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Taylor has been good for WNC
To the Editor:
I would like to take a moment to remind folks about a few of the great things Congressman Charles Taylor has done for Western North Carolina and Jackson County during his time in office. Congressman Taylor has worked to bring millions of dollars into our area to improve the Veterans' Hospital in Oteen, Western Carolina University and the infrastructure for the Internet in our area. This means better health care for our proud veterans, more opportunities for students and increased options for high tech businesses to bring jobs to our communities.
Congressman Taylor and his staff have worked tirelessly to see that our veterans, senior citizens and others get the help they need and deserve from the Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration and other federal departments. It is nice to know that we have someone in our corner when we need it most.
Education is the key to preparing our children for the future. This is why Congressman Taylor supported the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in their efforts to secure the land needed to build new schools. Good roads are essential for our local economy to prosper, so he supported improvements to Soco and other roads.
Congressman Taylor doesn't cast his vote to score points with special interest groups. He votes to represent the values and interests of WNC. Charles Taylor is a strong voice for the people of our area. I encourage you to support this experienced representative in November.
Bill Thompson
Cullowhee
Sinclair show should be aired
To the Editor:
The Democratic Party and its benefactors in major media are huffing and puffing about the airing of a POW show which (gasp) tells the truth about John Kerry and Vietnam. The suppression of truth has kept the Democratic Party in business for decades but this documentary (airing on the eve of a national election) threatens to expose the obvious, that John Kerry is unfit and ill-equipped to lead this nation.
Ordinary men like Scotty Morgan and Thomas McNish (POWs in Vietnam) have something they want to say about their time in captivity and how they were personally affected by John Kerry's anti-war activities while they were being held. Americans deserve to hear what these real heroes have to say.
The Democratic Party is naturally opposed (an old story there) and has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission. In my view Morgan and McNish, and other POWs, deserve to be heard and all America deserves to hear them. Likewise, John Kerry should have the opportunity to answer them. Let the American people decide, not the FEC, what is truth and what is fiction.
Where was the Democratic Party's outrage when Fahrenheit 9/11 came on the scene? I didn't hear any leftover 1960s protesters screaming foul then. I didn't hear claims of illegality coming from Democratic senators or the Democratic National Committee. Nor did I hear about "improper use of public airwaves," as there are now when the facts (not a Hollywood flick) threatens to bring down their "man."
Bottom line ... Americans deserve to be informed, and they deserve to be informed of the truth, neither of which are we likely to get from the Democratic Party or the major news media any time soon.
David Snell
Dillsboro
(Editor's Note: Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 911"was shown in movie theaters only and not on public airwaves.)
'Documentary' offers one-sided view
To the Editor:
Sinclair Broadcasting, the Corportate/GOP/Television "news" propaganda machine is getting ready to air a Kerry-Bashing "documentary" called Stolen Honor, Wounds that Never Heal Oct 21-24 on their television stations including Asheville's WLOS.
What bothers me about this is the one-sided view of their "news documentary". I understand the First Amendment. ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.")
I also understand from this amendment that we all have the freedom of speech. But what about "abuse of power?" When a large company like Sinclair Broadcasting, which owns 62 stations and can reach one-quarter of the American population, can air anything they want with total disregard for balanced news reporting, it is propaganda. If they want to impose any belief upon the masses they can, and who could dispute their so-called "news documentaries" as truth or lies? Is this news? This type of broadcasting is reminiscent of Nazi-era propaganda. History shows Hitler's classic example of how to achieve political ends through propaganda. Through the use of mass media, Hitler declared himself the "Sower of peace." History shows that this was untrue. Haven't we learned anything from history?
What if a network conglomerate were airing Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 as a "news documentary?" I am sure this would evoke an angry right wing revolt.
