facilities in Boise, Salt Lake City, Killeen, Texas, Asheville, Charlotte, Clemmons, Winston-Salem and Salisbury. These services include emergency medical, in- and out-patient care, dental, counseling, transportation and administrative. You won’t hear me complaining.
The VA problems are not unique. All government agencies are stymied by mounds and mounds of paperwork required by stacks and stacks of regulations written by people who mostly have never been in the field, much less served in theaters of war. I say we cut the overhead and let the doctors, nurses and their assistants practice! Thank you to the VA for your service.
— Dave Shaver
Salisbury