What legacy will we leave?

Exactly 100 years ago this month Benito Mussolini marched on Rome, accompanied by street fighting thugs known as the Black Shirts. Mussolini overthrew the Italian government using a combination of violence and intimidation, thus becoming the first fascist dictator. Unfortunately he would not be the last.

All fascist movements have certain characteristics in common, such as aggressive nationalism, the persecution of others and especially an absolute disdain for democracy. Fascism is now re-emerging across Europe and other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, in the United States, all of our democratic institutions are under assault. In the early pre-dawn hours of Jan. 7, 2021, 147 Republican House members refused to certify the 2020 presidential election. Every single one of them knew the truth but was afraid to protect it. Ted Budd was among their number. This has to be the most spectacular display of political cowardice in our nation’s history.

The facts concerning the election results were clear and had been for weeks. President Biden’s popular vote margin was 7.3 million. He received 306 electoral votes, which ironically was exactly the same number that Trump accumulated in 2016. Our ex-president immediately declared his victory to be an electoral landslide.

Next month’s mid-term election results will be determined by a number of issues, including the Supreme Court’s decision to ban abortion and inflation. Perhaps this year we should consider the sacrifices made for us by our parents and grandparents. During World War II hundreds of thousands of Americans died to protect our democracy in order to ensure our freedom. What legacy will we leave for our children?

— Keith Townsend

Mt. Ulla

Vote for Marohn

As a teacher of American government, one of the leading responses I hear regarding voter apathy in our community is, “I just don’t like any of the candidates.” This year in the election for school board, you won’t have to say that because you’re going to like retiring teacher Ruth Marohn an awful lot.

It’s been my great privilege to teach alongside Ruth at Jesse Carson High where I have seen her dedicate her life to helping students grow. Ruth is a career teacher with over 32 years of experience, and she raised her two children here in Rowan-Salisbury Schools. She knows the needs of students, she hears the concerns of parents, and she has the perspective of a career teacher.

She is not interested in advancing. She wants to serve on the school board because she has a genuine concern for the wellbeing of the students in our district. She is not a politician tied to any partisan agenda. She sees tremendous progress being made every day in our district from within our school, but she also speaks out about the deficiencies we have regarding student literacy, staff retention, and continuity between schools. She spoke this week at the Rowan Chamber of Commerce candidate forum about getting students excited about reading, recruiting and developing great teachers, and promoting all of the often-unseen extracurricular opportunities our schools offer. In the midst of a politically divisive environment, these are things that we can all get on board with.

“I just don’t like any of the candidates?” Not this year. Vote with confidence for Ruth Marohn for Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education.

— Robert Johnsen

Granite Quarry

Everybody should pay their share of taxes

Ted Budd claims that 87,000 new IRS agents are intended to “harass” middle class taxpayers. If being caught cheating on one’s taxes is “harassment,” then I say, harass away, whether it is Donald Trump, a corporate executive, or a middle-class suburbanite.

I for one am sick of diligently paying what the law demands and having people around me tell me how foolish I am for doing so, while our country drowns in red ink!

— Thomas J. Strini

Spencer

 

Candidate endorsement letters

The Salisbury Post is accepting emailed letters from the public endorsing candidates running in the 2022 election. The deadline to submit letters is 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov 3.

Letters will be printed on a first come, first served basis. Letters must be the original work of the author whose name appears with the letter. Candidate submissions are not allowed. No letters will be printed after Sunday, Nov. 6. The usual rules about letters, including length, apply.