Column for March 29, 2012

The Wake County Board of Commissioners deserves credit for showing courage and common sense by a majority of its members.  Recently, they voted 4 to 3 to pass aresolution supporting North Carolina House Bill 351.  That bill was vetoed by Governor Perdue, but would have been a great step in our state towards eliminating voter fraud.  House Bill 351 would simply have required that voters show a valid identification when going to the polls to cast a ballot.  There has recently been talk of an attempt to override the governor’s veto.  That would be an excellent opportunity to bring common sense to elections.

The big argument against the idea of requiring identification in order to vote is that it would deter people from voting by intimidating old people, and that poor and young people would not have the means to obtain the required identification.  I’m sorry, but this has got to be the most specious argument I have heard in a long time.  If you are elderly, then you most likely have had some form of identification for a long time.  If you are young, you probably have or are going to attempt to obtain a driver’s license.  If you are poor, you still have the need of bank services and transportation to get and use what little money you do have.  When I was poor, and I was for years, I still worked a job, drove myself to work, and cashed the tiny paychecks I received.  I have been working since age 15 and have had a driver’s license since age 16.  Do those who make this fallacious argument really expect me to believe that someone who is poor cannot scrape up the one time investment of ten dollars to obtain even a state issued identification card?

Our old friends at the state NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Crazy People) have sent letters to county governments warning against passing local versions of voter ID laws.  Of course they are playing the race card, as usual, claiming that voter ID laws disenfranchise potential voters.  The real motivation is to stop the prevention of voter fraud.  Without requiring an identification to cast a ballot, people who are not registered to vote, are not qualified to vote, or want to vote multiple times may have a chance at doing so; and of course, voting to support their socialist agenda.

I have to show or carry identification when traveling outside the country, in order to drive a car, to board an airplane, when getting certain pharmaceuticals, when applying for a job, when opening a checking account, when applying for a credit card, when registering a car at the DMV, when seeking medical attention, when donating blood, when purchasing a firearm, when buying automobile insurance, when getting a marriage license, when purchasing a house, when renting an apartment, when purchasing alcohol, when opening an IRA, when establishing electrical service, when writing a check, when getting a library card, when checking into a hotel, or when applying for a passport.  So the NAACP means to tell us that their constituency never does any of that?  Just recently, I had to provide ID to my employer yet again to comply with government regulations for I-9 forms and the E-Verify system.  I have been at my job for over 17 years, have gone through this same procedure numerous times, and yet I had to provide valid ID yet again.  It’s no big deal.

The voter ID bill in North Carolina would require one of eight valid forms of ID.  If someone can’t come up with just one, then they are either too stupid or too irresponsible to cast a ballot.  During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, it was highly debated about requirements for voting.  The requirements were not as simple as being a certain age and just showing up at the polling place.

Arguments against voter ID laws also include the premise that voter fraud is rare.  I would contend that voter disenfranchisement is even rarer than voter fraud.  It is just common sense that if we exalt the concept of “one man, one vote” and fairness in elections, we would take every reasonable measure to ensure that voter fraud is eliminated, that those not qualified to vote do not vote, and that the person voting is who they claim to be.  There is no requirement that you actually cast a ballot.  If you don’t want to show a simple form of identification to validate your vote, then you do not deserve to be able to vote.  Politicians and pundits that oppose voter identification laws simply want to make it easier to perpetuate fraud and their agenda, plain and simple.

Column for March 22, 2012

I have long been a proponent of repealing the 17thAmendment to the US Constitution.  That amendment reads, “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.”  That amendment was ratified in April of 1913, and most of us cannot remember the national senate being otherwise.  Well, prior to 1913, Senators were chosen according to Article I, section 3 of the Constitution which states, “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.”  There is a big difference.  The original method of selecting Senators meant that the Senate was beholden to the individual states that created the federal government.  Since 1913, Senators have been directly responsible to the general population as is the House of Representatives.  There was great wisdom in the original method of selecting U.S. Senators.  The Senate was to look after the interests of the states, not the people.  The House was to look after the interests of the people, not the states.  It was a great balance.

In another section of the Constitution, “The President...shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur” (ArticleII Section 2).  That is a tremendous amount of power for both the President and the Senate.  Presidents negotiate treaties regularly.  They just do not have the effect of law unless the Senate agrees with a two thirds majority.  Why a two thirds majority?  Because under Article VI, “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land”.  That means that treaties that are ratified by the Senate have the effect of law upon us citizens.  That is done without a bill being passed by the House, the Senate, and being signed into law by the President.

I have been reading up on several treaties that are underway.  If for no other reason than what I am about to write, we need to be careful about electing a president and senators.  Liberal, America hating radicals look for every opportunity to harm American sovereignty.  Sovereignty means freedom.  We the people have it, this nation has it.  But this will change if the following treaties are ratified.

The US, with Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, is negotiating for a US participation in an international criminal court.  This would subject American officials to criminal charges if a decision is taken to go to war without the permission of The United Nations and give nations like China and Russia a veto over our sovereignty to declare war.  The power of war is the very essence of being sovereign.

The Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) has been signed by the Obama administration, and if ratified, would force America to give up half of all royalties it gets from offshore drilling.  We would give that money to the United Nations for them to distribute as they see fit to any nation it chooses, with only a single vote from the US as to where the money will go.  The UN would not earn the money and the recipient nations would not earn the money.  We would simply obligate ourselves into just giving it away.  Sadly, some liberal Republican senators are pushing for this ratification.

