Cook the kind of person who should be running the DA’s office

I will admit that I know very little about the inner workings of the district attorney’s office. I am glad that over the years I have been able to conduct most of my business outside the courtroom and not on the inside.

Let me tell you what I do know about our current district attorney. In the last five years, I have had three occasions where I needed to contact Brandy Cook for assistance. Each time, Brandy was kind, considerate, very professional and extremely helpful. Brandy personally returned my phone calls, answered my questions and assisted me in the same impartial way that I am convinced she treats everyone else. That is the kind of person I believe should be running the district attorney’s office and I will be voting for her to retain that position on May 17. I recommend you do the same.

— Jim Sides

Salisbury

Editor’s note: Sides is a former Rowan County commissioner.

Cook impressive in the courtroom

I walked into the first of many meetings with District Attorney Brandy Cook after learning a date had been set for my mother’s murder trial. I was intimidated and emotional, and the extent of my knowledge of court proceedings could be summed up by a quick five-minute Google search.

My first impression of Cook, she is an important, confident woman with extensive knowledge of court proceedings.  As she spoke a foreign language, I glanced at my husband, hoping he was absorbing more than I was. When she was done, I opened my notebook with a laundry list of questions and began.

Recognizing we were overwhelmed, Cook slowed down, answered questions and promised to walk us through it. We left feeling reassured by Cook’s confidence in her case against Donald Lee
Frye and his habitual felon status ensuring he would spend life in prison.

During the trial, Cook impressed us with her ability to work the courtroom, especially in her examination of witnesses.  I know because I was one.  Before testifying, I was adamant I wasn’t going to cry on the stand, refusing to give Frye that satisfaction.

I was disgusted when asked to acknowledge Frye’s presence, sad when talking about my mother, and cried when I recalled the day we found her, deceased in her home.  As mad as I was to have cried, Cook made the right decision to call me as a witness to ensure justice was served.

Our justice system needs more Brandy Cooks.  Perhaps if prior courts had been harder on Frye for his first, second, or even third offenses, my children would be making memories with their Nana, rather than remembering her from a picture on the shelf. Protect your family and vote for Cook on May 17.

— Jessica Godfrey Lind

Linwood

Cook — capable, compelling

If you don’t know Brandy Cook, let me tell you about her.

Cook is capable, compelling, dominant, dynamic, energetic, impressive, influential, mighty, persuasive, potent, robust, vigorous, able and commanding. All of it. Period.

Cook is my family’s choice for district attorney.

Cook is respected and endorsed by law enforcement.

Cook is a devoted, involved and respected member of our community.

Cook holds many leadership positions and volunteers countless hours for organizations that are important for our community and to Brandy.

Larry J. Sabato states that “Every election is determined by the people who show up.”

Show up on May 17 and join my family in voting Brandy Cook for district attorney.

— Meredith Honeycutt

Salisbury

Retired Kannapolis Police chief backs Cook

In today’s criminal justice system, it is extremely important that we choose the right person to lead each of the branches.  This letter will serve as my endorsement of Brandy Cook for district attorney in Rowan County.

I have known Brandy for over 20 years, and I have worked with her on many serious cases. These cases included homicides, sexual assaults, robberies, etc.   

I have been impressed that Brandy consistently had the victims, the citizens, law enforcement and the constitution in mind when making her decisions. I have always respected her, and her ability to skillfully prosecute even the most complex cases. She is an experienced prosecutor with the will and determination not to give up, even in the most difficult circumstances.

It appears that Brandy’s opponent is trying to place the blame of the uptick in crime in Rowan County on the DA’s office. His accusations are surprising to me because he spent time in the DA’s office and knows that the office does not set bonds, nor do they sentence criminal defendants.  Those issues are ultimately decided by the presiding judge. Brandy has always been tough on crime and criminals.   

Brandy has always been honest, trustworthy, professional and dedicated to the people of Rowan County. This is very important to me because I grew up here and have lived most of my life in Rowan County.

A wise man once told me that the best indicator of future performance is past performance. This philosophy has proven itself during my career. Based on my personal observations over two decades I feel that Brandy Cook is our only choice for district attorney in Rowan County.

— J.W. (Woody) Chavis

Kannapolis

Editor’s note: Chavis is retired chief of the Kannapolis Police Department.

More details on Stoneman’s raid on Salisbury

The article about Stoneman’s raid on Salisbury (April 13) was very interesting.

There is a book in the library “This Was Home” written by Hope Summerell Chamberlain, who was a young girl who lived on the corner of Fulton and Bank streets with her parents during the raid.

She gives some interesting facts about the raid, as well details about Salisbury and Rowan County in general

— Calvin Safrit

Salisbury

Hardin needs to stop the blame game

I have been reading Kenneth Hardin’s articles for quite sometime. He loves to tout himself (as in one of his latest editorials) and seldom makes a valid point despite his excellent writing style. Obviously, he is a “grievance” militant locked into the past.

When I was a young Army captain back from Vietnam, I was an adviser to a Nigerian army officer and our relationship continued for over five decades until several years ago when he passed away as a retired lieutenant general. He brought his family with him as we attended an advanced military course here in the U.S.

In our many conversations about the Black community in America he always brought up a point that has stuck with me all my life: “We in Africa don’t worry about the past, what happened can’t be changed. We focus on the present and the future.”

Hardin, consider those words carefully. I have watched over my lifetime the Black culture in America decline. Black Americans (not African immigrants) lead by far from single parenthood, to crime, to education, etc.

Stop blaming and start addressing the serious failures in a segment of your community where it is needed. Immigrant group after group come to America and succeed but too many Blacks get left behind by their so called leaders.

— Kenneth Houston

Salisbury

Looking for woke Republicans

Ripley Entertainment is offering $1 million in cash to anyone who can produce a hen with teeth and/or a woke Republican

— W.L. Poole

Salisbury