Only Revolutionary War reenactors needed

The only reenactors that I would expect to see at an event celebrating the history of our Founding Fathers declaring the Thirteen Colonies free and no longer subordinate to the British Monarch would be British and American Revolutionary War soldiers. Not Confederate soldiers.

It is not just historically inappropriate, it is tone deaf for a community like Faith, with a long history of racism and KKK activity, to allow and defend confederate soldiers in an Independence Day parade. The Confederate flag represents racism, and treason. Learn about that history in a history book or museum. Better yet, take a civics class.

— Michael Young

Salisbury

Live in the past or move on

At the 2013 or 2014 Faith 4th of July  parade,  the Rowan Republican trolley had a black Livingstone student that rode and walked with the group.

Nothing was said by the other Republicans nor by any of those on the parade route. Nothing was said later.  It was such a non-event that no one thought to make anything about it. End of story.

Novant and any others can withdraw their support, to their loss. Live in the past or move on and make things better for all.

— John Leatherman

Salisbury

Let’s rally around our flag

On behalf of our more than 10,000 Rowan County veterans and the great majority of all our citizens, we strongly encourage you to stand up, speak up and “rally around our flag!”

Last year a formal request was made to our Salisbury City Council to place the American flag in our new city-owned Bell Tower Green Park. After a verbal commitment was made to place the flag in the park for dedication on Veterans Day,
Nov. 11, 2021, no action has been taken to fulfill this promise. In fact, we now understand there are a few citizens who are protesting having the American flag in the park. Also, we were refused the opportunity to place miniature American flags in or near the park on Memorial Day this year.

Now is the time for all citizens to unify and respectfully request the city council to take immediate action to install and erect a flagpole and flag at or near the entrance to the park so that we may dedicate the flag to all Rowan County veterans on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

We are very proud that Salisbury is an all-American city and we are equally proud to have the American flag prominently displayed in our downtown park. Please speak up and make your feelings known to the Salisbury City Council. May God bless our flag and may God bless America.

— Ronnie Smith

Salisbury

Were the Jan. 6 events concerning to you?

When asked if the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 were concerning to them, poll respondents replied in proportion: Democrats 76%,  Unaffiliated  45%,  Republicans 16%.

If anyone reading this does not understand its significance, ask someone you know to be smart, and they will enlighten you.

— W.L. Poole

Salisbury

Do we want government in on private decisions of our lives?

Don’t ask me if I am pro-choice or pro-life. Nobody is pro-abortion. It would be like telling a diabetic, sure, eat all the sweets you want.

First we must consider the mother in regards to a pregnancy. If the law of the land is abortion is illegal, then the law of the land should be automatically that the father is responsible also. Then we will see progress.

For example, the father would pay his half for the upbringing of the child. Suppose the mother wants to go to medical school? No problem, the child’s welfare is still the priority. Same for the father.

It’s like being married without the certificate. But, do we want the government into the private decisions of our lives? Well, if it’s true for the mother, then it’s true for the father.

Shame on folks who are smart and moral enough to think this through and don’t.

— Audrey Valencourt

Salisbury

If more Republicans watched hearings, some might change their mind

My mother was a devoted Democrat who was involved in local politics in Indiana. In 1964, Lee Hamilton ran for congress for the first time in our district. He wanted to meet certain people in our town. My mother had me take him around town to see those people. I was a high school senior. Hamilton won and served in congress for 34 years, with distinction.

She, and my sisters, were somewhat dismayed when I voted Republican from 1984-2004.

One of those sisters has a friend who is an equally loyal Republican. That friend voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020 and has been a devoted follower. So much so that, even though they are friends, my sister did not feel comfortable talking politics with her.

That all changed once her friend began watching the Jan. 6 hearings. Her friend has been dismayed to see what Trump did to try to remain president. She has seen that he organized an attempted coup. She has seen Republican after Republican testify, under oath, to that effect. And she has seen that he utterly failed to uphold his oath of office and was derelict in his duties as a president.

Unfortunately, she is one of the few Republicans to watch the hearings. While prominent Republicans and Fox decry the hearings as being partisan, the fact is that member after member of the Trump administration, including his daughter, have testified, under oath, that Trump was unequivocally told that there was no election fraud and that he lost the election. Despite that, he continued to spew his lies that the election had been stolen …and continues to do so.

My wish is that more Republicans would tune in to the hearings as my sister’s friend did. They might have a similar epiphany.

— Jerry Forthofer

Rockwell