The administration is attempting to sign on to a small arms treaty that would force nations to stop the exportation of firearms for private use.  I happen to collect antique military firearms, and from nations like France, Switzerland, and Russia in particular.  This treaty would stop the flow of old military pistols and rifles into America for millions of collectors like me.  It would also open the door for total firearms registration.

There is a treaty that would ban “space junk” under the guise of stopping space debris and litter.  In reality, this would prohibit America from deploying a missile defense system in space.  It is colorfully called the “Outer Space Code of Conduct”.

The “Rights of the Child” treaty is designed to extract money from richer nations (read that America) to go to poorer nations, ostensibly for the purposes of clothing, food, shelter, and education of children.  The fund would be administered by a fourteen member court that would sue nations to that end.  That court is already suing over welfare cuts in England, so don’t think for one moment that it wouldn’t do the same thing here.

As you can see, the passage of treaties is nothing to take lightly and it is often overlooked by those who only focus on reasons like Supreme Court nominees when it comes to consideration of senatorial elections.  The Senate is a powerful body by design.  When a powerful body is complicit with a socialist presidential administration, as we have now, American sovereignty and money, as well as individual freedoms can be taken away or seriously limited.  Vote freedom hating senators and presidents out of office.  For that matter, every freedom hating elected representative you can identify.  Keep and restore American sovereignty and individual liberties.

Self explanatory

Column for March 15, 2012

I love reader feedback.  Sometimes I even get a chuckle out of it.  This week I have been absolutely deluged with reader feedback.  Some have been from a few anonymous individuals that don’t have the courage to stand behind their comments.  Others have been from people who think that they have a moral and intellectual superiority and incessantly bicker.  Either way, my column about Miss Johnston County has by far stirred the most feedback in the almost six years I have been writing this column.

I read with interest the response in the newspaper to my column about Miss Johnston County.  I laughed upon reading it, since it was incredibly hypocritical and fairly stereotypical.  What I will say for Miss Bindhu Pamarthi is that she at least took credit for her own rant.  What I found interesting is that the same allegations she leveled in her letter are some of the same inane drivel I was hit with by people who read my column on the internet. 

When you can’t defend with facts, resort to ad hominem attacks.  That is an old tactic used by many people who defend their positions but can’t really refute anything you are saying.  Miss Pamarthi leveled several accusations, as did each attacker on the internet.  Every commentator had the same thing in common.  They simply missed the entire point and construed their own.  The one common thread is that everyone seemed to think that I claimed that Miss Pamarthi was not legitimately the pageant winner or should not have won the crown.  

That is not so and I fail to comprehend how anyone that actually read the column could have arrived at that conclusion.  One person claiming to have an extensive legal training and experience but fails to realize the definitions of ad hominem and libel (of which I was accused) actually quoted a section of the pageant contract that pretty much said the same thing from the document from which I quoted, except that it also included a few more counties from which contestants could hail.  Of all of the accusations of false information that I allegedly propagated, that was the one and only actual point attempting to show any discrepancy with my column as presented.  Either way, it still does not negate my simple point; every time we have a Miss Johnston County from outside of Johnston County, it cheapens the title of Miss Johnston County.

It is amazing to me that for people who claim to be so tolerant of others, these respondents were incredibly intolerant of anyone else’s viewpoints.  When repeatedly asked to show where I was incorrect, for days and dozens of comments, nobody could point to a single thing except to resort to name calling and accusations.  Sometimes they changed the topic and argued a point that was irrelevant to either my column or Miss Pamarthi.

I went out of my way in my commentary to make sure that it was understood that my opinion had nothing to do with race.  Actually, I chose my words carefully since I had heard from several people about how they were offended that someone from out of the county won the crown, that they could not even pronounce her name, and that her ethnic background was nothing like the citizenry of the county.  In my writing, I actually defended Miss Pamarthi’s heritage as not mattering a wit, and I stand by that.  It makes no difference to me as long as she is an American citizen.  And yet who played the “race card”?  Miss Pamarthi accused me of xenophobia in her letter, and some internet commentators accused me of outright racism.  That, my friends, is how the intolerant truly work.  When you can’t prove a point with facts, impugn with ad hominem arguments.  For those who don’t know what ad hominem means, an ad hominem (Latin for "to the man" or "to the person"), short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it.  That is exactly what the claim of xenophobia (an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers) and racism happens to be.   Basically, they were saying that since they thought I was racist, that my opinion had no merit.  Or they thought I had one fact incorrect, therefore my opinion about Miss Johnston County not actually being from Johnston County was moot.  The hypocrisy is amazing.

I do have one suggestion for the Miss North Carolina pageant officials.  In the same spirit of Miss Johnston County repeatedly being from outside of Johnston County, I think that we should let the runner up from the Miss Virginia pageant take over as Miss North Carolina.

More whining in response to my column of March 1, 2012

This letter was in today's "The Selma News".  I found it amusing that the author didn't really sign the letter but rather wrote on behalf of the "organization".  Still, he/she dwells upon minutia.  The minutia was not the main point.  As to "not acceptable", it is not up to the organization to determine public opinion and acceptability.  Period.  I have eyeballs and the point about tiara wearing heifers is occasionally valid.  I laugh about the comparison to NFL teams.  There is no comparison, considering that one is a pageant and one is professional football on a national stage and private industry.  A proper parallel can not be drawn.  It can, however, be drawn to representation by elected officials who carry the title of representing a particular geographical region.  NFL teams are businesses that can be and are often relocated.  A congressman, in by way of example, is always representing his/her district. 