In any individual's little world it is surely alright to have a personal point of view. Even Mark Hyman (vice president of Sinclair Broadcasting) has his "The Point" segment aired on WLOS and their other stations, which comes off as being "his" point. This letter is "my point." It is entirely different for a broadcasting group, or any mass media organization, which should hold some public good standing of a fair balance; to broadcast an untrue, slanderous, biased, obvious political ad, and then call to it "news documentary material."
We have all heard the statement "you can't believe everything you hear"... Sinclair has a "right" to air whatever they choose ... whether the public falls for this political propaganda will be another "news documentary."
You can voice your opinions to the FCC (fccinfo@fcc.gov) and again at WLOS (news@wlos.com), or you can write or call Sinclair Broadcasting Group Inc., 10706 Beaver Dam Road Hunt Valley, MD 21030; (410) 568-1500.
Kelly Timco
Sylva
(Editor's Note: Timco is a Sylva Herald employee; his views do not necessarily reflect those of this newspaper.)
Response to Redman's letter
To the Editor:
David Redman's Oct. 14 letter about no parallels between Vietnam and Iraq is a classic example of how liberals will say anything to win the election, regardless of how hypocritical it is. For years, the liberals (including John Kerry) claimed we shouldn't be in Vietnam. Now, suddenly, Vietnam was our duty, and Iraq is wrong. Mr. Redman may insist he can find no similarities between Vietnam and Iraq, but a couple seem obvious to me.
One – Liberals opposed both. Two – the "peace movement" encouraged the enemy to hold on after they were militarily defeated in hopes they could win by our losing our will and quitting. And it worked in Vietnam. (Not my opinion – General Giap, the top general in North Vietnam – said so.) We don't know if this tactic will work in Iraq. It seems less likely if Bush remains in charge. To replace him now would certainly send the wrong message to our enemies. But I fully expect Al-Qaeda to try for a "Madrid" type attack to get rid of Bush.
Redman's letter is but one example of liberals saying anything to get elected, so they can then carry out their real agenda. Another example is Patsy Keever. Charles Taylor's ad accused her of opposing a federal marriage amendment. Her reply ad accused Taylor of making things up, and said Keever supported the North Carolina law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Not only are they two different laws, but the federal marriage amendment is necessary to assure some unelected liberal federal judge does not declare the North Carolina law null and void. And we still don't know where Keever stands on the federal marriage amendment!
Or how about the writer to another local weekly who expressed much indignation about some people at the Republican Convention wearing imitation Purple Hearts with Band-aids. He said the Republicans owed an apology to the veterans who wear this honorable medal. I agree it wasn't in the best of taste. But I find it hypocritical for the writer to then appear to support a candidate who took the real medals and threw them on the ground.
Or how about trying to blame Bush for the flu vaccine shortage. The reason we have to buy half our vaccine overseas is because the trial lawyers have made it too financially risky to be in that business here. John Kerry votes against tort reform, then picks one of those very lawyers for his running mate, then tries to blame Bush for the problem. What a neat strategy. Create a problem, and then blame the opposition for it.
There are good Democrats out there, but the party has been taken over by the liberal wing. They put up the most liberal senator they have. Suppose the Republicans (a few years back, when he was younger) had run Jesse Helms for president "to bring the country together." If the Democrats ran a good Democrat, I'd probably still vote Republican (unless they ran Zell Miller), but if my candidate lost, I'd just worry about my taxes and health care. If Kerry and Edwards win, I worry for our democracy and our very culture.
Herald Stockton
Sylva
Honored writer,'discarded'
To the Editor:
Now, here is a perplexing state of affairs. No doubt there is a perfectly logical explanation. Let's hope so.
During the past week, a large number of newspapers in this region carried laudatory articles about the North Carolina novelist, Charles F. Price who has just received the Charles Cox Award for historical fiction. Fans of Charles Price (and I am one of them) are especially pleased that the Asheville Citizen-Times (Oct. 17), gave a detailed account of Price's awards, including Freedom's Altar, which won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award (1999); Cock's Spur, the Independent Publisher's Award (2001); and Where the Water-dogs Laughed, the Independent Publisher's Award (2004).
