… My Turn, by Rick Johnson: About Oath Keepers

May God bless the Oath Keepers, and thank you for all the hard tireless work you do here in our community, for our community! I for one sleep a little easier knowing that such individuals commit themselves to safeguarding our communities, be it from chaos of a manmade source or Mother Nature’s little hiccups.

— Scott Bellew

For those of you with any questions most of them can be answered here – http://oathkeepers.org/oath/about/

— Wes Rhinier

Do the Oath Keepers support the U.S. Constitution as it is interpreted by the federal courts, including the Supreme Court? Or do they have their very own Constitutional interpretations?

— Jeff Morris

For myself, the Oath Keepers meet this definition:

vig·i·lan·te: a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.

— Blaine Gorney

Seeing that local law enforcement thanked them for their service, I believe your definition does not apply. It was the out-of-state federal agencies who had a problem with protecting the minority businesses by Oath Keepers.

— Jim Archer

I think a more accurate definition of a vigilante is someone who takes the law into their own hands when it comes to determining guilt and meeting out punishment, not just providing security and protection. We would never take unto ourselves the power of judgment or punishment. That is the role of the jury in our society, and every American has a right to a jury trial, as protected by the Constitution we swore an oath to defend.

We do feel it is within our right, and duty, to stop arson and murder, but we leave trial and punishment to the jury trial system in our country.

And that is what is so odd about all of this: we were doing exactly the same thing as paid, private security does — protecting against arson and violence — but we did if for free, because the shop owners and tenants of those buildings could not afford to hire expensive security contractors. That was the only difference.

And yet, our political opponents lost their minds, as if we were doing something wrong by stopping arsonists. Apparently, they would have been happy to see those buildings go unprotected and be burned to the ground.

— Stewart Rhodes

Oath Keepers simply filled a law enforcement vacuum in Ferguson. Local, state and federal law enforcement failed to protect property from looters from outside communities. The Oath Keepers simply filled that vacuum. This is what happens when law enforcement is irresponsible.

— Reginald Brown

If the police had tried to protect the business-owners and taxpayers, the protestors would have resisted, and the police would be, once again, blamed for anything that happens. The National Guard was also ordered to stand down (either by Democrat)Governor Nixon or the Obama administration; reports are conflicting, so far), and to merely let the rioters have free rein. …

This is not what happens when law enforcement is irresponsible; this is what happens when liberalism sides with violent offenders and puts the police into a no-win situation, completely helpless, and then criticizing them even more.

— Steve Pender

… Salisbury Police officer terminated over Facebook post

Where is the “proof?” How can someone with a clean record just lose their job on an accusation? I hope this very amazing man and officer sues … Salisbury and pursues a lawsuit against his accuser for false accusations.

— Kaye Hodsdon

Officer Bill Torrence, I have no idea what you posted, so it’s hard to say if it was wrong or right. I suggest if you feel you were wrongfully fired find yourself a good lawyer and go after the city and anyone that “pressured” the city. Don’t take it lying down;  fight back.

However, this is a good lesson to everyone to watch what you post on social media because it has ruined many people’s careers.

— Robert Thomason

I can imagine what the new and improved police application will require. You must be either Jesus Christ, Salisbury Police Chief Rory Collins, Ken Hardin or a Salisbury City Council member to apply. All others will be considered less than perfect and sinners and not considered for employment.

— Wayne Eller

Tired of this racial card. A black man would not be fired for calling us a white cracker. If we continue this nonsense we will have no one to protect and serve. Or is that what our criminals want? There are good and bad people in every job and race. If he has been a good police officer for 22 years, he doesn’t deserve to be fired no matter his color.

— Mary Jane Ferrell

This is why you only “friend” people who are truly your friends. There are a lot of snitches out there trolling people’s Facebook page for the sole purpose of reporting them. George Orwell referred to them as the “Thought Police”

— Samantha Ford

This same violation of police persons (have to be PC) is happening all over the country, small cities and large, like Nashville, Tenn. Where the heck is the ACLU? They should be defending the officers. $43K to put your life on the line is sickening. Cut the salaries of government big wigs and pay the police a living wage.

— Richard E. Wagner

I worked with Bill Torrence as a public housing officer for years. I never saw him do anything of a racist nature nor did I hear him say anything inappropriate.