As to the pageant rules being published prior to the pageant, yeah...and...  Again, the actual geography outside of JoCo is irrelevant and minutia.  My point transcends just the Miss Johnston County pageant.  It was merely one example, and my opinion also extends to the Miss Railroad Days pageant, as used as an example in this letter.  By the way, my point about heifers with tiaras was not specific to the Miss North Carolina pageant.  Here is the actual comment.  "Each and every year, I have seen bunches of pageant winners here in Johnston County, especially making appearances in Christmas parades across the county.  Some are beautiful young ladies.  Some are heifers with tiaras."

Whether they love me or hate me, they are reading. And yes, I still stand by my column.

A response to my column of March 1

Since I believe in fairness and sharing both sides (just not from 3rd party whiners and anonymous shmucks if they go horribly off topic and make baseless claims), here is Bindhu Pamarthi's letter to the editor in response to my March 1st column.  Ironically enough, she does the very thing of which she accuses me...false information.  She obviously did not read for comprehension, got some facts incorrect, and made some blatant charges on something about which I went through great pains to avoid.  Eh, whatever.  My response will be forthcoming.  It is already written.

Column for March 8, 2012

Object lessons sometimes can drive the point home a lot easier than attempting to explain complicated concepts to a child. It sometimes works wonders with my nine-year-old. He is often in the car with me when the morning news is on the radio. As such, he will sometimes get civics lectures, history lectures, religious instruction, or just plain common sense discussions depending upon the subject matter on the radio. This is especially true when I have a talk radio program on and we get into discussions. Usually a discussion begins when he sees me get very frustrated and react to what I am hearing.

Just recently, there was a discussion about a famous talk radio show host who referred to a woman that testified before Congress as “a slut”. She had testified about her lascivious lifestyle as well as that of others she knows, and that she can’t afford all the expense of birth control as a result. Forrest Gump said in the movie of that same title, “My mama always said, ‘Stupid is as stupid does.’” Well, the fictional Gump’s mother is not the only one to have always said that; so did my mom. That principle transcends to behaviors as well. 

Because of a lifestyle choice, this woman wanted us taxpayers and/or insurance subscribers to pay for her birth control. If one performs a deed, the one performing it should be responsible for the consequences and responsibilities therefor, not others who are responsible enough to run their own lives well and pay for their own habitual needs. 

It just so happened that my wife and I were in the car with our son and our topic of conversation was about taxpayers paying for the actions and habits of others rather than them paying for their own choices. My son was wondering a bit about the conversation, so I decided to include him in the discussion.

I asked him if he would like to see other children in school get good grades, as he has been getting. Of course he did, was his response. I told him that I would contact the principal of the school and see about taking one of the A grades that he got and split it with a C average student. That way, both he and the other student could enjoy a B grade. “No way,” I was told. “I worked hard for my A. That isn’t fair. I shouldn’t have to get a lower grade just because someone else didn’t do as good as I did!”

“Why not,” I asked? “Why should other students get lower grades than you? What if they don’t have the opportunity to study as much as you do, have parents who make them do their homework, or maybe they just aren’t as smart as you? Why should you get a good grade and them not?”

“Because I earned my grades,” my son interjected. “It isn’t fair that I should work to earn my grades and have them taken away and given to someone who didn’t earn as good a grade! I earned it!”

“Congratulations, you are not a Democrat,” I informed him.

That discussion stuck with him, because he brought it up to me again just today. I know that this will be much to the chagrin of some members of the family who are loyal Democrats, regardless of the candidate or issues.

I remember my wife having a discussion with an elderly member of the family about a corrupt politician that is in office in Harnett County. My wife encouraged this dear old woman to vote for someone else in the (then) coming election. “But we can’t have a Republican in office,” was the naive response. The funny thing is that I know the family’s values. They have a strong work ethic, appreciate freedom, oppose welfare programs, oppose affirmative action, believe in merit based advancement, have been in and continue to run small businesses, want low taxes, and oppose things such as abortion. Those are conservative values, and none of which are traits of the present day Democrat Party. And yet there are people who will continue to vote that way regardless all because of some archaic, fallacious, and dangerous preconceived notion stemming back to the days of abolition.

I am still no fan of the Republican Party, believe me. I lament its current state and in general, its crop of candidates. If I could find an honest, conservative Democrat, he or she would get my vote. I just have not run across any in my lifetime. Then again, I have not run across many GOP candidates that are that way, either.

Column for March 1, 2012

Normally, I would be congratulatory towards someone who has won a beauty pageant, ahem, I mean “scholarship program”.  Not necessarily this time, though.  A while ago, I read that a pretty young lady, Bindhu Pamarthi, won the 2012 Miss Johnston County pageant and will represent our county at the Miss North Carolina pageant.  I have seen a few pictures of her and Bindhu is a very attractive, young lady of Indian extraction.  Her ethnic makeup does not bother me in the least bit.  Sure, I may look around Johnston County and see a whole lot of White, Black,  and Hispanic people and not many Indian or Asian folks.  Still, it does not bother me in the least bit.