This morning, when I visited one of my favorite haunts, the Used Book Store on Main Street, I discovered some of the very books that had just been honored. Price's books were in the Used Book Store! My first reaction was that this was a most fortunate thing for the store's customers. Then, I discovered that the books were "discards" from the Jackson County Public Library. Herein lies the reason for my perplexity.
What are we to deduce from this? Has literacy sunk to such a low in Jackson County that no one is reading one of the state's much-honored authors? Either that, or I must assume an even bleaker possibility. Could it be that the staff of the library (or the librarian) does not recognize Charles Price's name or his works, and as a consequence is heedlessly discarding the works of one of this region's most honored (and current) authors?
If this is the case, do I dare suspect that there are other "discards" of other notable, valued writers?
Gary Carden
Sylva
This election is critical
To the Editor:
I believe more than ever that this election is the most important election ever. I am a "Democrat-in-Waiting," a registered Democrat that has been waiting for someone with dignity, integrity and wisdom to rise through the Democratic Party and be someone that we can vote for with confidence and pride; unfortunately this is not the year.
This election is so critical because of the place this nation is, in history. We are at a crossroads where the decision put before us is whether we will adhere to the value and morals of our founding fathers and those who have served this great country, or if we will jump on the bandwagon with those who are trying to rewrite history and deny the heritage and history of our forefathers. Patriot Patrick Henry once said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
As I listened last week to the third debate it was obvious that a vote for George Bush is a vote for our nation as it was founded "by Christians," and a vote for John Kerry is a vote for the new bandwagon where immorality is rampant (abortion is legal; marriage is defined as between whomever the parties desire) and the God this nation was founded under is denied ("under God" is removed from our pledge and public display of religious symbols is made illegal).
When asked about their faith, President Bush talked of how his faith gives him strength and courage to do his job. John Kerry spoke of a strong faith, but could not say that it had any influence over his decisions. He consistently votes in favor of abortions, believing it is murder. He believes that marriage is between a man and a woman, yet he will do nothing to protect it. He claims to believe the tenets of the Christian faith, but says that a homosexual individual is created by God that way. I struggle to understand how God could choose to create someone in a way that is an abomination to Him. The God I serve wouldn't do that.
The next president of the United States will probably appoint three or four Justices to the Supreme Court. These appointments are very important because of issues that will come to be heard by the Supreme Court. As responsible Christians we must evaluate the beliefs, morals and actions of those running to represent us and vote accordingly, whether they be from our party or not. John Kerry is the fourth most liberal senator, John Edwards the most liberal senator. You can bet that any Supreme Court Justice he appoints will be very liberal also.
There has already been a lawsuit filed in which a same-sex couple who was married in Massachusetts is suing their state to recognize the marriage under the Interstate Contractual Law. No matter who is correct about whether this is legal, it can be appealed until it is before the Supreme Court. Political experts say that it could be heard by the Supreme Court in seven to eight years. By that time my first-grader will be taking sex education in school. As soon as this case is ruled upon, textbooks will promote same sex marriage as normal and natural, and our children will be bombarded with pictures portraying the same.
Other issues that will be before the Supreme Court include partial-birth abortion and issues concerning the public display of religious symbols. Eighty percent of Americans believe partial-birth abortion is wrong. Kerry and Edwards say they believe it is murder, yet voted to abolish the ban. How can a Christian vote to legalize a procedure that sucks the brains out of a baby, because otherwise it might live.
Kerry's platform promises higher deficits, decline in our healthcare and treating terrorism as a law enforcement nuisance.
Will we will cast our vote to preserve a nation that was founded by Christian men on Christian values and that is blessed by the hand of God, or will we cast our vote for a liberal agenda that will deny our roots, deny the divine power that has made this country great and deny the God who has given us such a wonderful earthly home?
As for me and my house we will vote to preserve "one nation under God."
Lisa Buchanan
Sylva
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