I did, however, see Bill assaulted, cussed at — the list goes on. Oh, and I did see him work with the rest of us to clean up public housing, deliver gifts to the underprivileged in housing. Many of you won’t remember what housing was like in the early ‘90s. Maybe the Post should post some of those articles from their archives.

— Linda Bailey Canzona

I’m not sure what comments this officer is supposed to have made. It has nothing to do with freedom of speech. When you already are a target in the position that you hold and have a duty to uphold by law and your community, you can’t let your good works be evil spoken of.

I’m a health care worker, and if I spoke out on everything I felt with the health care system, I wouldn’t have a job. Some things are better left unsaid,and spoken in the privacy of your home, but never on social media. …You have to think before you speak, or I say post?

— Beverly Phillips

… The silence after an explosion can be pretty loud

Frank loved Afghanistan and Afghan people a lot; he had a deep sympathy for Afghan people and he was … working for the development of this country.

He was always encouraging his daughters and wife to visit Afghanistan and meet the Afghan people; therefore, his family was eagerly coming to Afghanistan. …

— Sayed Javed Sadat

at USAID in Afghanistan

I am so sorry to hear about Mr. Frank Wolfgang Ehling. It is unbelievable for me that he would never appear in the office any more. …

He was the one to think how to make a better life for the local community of Afghanistan and providing them a good life and education through mining development. It is very hard to for me to go to office and see his desk is empty. I would like to express my sincere condolences to his wife and his daughter.

— Enayatullah Alamyar

Mr. Frank Wolfgang Ehling’s desk was next to me. … If today he is not among us but his memories are always alive in our minds – let’s work hard for the cause for which he dedicated his life. And with this make his soul happy.

— Shafiullah Rasikh

…Kannapolis native finishes 3rd in Miss World

Elizabeth is such a special young lady with an amazing family. We were blessed to have her serve Rowan County as our very first Miss Rowan County in 2011. She will be a wonderful ambassador for the United States!

— Charlotte Cherry,

executive director,
Miss Rowan County
Scholarship Pageant

…Salisbury pays tribute to veterans with Wreaths Across America

Thank you. My son Staff Sgt. David L. Berkland, U.S. Army, is there. We are halfway across the United States and miss him every day

— Lawrence Berkland,

Kansas City, Mo.

Thank you. My brother is at the old cemetery.

— Carol Smith

I was honored to be there as a volunteer with the American Red Cross to pay tribute to our veterans.

— Marlene Dunn

What a great experience and hope to be a continuing reward for this great time of the year. Thank you to the veterans everywhere.

— Ann Rozmaryn

… Chick-N-Ale closes after brief stint downtown

I am sad as me and my boyfriend really enjoyed this restaurant. I talked a few times to the manager/owner and they seemed to be doing well. I should have known something was up when they stopped serving their amazing cream corn. In all seriousness, I hate seeing small businesses like this close, especially ones with such promise. Good luck to the management in all their future endeavors!

— Mary Beyer

I’m so sad over this! Loved the food there. Disappointed.

— Ginger Kerr

… What difference does color make?

African-American men comprise a mere 6 percent of the American population but, according to the Department of Justice, they make up nearly half of the 2 million inmates in U.S. jails or prisons.

These men are largely imprisoned for non-violent offenses.

According to the U.S. census, nearly half of America’s 19 million black men are under the age of 35 years old, and the ratio for young black male imprisonment is around 10 percent, or 10,000 prisoners per 100,000. (Note: This is not counting the additional numbers on parole, or on probation, which add significantly to these numbers.)

Placing this ratio in context, as of today, India, a country of 1 billion people, only has about 300,000 prisoners, a ratio of 30 prisoners per 100,000 people.

During South African apartheid, one of the most horrific instances of racism the world has seen, the prison rate for black male South Africans, under immensely unfair laws, was 851 per 100,000. In America today, young black men face a rate of imprisonment effectively 10 times that number.

— Leo Smith

… DENR’s well testing would be the latest in a series

So, the Riverkeeper and Duke have both tested the river and told us the results, but neither will provide copies of the actual tests and we have to wait months till DENR responds.

This of course is the same DENR that has been monitoring the ash ponds.

The county should contract with a private water testing corporation ASAP and immediately release the actual results.

— Todd Paris