I was going to write about this earlier, but I am glad that I held off for a few weeks.  The Miss Johnston County web site was finally updated with information on our new winner, complete with a biography and pictures.  She seems to be an intelligent and accomplished young lady.  She is currently a student at UNC.  According to the official pageant web site, her mother is from Chapel Hill.  Wait, did I just type Chapel Hill?  Yes, I did, apparently.  Chapel Hill?  Since when is Chapel Hill in Johnston County?  And this is not the first time that Bindhu has participated in a Johnston County pageant.  In 2007, she was crowned Miss Johnston County Outstanding Teen.  Back then she was listed as being from Cary.  Other news sources also said that Mrs. Pamarthi is from Cary rather than Chapel Hill, so there are conflicting reports.  To my last recollection, Cary wasn’t in Johnston County, either.

When I checked last year’s winner, prior to the pageant web site update, I saw that the winner was from Raleigh.  Now that is closer to Johnston County, but still definitely not JoCo.  I have lived in North Carolina more than half of my life.  The first nine years I lived in Raleigh and the last fifteen have been in Johnston County.  I think I know the difference in both geography and culture.  The official pageant rules, however, do state that “contestants must be between the ages of 17-24 and must be a resident or student of Johnston, Wake, Harnett, Sampson, Wilson, Nash, or Wayne Counties.”  With a residence of Cary being in Wake County, young Ms. Pamarthi would qualify.  Chapel Hill is like Berkley East, a bastion of liberal and socialist thought in North Carolina.  But for that matter, Cary is pretty close.   

Personally, I think that the Miss Johnston County pageant should have questions like, “What are your views on extending bow hunting season on white tailed deer?” and “What is your favorite brand of hunting scope and why?”  For an evening gown competition, it should be compulsory for each contestant to carry their favorite firearm.  Now if a beauty pageant required the displaying of firearms, as a Second Amendment enthusiast, I would go watch and actually feel like I am in Johnston County, regardless of from whence the contestants come.  I would be right there paying more attention to the weaponry, commenting “Look at the Picatinny Rail System on that AR-15!”

I almost feel like having a Miss Johnston County being from Cary is like having someone from the Wake County Board of Commissioners serve as my elected official.  It just isn’t right being represented by someone outside of my county.  Each and every year, I have seen bunches of pageant winners here in Johnston County, especially making appearances in Christmas parades across the county.  Some are beautiful young ladies.  Some are heifers with tiaras.  Nonetheless, if they are from Johnston County, then great.

Bindhu Pamarthi’s mother happens to lead the Miss India North Carolina pageant.  Obviously, their family is into talent and beauty competitions.  Forget the fact that most people in Johnston County can’t pronounce her name, if Bindhu was from Johnston County, I wouldn’t have a problem with her being our pageant winner or representing our county.  But Chapel Hill or Cary?  Really??  Obviously, pageant rules do not exclude people from outside the county from taking a county crown.  To me, that is sad.

Column for Feb. 23, 2011

I occasionally get to read another county newspaper, if and when it actually hits my driveway, which it doesn’t more often that it does. I communicate with several of my elected officials on the internet via email, Facebook, and other means. Just ask Selma’s mayor, our Congressional representative, some of our state representatives, and some of our county representatives. Since some news stories and opinion columns about our local hospital were unable to be read in print (because unlike The Selma News and The Wilson's Mills News, that paper almost never gets delivered), I had to check the online version after reading some Facebook comments by my elected county representative.

It has been alleged that the Johnston Health Board of Commissioners has been holding secret meetings with suitors for a possible affiliation for Johnston Medical Center. That basically means that the county is seeking out possible avenues for new management of the county hospital system. It does not mean that the county is looking to sell off the hospital, nor does it mean that the hospital is in dire financial straits. Upon reading the comments by both the newspaper and the claims of horribly inaccurate reporting, I went to the source and asked County Commissioner and Johnston Health Board of Commissioners member Tony Braswell for some details on the matter. He sent me his comments, which are now public record, so I am not sharing anything that is not open for all to read.

He said that the county is investigating whether or not to stay with the same hospital management company that has been in place for twenty years, or if there was a way to improve upon existing services and economics. That, to me, is only wisdom. Not only do I find that appropriate as one who uses the hospital facilities (and in less than 60 days, my next son will be born there, most likely) but as a county taxpayer.

It was alleged that the Johnston Health Board of Commissioners signed non-disclosure agreements, which according to Mr. Braswell is totally untrue. It is true, however, that some discussions with third parties will be (and frankly should be) done in private session. Nobody supports open meetings and transparent government more than I do. However, I also realize that some business matters and negotiations need to be done without potential competitors being fully aware of every detail. That is only good business sense. It is true that some governing bodies abuse private session discretion, and I have been critical of such. Business details that affect private bids and arrangements may need closed doors from time to time, but the fact that such will happen still needs to be public knowledge.

Also, according to Commissioner Braswell, contrary to allegations of “the hospital's financial picture is so bleak that its leaders are willing to pledge their loyalty not to the people of Johnston County but to outside companies dangling cash in their faces”, the truth of the matter is, in his own words, “we are financially better now than we were a year and a half ago and we have the capabilities of paying the debt service to HUD. So we are actually in better financial shape and that information is easily available if anyone chose to attend our meetings that we have every month over there.”

I have no problem with any sort of hospital affiliation, or even the direct sale of the county facility, for that matter. As a father who has had to deal with the birth defect of a child and has traveled to both Duke and UNC hospitals for treatment, I would not object to having an affiliation with another group. If that would help bring good management, better access to other health care systems, and better resources to us here in Podunk, Johnston County, then I am in support of the concept.

