America needs to find its way back home
        Greetings, American. How are you? May I have a moment of your time? If you don’t mind, may I say I’ve noticed some very serious changes in you over the years.
I remember the pride you once had in standing for justice, self-respect and satisfaction taken in work, and the achievements, possessions and glory that followed.
I don’t see that in you anymore. What I do see is self-destruction, dissatisfaction and no work to be taken, which means no achievement, no possessions and no glory. Where do you think you went wrong?
Of course, you have your reasons, just as I have my opinion – which is, I believe that charity should have begun at home and perhaps stayed. Because of the neglect, I see a growth in the deterioration of America. Of course, that’s just my opinion, but I suggest to you, American, come back home, rebuild, restore, re-establish home and let it be known that you worship a God and are not ashamed to claim his name because no strong American will allow anyone to come into his home and tell him how to run it.
You were built on what you believe. Children were brought up in that belief. The problem with you, American, you have turned your back, and now it is time for you to make amends and come back.
– Johnny Worth Sr.
Salisbury

Voter ID issues
 Let’s clear up a little liberal pseudo- angst about voter identification.
No. 1: They claim there is no need for it since there are so few proven cases of voter fraud. How can violations be demonstrated when there is no way to identify fraudulent voters? You can load up a bus with people, hand them a $5 bill and a piece of paper with a name on it and dump them out at a voting station. You can then load up the bus again and take them to another voting station and do the same thing again wIth another set of names of registered voters who will not be voting. There are any number of reasons why people whose names are passed out will not be voting. Apathy in many cases. The “community organizers” know who they are. Others have moved out of the district. Quite commonly they are dead. A lot of office holders in Chicago have cemeteries as a major constituent “bodies.” If you can’t verify identification, you obviously can’t detect fraud.
No. 2: They say providing identification is a terrible handicap. In truth, many types of identification have been proposed. Almost anyone has one of them. For the few that do not, free cards are offered at many locations. Endless opportunities to obtain photo identification are offered. This excuse is a red herring. We require photo ID for many activities in our country. Why not for the most sacred of all?
As a final note, the liberals frequently mention that college ID cards are not acceptable but permits to carry guns are. They want us to attribute this to all kinds of sinister motives. The truth is obvious. To get a gun permit requires an extensive background check including fingerprinting. A college ID only proves that you enrolled in at least one course and paid your tuition.
– Joe Roberts
Salisbury

Gun rights at risk
 While President Obama’s campaign is downplaying the Benghazi coverup and joking about Big Bird, we’re ignoring a bigger issue – our constitutional right to bear arms. Obviously, President Obama can’t just take away people’s guns; the Democrats have been trying to pass laws for years. But don’t think our gun rights are safe just because Congress won’t act. The mainstream media is slowly changing people’s minds, and their coverage of the Colorado theater massacre is a perfect example of how this works.
You probably remember it. Last July, a lone gunman entered a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colo., and started shooting people. The final toll was 12 dead and 50 wounded. For days, hordes of journalists invaded Aurora, interviewing survivors and victim’s relatives, searching for a motive, and saying we need to ban firearms.
But very few people know about the “other” shooting. It had happened three months earlier, when a lone gunman pulled up to an Aurora church and started shooting. He shot and killed the reverend’s mother; but before he could shoot anyone else, a quick-thinking church member pulled out his own concealed weapon and killed the shooter. It turned out the shooter was an ex-felon with a long criminal record.
Hundreds of reporters spent a week in Aurora covering the movie theater massacre. While there’s no doubt that they heard the story over and over of how one person saved so many lives three months earlier, they simply chose to ignore it.
When the government controls the media, they control the people. The goal is to convince people that guns are evil, and people with concealed weapon permits are dangerous. This helps the Obama administration as it works with the United Nations on global treaties that will make America more like other countries (where firearms are already illegal). Obama just needs four more years. Don’t let it happen. Vote Romney for president.
– Steve Pender
Rockwell

Marsh for school board
 As you prepare to cast your ballot for the candidates of our next Rowan-Salisbury School Board, we ask that you please give serious consideration to voting for Dr. Lynn G. Marsh.
We have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing Lynn, her husband, Donnie, and their family for most of their lives. Based on Lynn’s distinguished 25-year career as an award-winning teacher and principal, we feel she is uniquely qualified to serve on our Rowan-Salisbury School Board.
As with the current board chairman, Dr. Jim Emerson, Lynn possesses a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in educating our students. She is also a very caring mother, wife and grandmother, and she only wants what is in the absolute best interest of our children and their future.
Lynn has consistently demonstrated a great deal of love and concern for all her students, fellow teachers and our educational system. If elected to our Rowan-Salisbury School Board, we are confident Lynn will serve with much dedication and distinction and will help make us proud of our Rowan-Salisbury schools.
– Ronnie and Janis Smith
Salisbury

Kissell is for real
 “He is the real deal.” That is what a lifelong friend of mine said aftermeeting Larry Kissell.
I help lead a center that offers care for caregivers. Among our clients are Reserve and National Guard military chaplains. They are amazing, often pastors of local congregations, who are called up to care for our troops. They may be serving in North Carolina one day, the next, praying with woundedsoldiers or consoling a family.
Larry Kissell heard of our work and took several hours out of his scheduleto meet with these chaplains and hear their story. There was nothing “in it” for him-no photo ops-it was not a campaign stop. The only time he checked his phone was when he dialed a staff member. I overheard him say, “I’m sitting in a meeting talking to military caregivers and it remindedme. There was a story on the news today about veterans who had to give uptheir service dogs for budget reasons. Let’s see what we can do to helpthem.”
We rarely get to meet our public servants in a place where we see their true humanity. After you do, you realize how contrived and phony the attack ads against them are. Larry Kissell is a rare treasure. I hope you have the chance to meet him. Indeed, “He is real deal.” We are privileged to have such a genuine person serving the people of the 8th District.
– Rev. George W. Jacobs,
Concord

 Endorsement deadline

 Letters endorsing candidates in the Nov. 6 election must be received at the Salisbury Post by 5 p.m., Oct. 30.