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Ashe is best qualified
To the Editor:
Election time always seems to bring out the best and worst in us, whether we are voters or candidates. For me, the negativity has always been more than I could tolerate. Therefore, I would have very little political involvement other than always voting for whom I thought was the best candidate.
In the past, I have voted for both candidates mentioned in John Woodring’s letter last week. Presently, I believe Jimmy Ashe is the best qualified and should continue to serve as sheriff for reasons he has already expressed and will continue to bring out in his campaign.
Woodring mentions the unfortunate death resulting from actions taken by Jackson County officers. We were not in that room under the circumstances facing them. I am sure (those injured at the Chinese restaurant) don’t think (deputies) acted unprofessionally. Maybe we should ask them.
I have confidence in our state and local law enforcement. I know many of them and find them to be professional, caring people. The rest of Woodring’s letter is based on what appears to be innuendo. Our opinions and how we express them should be based on facts we know, not just what we have heard. Many of us show strong support for one or the other of the candidates. Obviously, Woodring is not sold on either of the two. I hope this is based on facts, not hearsay. Those of us who support a candidate can be of more benefit by sticking to facts as we discuss this race with others.
Whichever candidate succeeds needs to win by what we believe his qualifications are, not by what we are told or what someone projected into what two people might be saying to each other.
If I ever had any question about the dedication and professionalism of our local law enforcement (or any other public service agencies), it was put to rest along with a fallen officer whose services I recently attended.
Henry Dowling
Cullowhee
American democracy in serious trouble
To the Editor:
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is a very brave man. He is finally saying loud and clear that the American democracy is in serious trouble. He is even willing to risk his political career to protect the rule of law.
Richard Nixon was the last American president who spied on us, and he resigned. Are we really so afraid and naive 30 years later that we are willing to give up our rights as citizens of the greatest nation in the history of the world? What is becoming of our great nation over the last six years?
George Bush broke the law when he ordered spying on overseas communications. He could have very easily gotten immediate court approval for this action. Instead, he chose his usual bullying pattern of secrecy, and then lambasting anyone who dared to criticize him as unpatriotic or supporting terrorists and the “axis of evil.” How dumb does he really think we all are?
It is time to hold our president and Congress accountable.
Yes, you protect our nation from terrorism, but you do it within the confines of a very reasonable law.
Bush is not king yet, and we need to protect the erosion of our rights as citizens.
Mary Anne Farrell
Sylva
Ashe has integrity needed in sheriff
To the Editor:
I would like to comment on a letter from John Woodring of Webster in the March 23 issue of The Sylva Herald.that stated: “The problem with this office (the office of Sheriff) is that it seems to take good men and make them into people we no longer respect.”
I am new to the county as of Sept. 1, 2005. My family moved here from Transylvania County because of employment. I grew up in law enforcement in Transylvania County. Having done so, I can honestly say that our current sheriff, Jimmy Ashe, is just about as respectable as they come. I cannot comment on former Sheriff (Jim) Cruzan, because I do not know him, but I do know Sheriff Ashe personally, as well as many of the deputies that currently serve under his direction. The staff of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office exemplifies integrity.
On Oct. 27, 2005, my 2-year-old daughter took ill and began to have seizures. When 9-1-1 was called, the deputies and local state troopers sprang into action and assisted my husband and me in getting our baby girl to the hospital safely and expeditiously. These fine officers saved our child’s life. In addition to waiting at the hospital to make sure she was out of immediate danger, several of the sheriff’s deputies as well as troopers visited my daughter in the intensive care unit over the next several days and gave us words of encouragement and support throughout our entire terrifying ordeal.
I personally believe that Ashe has a great amount of integrity, compassion and just plain kindness towards the citizens of Jackson County. He deserves our respect for the wonderful job he has done in creating a nurturing, family-like team-oriented group at the Sheriff’s Office who not only serve and protect us all against the bad guys out there, but take care of our little ones too. I moved away from my entire family and all of my friends in Brevard to Jackson County and because of the actions of Ashe and his staff, I feel like I really have a family and friends here as well. Without the assistance of Ashe and his deputies, my little one probably wouldn’t be here today.
Tricia Ashe
(no relation)
Sylva
Agrees with last week’s letter on dropout rate
To the Editor:
I’m writing in agreement with the letter “Dropout rate needs closer scrutiny,” published in the March 23 issue.
I grew up in Western North Carolina, and I’m appalled at how children are treated in the schools here in Jackson County. I have five children who are either in or getting ready to enter school here.
The writer of that letter refers to the low turnout in the marching band. The school board fired the previous director without proper cause, so students didn’t turn out for the program.
Now let’s back up to the basics, starting at the elementary level. You’ve got teachers that have said, “I don’t have time to deal with the children.” So, why are they teachers?
Then you get to high school, where the teachers don’t work with students for improvement, they put them down or just give the zero scores and in-school suspension for any and everything.
The current principal will not listen to parents’ concerns. He says he doesn’t want to get involved, and says for you to set up an appointment and go talk to the coach or teacher. So why is it we pay him?
Throughout the county, if you have money, or know someone either on the school board or in the school system, you get what you want. Otherwise, you’re supposed to go to school and follow their directions, even when it’s wrong, and allow them to do whatever they want. I know there was influence by a school board member even down to the kids involved in the Homecoming Court, which is supposed to be done by the students. You’ve got teachers at all levels who are totally unfair to the students, but without principals who will police the teachers, and a school board that will emphasize equal treatment for all children, your dropout rate will continue to climb.