As a taxpayer, if the cost of running the hospital can be minimized or even eliminated altogether, I am all for it. If officials serving on the Johnston Health Board of Commissioners or even the County Board of Commissioners are not considering, in Braswell’s words, “Is this the best way to do business or is there another way to do business?” then they should not be serving at all. To help insure that such a question gets asked, I volunteer openly to serve on the Johnston Health Board of Commissioners.

Publishing oops.

Because of a mixup, the column published in this week's paper was not the one for the 16th but rather the one intended for the 23rd of February.  The column below will actually be published in the newspaper on the 23rd.  I will post the other column here next week.

Column for Feb. 16, 2012

To many blind fools, this is going to sound very racist.  Actually, it is intended to be completely the opposite.  So, if you are easily offended, see racism behind every criticism of activity, or have such a small view of mankind that you can only filter everything through the lenses of your race tinted glasses, please close the newspaper now.

Every February, Black History Month is celebrated in America.  I enjoy history that has a focus upon Black Americans, I truly do.  I am fascinated by the stories of valiant Negro men and women who had a strong faith, love of country, love for their fellow man; who fought, died, and contributed greatly to the nation’s formation.  Such stories should be an inspiration to all Americans, not just Black folks.  Just as many Blacks were enslaved in America, they were enslaved all over the world.  And, as is little taught, there were indeed a good many Black freemen who also owned slaves in America.

I don’t want there to be a distinction between “history” and “Black history”.  When the history of America is taught, it should be taught in its fulness, not just with an agenda attached to it, regardless of from whence the agenda comes.  Black history in America is inseparable from American history and should be taught as part of the whole, not neglected or relegated to one month per year.

Of course there are some who believe they are owed special treatment.  While working at NC State University years ago, I marveled at the “Black Cultural Center” and wondered why people who fought against segregation at a public university would want to self-segregate on campus and demand special consideration.

On television, we have Black Entertainment Television and The Black Shopping Channel.  I don’t begrudge anyone their TV viewing tastes or cultural choices.  That is why there are now hundreds of channels on cable and satellite TV.  Can you imagine the outcry, however, if someone came out with White Entertainment Television and only featured programming with actors as white as Marshmallow Fluff?  

How about our tax dollars paying for a White Cultural Center at NC State University?  Should we have a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant History Month?  When we study world history, it is not WASP or Euro-centric, so maybe we need one.  Yeah, that would go over real well, I am sure.  I do believe that there is an incredible double standard in place.

I am especially disgusted when it comes to American politics and the race card is played.  I remember asking the question that if Herman Cain actually got the Republican nomination for this year’s Presidential Election and I supported him over Barack Obama, would I still be considered a racist?  Of course anyone who does not support Obama was told that we were indeed racist if we did not support him.  Sorry, but I didn’t care for the White half of him either, nor did I support Joe Biden, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Bob Etheridge, or Kay Hagan.  All of them are fish belly white and have the same ideology as Obama.  Am I racist for not supporting them, as well, or do I just oppose socialism, communism, and values antithetical to the American founding?

I am going to quote a friend of mine from Wilson.  “Today, in light of black history month, when we watch black-achievement movies like “Men of Honor,” “The Express,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Remember the Titans,” “The Great Debaters,” “Red Tails,” etc., we are inspired by people who transcended every obstacle, through persistence, personal sacrifice, self-determination, self-interest, and hard work, to become great. And to think they did it all on their own, while all of Hell seemed to fight against them, without an ounce of government assistance. [sic]”  

That, my friends, is the attitude we should take and how to honor greatness.  Yes, there are many stories of great Black men and women that we should celebrate in America.  Whether it is Crispus Attucks, Prince Whipple, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, George Washington Carver, or a host of others, we should celebrate their achievements and contribution to America right along side any other facts taught as American history; the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Would this not be the essence of Martin Luther King’s famous quote, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”?

Column for Feb. 9, 2012

When considering the government expenditure of public money, we all have to ask, “To what end?”  Not everything that is a nice idea is necessarily a good idea, nor is it in the public best interest.  Furthermore, government has to take into account the impact on area residents when entering into contracts.  There are several cases in point in the news.

There have been and will be meetings in the Town of Selma at which residents can express their concerns to the town leadership.  One big concern has been the high cost of utilities in town.  Selma, like other towns, is a public power community, meaning that the town owns the electrical system and is contracted to purchase energy and then retails it to its citizenry.  I have written many times about this.  Basically, this amounts to another tax upon the town residents.  Since we pay significantly higher rates than customers who deal with Progress Energy directly, any dollar amount above what would be charged if we bought the electricity ourselves from the power company should be considered taxation, not merely utility costs.

What I found unacceptable was the town’s attitude of “Too bad, we have a contract to do business this way, so you have to live with the high costs.  Try cutting back on your electricity use.”  No, the town brought this burden upon us by a poor contract for services, so the town, if not already doing so, should be looking at being released from that contract.  I never hear that as a possibility from anyone.  Also, any town should never obligate itself and its citizens for numerous decades as has been done with many local communities.

