Praising Liz Cheney

There is a book by President Kennedy titled, “Profiles in Courage.” In the years since his presidency, the Kennedy family has given the “Profile in Courage Awards” to many individuals and groups. In 2022,  the award was given to a group of five individuals for “defending democracy.” Among that group was Liz Cheney, the well-known and, at that time, a Congresswoman from the state of Wyoming.

She was honored for showing courage when she put her entire political career on the line to oppose the illegal and violent attempts by Donald Trump to stop the peaceful transfer of power.

She frankly put country over party and did what she knew was right. And pay she did. She was stripped of her party leadership position and then run out of Congress in the primary election the following year. But she knows what is right and continues to fight.

Now I doubt that Liz Cheney and I agree on much of anything except that country is more important than party. She looked at what Trump was doing and decided that it was an attack on the rule of law and the constitution. At that point she had to take her stand. At the 2022 Profile in Courage awards ceremony, she gave a short speech which you can find on YouTube. It is  inspiring and lays out why she did what she did. We need more statespersons like her and fewer politicians.

It is now our turn to stand up and be counted. As Liz said in her speech, and I paraphrase, there are no spectators in a democracy but rather we must all be participants.

I say this because I have heard that many people are afraid to put out yard signs or wear a T-shirt with a political message on it. Now if you are just a person that doesn’t do yard signs or T-shirts, that is fine, but do not let fear stop you if you want to. If we cease to speak publicly about these important issues in whatever way we see fit, then we cede the ground to Trump and his supporters. They will certainly not be shy about speaking out.

I know these are scary times. But this I know, if we want to have a democracy, we will need fight for it. So, get out there in any way you see fit and fight. Remember when we fight, we win.

— James Beard

James Beard resides in Albemarle after 32 years of living in Rowan County and more than two decades as a chemistry professor at Catawba College.

The angels of the Stanback Rehab Center

Recently, Mother Nature hit me with an unexpected curveball that resulted in a stroke that paralyzed my left side. Losing one’s ability to walk, talk or be able to lift an empty styrofoam cup becomes one of those life-altering experiences. 

Fortunately for myself and other Salisburians, we have the Novant Stanback Stroke Rehab Center. The expertise of the Stanback Staff, along with the invaluable encouragement of family and friends, enabled me to get a jump start on the road to my rehab marathon. Gary Blabon, president & COO of Novant Health Rowan Medical Center, does an admirable job overseeing a complex operation such as the hospital. However, he needs some enlightenment regarding the staff of the Novant Stanback Rehab Center. 

Gary probably feels the Stanback Rehab Center has a symphony of wonderful doctors, nurses, therapists and support staff. But having spent over two weeks as a patient there, I beg to differ with Gary’s assessment. He does not have a symphony of superb caregivers. What he and the Stanback Center actually have is a choir of angels disguised as a symphony of superb caregivers. Gary, your choir of Angels are talented, patient and caring professionals. 

My wife and I, plus the surrounding area, are extremely fortunate to have access to such a first class facility. Along with countless other stroke recipients, I want to thank the Stanback Family for establishing the Stanback Rehab Center and request that Gary continue recruiting angels for the Stanback Choir. 

— Frank Eason,
Salisbury