The entire system tells students how they screw up, but it never offers encouragement. How often do scores of games, or winners in track meets or academic achievements get recognized at our schools through schoolwide announcements? Hardly ever, if at all.
Now the school board has hired Coach (Dale) Galloway to take over as head football coach, among his new duties. From what I’ve heard of him, he seems to have the right approach, and he cares about the kids. He, from what I’ve heard, believes in hard work, discipline, accountability and through this a player earns a spot on his team, which is as it should be. I wish him the best.
Now let’s see how long the school board keeps him around since he actually wants to do things right.
I would encourage the community to take a close look at the school system here. I think it’s pretty sad that churches in our area have fired their ministers for “telling us how to raise our kids,” but many in our school system are allowed to discriminate against and discourage children’s scholastic achievement. This is your child’s future.
I know there are a lot of parents who feel the same way I do; I’ve heard them talking about it at the ball fields or school functions. Trouble is, they haven’t stood up and fought for their kids. I feel it’s time, as letter-writer Steven Gentile stated, to stand up and fight for your kids’ futures. Don’t ask the school board to correct this problem – demand that they correct it. And if they don’t, vote for new members of the board who will stand for our kids, not for their buddies.
I do know that as it stands now, if I have any further problems with the school system, I’ll let a lawyer do my talking. That’s sad, that you can’t rely on the school system to work for the betterment of our children without having to consider forcing their hands with legal action.
John Davis
Sylva
U.S. has not committed acts ‘worse than Saddam’
To the Editor:
The Herald’s March 23 article, “Cullowhee Valley’s eighth-graders debate war in Iraq,” described what I thought was a neat idea – a debate that would allow at least two sides of an issue be aired. And from what I could see in the article that was indeed what took place.
I do, however, take issue with the comment attributed to Dave Waldrop, and it was not clear whether or not that comment was made to the children at the event. Waldrop’s quote was “I can’t believe what we’re doing. We’ve done worse than he (Saddam Hussein) has done, with things such as prisoner torture. When you stoop to doing things you’ve accused others of doing, you’re not as bad as them. You’re worse”
While I agree that if Americans did do as he implies we would be as bad as Saddam, but it is utter nonsense to say that we did.
At Abul Ghraib prison it was reported that Americans stripped prisoners and made fun of them and frightened them with dogs. That was wrong and those people were charged, convicted and are serving time for that. But that is not what Saddam did.
As an example, the following information was published in USA Today on April 13, 2003.
“Pictures of dead Iraqis, with their necks slashed, their eyes gouged out and their genitals blackened, fill a bookshelf. Jail cells, with dried blood on the floor and rusted shackles bolted to the walls, line the corridors. And the screams of what could be imprisoned men in an underground detention center echo through air shafts and sewer pipes. ‘This is the place where Saddam made people disappear,’ said an Iraqi soldier named Iyad Hussein, 37, describing Iraq’s Military Intelligence Directorate in the northwestern suburb of Kadimiya. ‘It is a chamber of death.’”
I don’t see the similarity here and take great offense to someone comparing American torture to Saddam torture – in fact indicating we did worse. And if indeed this remark was made at a debate, in front of young people where that comment was not debated, I am more greatly offended.
I do hope that was not the case and Waldrop was simply making a personal comment (as is most certainly his right) to the reporter.
Larry Gardner
Sylva
Those not present should not question officers’ actions
To the Editor:
When I read John Woodring’s March 23 letter to the editor, I had to respond.
First, what Woodring neglects to mention is that the person shot by officers was wanted in a manhunt and positively identified after shooting in cold blood hard-working, innocent people. He was tracked down by Sheriff (Jimmy) Ashe’s officers and came out trying to attack the officers with a knife. The officers responded by shooting a man who had tried to kill unarmed people with a gun, and the officers had to assume he could do it to them as well.
To question an officer’s judgment or their response to a wanted man brandishing a weapon who had previously shot innocent people in cold blood is beyond me.
Mr. Woodring, I hope you apologize to both the victims and these officers you questioned. I’m sure that they – more than anyone – wish he had just surrendered. You weren’t there, and yet you question the well-trained, brave men that found this perpetrator and were then threatened by him? Mr. Woodring, you stated the alleged criminal would still be alive if only the officers, facing a potential killer, had stunned or somehow subdued or coddled him. I say the alleged criminal would still be alive had he surrendered and put down the knife.
Sheriff Ashe, I applaud you and your officers for taking a dangerous man off the street before he could have attacked, robbed or killed another Jackson County citizen. It is unfortunate that he died, but he could have surrendered.
Mr. Woodring, I want my sheriff to stop potential killers that try to attack armed officers, and I bet the other citizens of Jackson County do, too.
Woodring also talked about the previous sheriff. I wasn’t here when (Jim) Cruzan was sheriff, so I don’t know why he was defeated by Ashe four years ago. Maybe voters wanted more professionalism or competency. Maybe it was something personal or perhaps the job just outgrew him and voters wanted a new direction. I don’t know why Cruzan lost to Ashe, and it probably isn’t any of my business. Woodring stated that Cruzan made moral mistakes and then kind of apologized by saying Cruzan is “a little different.” Why would Woodring accuse Cruzan of moral and character problems? Cruzan’s morals and character are important because if he has moral and character problems in his personal and spiritual life, he may make even bigger mistakes as an elected official. Character and values are critical for a sheriff. I think a sheriff must have morals, integrity and values. The voters need to know which candidate has displayed the good moral fiber and character I want in my sheriff.
Jim Calderbank
Balsam
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