I looked with interest at an article about the Town of Selma moving forward with building a train viewing platform.  I still laugh at this one.  We may be a railroad-centric town, but this is ridiculous.  I don’t care if the town is seeking funding from some grant.  If the grant comes from any governmental source, it is tax money.  If it is from a private institution, that is another thing.  Either way, the town has to pay $2500 just to have a company process the grant application.  Then it is recommended that the town commit to at least a $5000 sum of public tax dollars to help attract the grant.  So the town wants to spend at least $7500 to hope to get a $75,000 platform.

I am making an offer right now to the Town of Selma.  I will gladly save them all of the money mentioned, go to Lowe’s or Big Lots and buy a couple of park style benches out of my own pocket.  I won’t even ask to have my name on a plaque attached to them.  We don’t need a train watching platform in town.  We already have a nice train station with a sizable concrete pad.  People already come here with lawn chairs and sometimes even radios to hear the train radio traffic.  When the come, however, they come with their own coolers, drinks, and lunches.  I doubt that they purchase much, if anything, in town.

Again, I ask, “To what end?”  If the desired end is to attract more people to town, will we ever attract sufficient people to little old Selma to watch trains to justify the public expenditure of $75,000?  That is doubtful, regardless of from where that money comes.  How about the $7500 that the town will be staking for the project?  I doubt highly we will make that back in tax revenue, ever.  How about just the $2500 the town will spend for someone to process a grant application to pursue the money?  Yeah, right.  I doubt even that would be recovered.

People who come here to watch trains are not going to be interested in purchasing antiques.  And if they do venture into town to find a restaurant, their choices will be limited.  Creech’s Drug can’t sell enough homemade orange-ade to gain sufficient sales tax to cover the town’s expenses on this project.  Just because it is a nice idea, it doesn’t mean that the town should spend money on it.

I like the Selma Development Partnership’s idea of having a town museum as one example of how to do a project without tax dollars involved.  Granted, the small building may end up falling off the property tax rolls now that it is owned by a non-profit group, but at least we are not spending tax dollars.  It is ironic that one of the smallest business buildings in town will be the Selma museum.  Basically it can showcase a jar of Vick’s Vaporub and a model train and that about covers the town.  At least my tax dollars won’t be paying for it, though I will be willing to buy the jar of Vaporub at Creech’s Drugstore to donate to the museum.

Column for Feb. 2, 2012

This political scene just got a little more interesting.  I am not talking about the national campaign scene, either.  There will be several changes that I look forward to seeing play out.  Probably the biggest news is that North Carolina Governor, Beverly Perdue has decided not to run for re-election.  It was actually a bit surprising to me, though I did not really expect her to win if she ran again, anyway.  Apparently, neither did she.  Wish low polling numbers, droves of voters expected to vote against liberal candidates, low funding for a campaign, and a strong opponent for the next election, I guess it was the smart thing to do.  


People have been lining up to announce that they want to seek the governor’s position.  There is already a list of candidates that have either formally announced, announced that they will announce, or there is strong speculation that they will run.  Among them are Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton and hugely liberal/socialist State Representative Bill Faison from Berkley East, meaning Chapel Hill.  

Other possible candidates are former State Treasurer Richard Moore, U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre, Congressman Heath Shuler (from the western part of the state), and Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx.  Then there is speculation that our old friend, Bob “Who are you” Etheridge may seek the governor’s seat.  If Old Bob runs, that will make for some interesting moments in sports in our family.  My wife’s family literally were Etheridge’s neighbors and think that he was the most honest and helpful statesmen to come along in ages.  I, on the other hand, found him to be your typical, greasy, snake oil salesman of a politician who has no idea what the US Constitution says.


With people like Bev Perdue and Congressman Brad Miller deciding not to seek re-election, I wonder if there was pressure from The White House to step down so as to help Barack Obama in a key battleground state come election season.  I realize that Miller, like Etheridge, is now in David Price’s district with the redrawn election districts, so that may have weighed heavily in his decision.  Either way, I would like to take this opportunity to formally announce that I am NOT seeking the office of Governor of the State of North Carolina at this time.


Another noteworthy decision was that of Wake County School Board member John Tedesco to run for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.  I have long supported Tedesco’s stance on local schools and abolishing the so-called diversity policy in Wake County.  He will have my vote.  I was disgusted to see some of the horrible comments that his critics had left on the internet on news stories from the local TV stations about his intent to run.  Keep in mind that these are the sorts of people who call conservatives intolerant bigots.

• “Haha he is such a moron [sic]”
• “I fully intend to support whoever runs against him. He's the WORSE.[sic]”
• “He's a true idiot and can't even put together a coherent sentence.”
• “This is NO good for the state and it is really an insult that someone with so little experience with our state and the educational system in general could even be considered to run for this position! I'm disgusted!![sic]”

I find that last one very amusing considering that Bob Etheridge used to be Superintendent of Public Instruction at one time with no experience in the field of education.  At least John Tedesco has served as a member of the board of the largest school district in the state.

I decided to weigh in on this Tedesco discussion myself and left the following commentary.  “I think that all the previous commentators on this thread are pretty hateful and ignorant.  I will vote for him.  I love his stance for Wake County Schools in getting rid of the useless, (not really) progressive, politically correct diversity policy.  It was only common sense to let children go to a local school.  Any ignorant fool who thought the policy that was in place prior to John Tedesco was actually proper or effective should turn in their voter registration card and stay home.”  I have no idea what comments may have been made after I gave my opinion on that public forum, but then again, I don’t really care.

Column for Jan. 26, 2012

Before I start ranting, I wanted to rave a bit.  I want to brag on my son, John, who took first place in the Pack 95 Cub Scout annual Pinewood Derby this past weekend.  He put a lot of thought and effort into his car, as did all the boys who competed.  I am the Bear Den leader, and all of “my boys” did well.  I am very proud of the sportsmanship, creativity, and effort that went into each car.  I can honestly say that I enjoy Pinewood Derby more as an adult than I ever did when I was a scout.  It is amazing how much I get out of Cub Scouts as a parent and leader, as well as how much my boy gets out of scouting when he has an active, supporting parent to work with him.   If you have a son in elementary school that would like to learn more about Cub Scouts, feel free to contact me.  Now, in the words of M.C. Hammer, “It’s column time!” or something like that.

I hate toll roads.  Whenever I drive through the northeast corridor or some parts of Florida, I end up paying a lot of money in tolls.  Some states hit motorists at a high rate, others just nickel and dime you.  A trip to New England costs over $20 in tolls, one way.  My last trip to Miami was over $10.  Now we have a toll road in the Triangle area.  I was just reading about North Carolina wanting to have tolls on I-95.  This is nothing new and the topic comes up every once in a while.  Now that the ice has been cracked in getting an initial toll road, I knew that it would be just a matter of time until the I-95 toll idea actually took a stronghold.  

The state Department of Transportation has just issued a report suggesting that I-95 be widened significantly, some bridges be raised, and some bridges replaced.  I understand road maintenance, but widening I-95, putting up toll plazas, and spending $4.4 billion?  Johnston County has the oldest stretch of the interstate, so it also has some of the oldest and lowest bridges.  I cringed when I saw that rather than replacing bridges over the past few years, the DOT spent millions of dollars just raising the height of some bridges by a mere eighteen inches.  Why not spend the extra money, do it right, and replace the bridges rather than having to come back later and replace them, anyway?  That was a waste of taxpayer money, but it would not have given the DOT as much job security with some expensive busy work now, and some guaranteed work later.

We pay a high tax rate as it is, but a lot of money is seemingly squandered on busy work projects.  I just pulled up an article I saved from last September when the DOT was going to hold public hearings on proposed road “improvements” on Highway 70.  These so-called improvements included median closures at key intersections that will inconvenience motorists and are totally unnecessary.  It was bad enough that the DOT closed the median crossover on Highway 70 at Oak Street in Selma.  I used that crossover almost every time I drove home, but now I waste more gas and time going further down the road because some pinhead who has to justify his existence on the state payroll wants to improve a roadway at great taxpayer expense.

I used to live near where the Booker Dairy Road extension was going to cross Wilson’s Mills Road in Smithfield.  That road now runs right next to where my driveway was.  Now that the roadway is finished, I still fail to comprehend its great necessity or benefit over its cost and inconvenience with eminent domain and development processes.  Furthermore, like a lot of bypassing roadways, some local businesses will suffer.  

I have a friend in Shallotte, North Carolina whose business is suffering from a similar road “improvement”.  About every business trip to Shallotte, I stop by his restaurant for some of the best chicken wings known to mankind.  His restaurant business has dropped off considerably since a new roadway was built, bypassing a mile or two of roadway.  The road was not so busy as to be burdensome in terms of traffic.  The local residents, mayor, and town council are all baffled as to the need for the project to this day.

Even worse, these two bypassing projects were partially paid for with the so-called “stimulus package” federal spending.  The boondoggle allegedly meant to stimulate business actually has helped kill business.  Even worse still is that the DOT wants to nail us for even more money to pay for interstate improvements via toll roads all over after they continuously squander our tax money on road improvements that are unnecessary and inconvenience the very ones paying for it.  We already pay taxes, and now it looks like we are going to be taxed a second time to drive on the roads for which our tax dollars pay.

Column for Jan. 19, 2012

So, we have the Iowa caucuses down, the New Hampshire primary election down, and we are about to have the South Carolina primary election. I know from experience that the Granite State residents are happy to have their state back from the political sharks, pundits, and media hacks. I grew up there, and every four years the little state was invaded. I got to meet some politicians, even when I was in elementary school. I remember talking to Ted Kennedy when he made his run for president. Thankfully, he never did get elected. Still, he had plenty of influence and inflicted plenty of damage on our country as a Senator from Massachusetts.

Four main players in the Republican race have now bowed out of the race. I suspect that more will follow soon. But with 1144 delegate votes needed to win the GOP nomination, New Hamster (as I affectionately call the state) and Iowa only account for about 38 total delegate votes. Mitt Romney (whose first name is really Willard, so I guess I understand going by the middle name of Mitt) only has 14 pledged votes so far with the other candidates not at all far behind. The race is still wide open.

I am truly weary of the press constantly touting Romney as the front runner and basically the most electable. Many in the Republican Party think the same. I am no fan of Romney. There have been way too many changes of position by Romney on important issues and he does not have a solid track record of conservatism for my taste. Still, if he does get the nomination, I may hold my nose this time around and vote for him.

This week, John Huntsman dropped out of the race. That does not surprise me, since he never really stood a chance of winning, anyway. Of course, he endorsed Mitt Romney for President. That is also not surprising, since Romney, like Huntsman, is a former governor, and more importantly, is a fellow Mormon. Even Mormons I know think that Romney is not conservative enough for them. Non-Mormons seem to either have a problem with the fact that Romney is a Mormon, or think that he is not Mormon enough. Personally, both are true for me. If he was a strong, conservative Mormon, I would feel more sanguine in his ability to govern according to my own values. On the other hand, I have some serious theological problems with Mormonism and some of their beliefs on government and the prevailing religious positions in our country, and that truly dissuades me from throwing support behind such a candidate. I realize that I am voting for a president, not for a savior of the human race, though I wonder if the current President knows that distinction.

I used to like Herman Cain, and as I predicted, the knives came out when he was perceived as a threat. Because Cain was a conservative, he was going to be accused of being an Uncle Tom, a sell out, or some other derogatory name. Just like with Clarence Thomas, I knew that the liberal establishment would attempt to impugn his character in one way or another. Sure enough, the stories of bimbo eruptions started to emerge. The opposition kept at it until he finally bowed out of the race. I don’t know if the last major allegation was true or not, but it took him out of the race. These tactics are not new. True or not, allegations and rumors can kill a candidacy. However, if Cain was a Democrat, the allegations would probably be a resume enhancement.

Michele Bachmann, though intelligent, attractive, conservative, and articulate, was never going to win. This country is just not ready for a female president. I liked many things about her, but as with every GOP candidate, there were a few things that made me scratch my head in bewilderment.

Yes, I mean that about every last GOP candidate. I left the GOP years ago. They were no longer the party of small government, thrifty spending, and freedom. There are few candidates that truly represent that except maybe Ron Paul. Even though I had a “Ron Paul for President 2008” sign in my yard last election (and may have one in my yard again), there are things on which I strongly disagree with Dr. Paul.

With this being possibly the most important election in decades for the soul of America and the opportunity to bring us back to sanity and core values, one would think that we would have a better crop of candidates from which to choose. If Mitt Romney is the best we have, God help us. Still, if he is the predicted nominee, I will vote for him just to help get the socialist, Marxist usurper out of the White House. The only great thing about the Obama presidency thus far has been that it makes Jimmy Carter’s tenure look good. I pray that both Obama and Carter have the same duration of tenure in office.

Column for Jan. 12, 2012

It has been said that politicians and diapers both need to be changed every so often...and for the same reason.  As a father of two and another baby on the way, I can relate to that axiom.  In our area, we changed our diaper when we voted Congressman Bob Etheridge out of office last year.  Now, like a bad slasher film or Rocky movie series, he wants to make a comeback after just half of one term out of office.

Old Bob has been around a long time in North Carolina politics.  I remember after he decided to leave his position at the Department of Public Instruction to run for Congress.  I interviewed Mr. Etheridge on numerous occasions when I was working in radio.  I had a habit of asking tough questions, regardless of party affiliation.  I quizzed Democrats and Republicans alike with similar zeal.  When it became evident to Old Bob that I would not throw softball questions at him each time he called the radio station, he stopped trying to get free public relations airtime.

I have followed Bob Etheridge’s congressional career over the fourteen years he was in office.  When he did well on issues, I praised his performance.  When he did poorly, I was critical.  I believe in being fair and if I am willing to critique, I had better be willing to give kudos.  Bob was relatively good on Second Amendment issues, but he had a serious problem with staying within the powers granted to Congress.  He wrote and sponsored many bills that were patently unconstitutional.  Then again, most congressmen have that same problem.

One thing that Bob Etheridge was known for was bringing federal tax money home to his district for various projects and issues.  I remember seeing countless photo opportunities in which Bob was giving a symbolic giant check for road improvements, fire and police services, farmers, or whatever the current gimmick was.

I have relatives who literally were his neighbors and think that Bob Etheridge is a great, honest politician.  From my experiences with him, I think that he was the stereotypical, constitutionally illiterate, dishonest sleazeball who was more concerned with his own re-election than with the well being of his constituency.  Believe me, that has made for some interesting conversation at family gatherings.  The measure of a good politician is not how much money is brought back to his home district from Washington, D.C., but rather how much money stays at home to begin with.

Bob Etheridge was quoted in the News and Observer as saying, “I’m like any American right now – frustrated at what is going on with our tea party folks up there. I think they have pushed our country to the brink three times this year, and lost our country its AAA bond rating as a result of that."  

Say what?  No, Bob, it is not the Tea Party that has been the issue.  As a matter of fact, I am rather disappointed with the Tea Party candidates, in general.  After one year in office, they have not done all that We The People have elected them to do...to undo what politicians like you did while you were in Congress.  There has been the occasional slight glimmer of hope, but we eventually get the same old garbage that got us into this mess.  Still, I will take a flawed Renee Ellmers over a politician like Bob Etheridge any day.  We lost our AAA bond rating as a result of the reckless spending that has been rampant for the last two decades, for which the majority thereof, Bob, you were a member of Congress.

What irks me is that since the recent redistricting, Bob Etheridge now lives in the 4th Congressional District.  He wants to run for office in the 2nd District, which was the seat he recently lost.  For some incredibly stupid reason, law allows him to do that.  If I have to live in the 2nd District in order to vote for representatives from the 2nd District, the representative should have to reside within the 2nd District.  This is just another outrageous example of politicians writing the laws so that they themselves will not have to abide by them.

If you are not outraged by the current state of governmental affairs, then you are not paying attention.  Our government was instituted by God (Romans 13), and in this country, we were entrusted with a form of government that requires our participation and assent.  To that end, we must keep dishonest weasels out of office and elect morally strong, constitutionally literate individuals who will be more like statesmen than politicians.  But, do we actually have any to elect?