Well-Armed Populace
Dear Editor,
Here is a history lesson for all the anti-gunners out there.
Do you folks remember Pearl Harbor? Someone asked Admiral Yamamoto, the head of the Japanese fleet, why he stopped at Pearl Harbor, and didn’t just go ahead and bomb the American mainland, in which he replied, “Are you crazy? In America there is a rifle behind every blade of grass. The Japanese army would not last a day against such a well-armed country.”
Just the fact that America was well armed and well trained during this time probably averted a foreign invasion. Had we not been armed during this period, we would probably be speaking Japanese now. An armed, trained country is a respected country.
Here is another prime example: Switzerland. In this country, when a man turns 18 years old, he is an associate member of the Swiss army. His family is issued a SIG-PE-57 heavy-belt machine gun and a case of ammo. Switzerland has always been a neutral country, yet they are prepared to defend their country at a moment’s notice. Even Adolf Hitler respected Switzerland and steered clear of this country during his blitzkrieg of World War II.
The idea of disarming a country is completely ludicrous.
This “flower child” philosophy simply does not work. Case in point – Australia. When Australia banned all private ownership of guns, burglary, home invasions and robbery increased by 300 percent. Why? Because people did not have home protection. Which is a better deterrent to home invasion, a home owner armed with a golf club or one armed with a 12 gauge pump shot gun loaded with)) double aught buck shot? I think the answer is obvious.
Here is the bottom line. An armed, trained country is a respected country. A dis-armed country is vulnerable to both foreign and domestic attack.
In the immortal words of Wayne La Pierre, vice president of the NRA, “The only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
By the way, did I mention that the US Constitution also supports this claim?
God bless America.
Jonathan Muffley
Support for Barnes
Dear Editor,
I had the privilege of working with BJ Barnes for many years. He was a dedicated detective and brought many narcotics investigations to a successful conclusion. He is a great sheriff and I support him 100 percent to continue to serve as our sheriff. I encourage all Guilford County voters to vote for Sheriff BJ Barnes.
Robert Hartsell
SBI Special Agent, Retired
Vote Life for Animals
Dear Editor,
One of the constitutional amendments that some citizens will be allowed to vote on involves the right to hunt and fish. I am not a vegetarian but I hope that one day I become one. I do believe in the idea of animal rights, especially since we humans are animals. Conservatives consider me an animal lover and tree hugger. I don’t have a problem with that.
I would like to encourage voters in our state to vote for life and against killing. You can do this by voting against a constitutional amendment that acknowledges the right to hunt and fish. Even if every voter votes against this amendment, hunting and fishing will still be legal in our state. I think that voting against killing is a good thing. Give it a shot.
Chuck Mann
Not on NFL’s Dime
Dear Editor,
Regarding letters and beeps to your publication regarding the Colin Kaepernick flap, there seems to be some erroneous notion that the First Amendment to the US Constitution grants him, and others, a right to free speech. It does not. Rather, it specifies that the natural existing right to free speech shall not be abridged by the government. Nowhere does it state that this right may not be abridged by the NFL, nor any other private entity.
The Bill of Rights does not grant rights. It simply specifies which naturally existing rights will not be abridged nor infringed by the government. The bill became necessary during the crafting of the Constitution when the member states became concerned over how much power the federal government would have and what limits it might decide to place on the rights of individual citizens of the respective states.
So, no, neither the NFL nor its teams are compelled or required to honor anyone’s right to free speech. They do not have to allow protests on their time nor on their property. Kaepernick’s right to free speech exists only as far as he can exercise it on his own dime and his own time, and the government may not abridge that right.
Dick Bostick
Sheriff Supports BJ
Dear Editor,
I have had the privilege of serving this community for over a half of a century. I served the Greensboro Police Department for 40 years, retiring as assistant chief of police, and was elected to two terms as the sheriff of Guilford County.
Quality law enforcement is important for all our citizens and it is important to me. We need a strong sheriff to ensure that our laws are enforced and crime is effectively addressed.
I am proud of my service as sheriff, but I am also proud of the service of my friend Sheriff BJ Barnes. He has continued the pursuit of excellence with integrity and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is respected as one of the finest in North Carolina and beyond. BJ Barnes brings to this job the type of knowledge that only comes with vast experience.
He is a proven leader who supports the members of the Guilford County sheriff’s office and listens to the concerns and needs of the citizens he serves. His record of reducing crime is beyond impressive.
BJ Barnes is a fair person who is a good listener and a good advocate for the citizens of Guilford County. He makes decisions based on the totality of circumstances and the rule of law, without concern for political correctness. There is no person who I could recommend with more certainty for the job of sheriff than BJ Barnes. Keep BJ Barnes sheriff.
Walter A. “Sticky” Burch
Everybody Talks about the Weather
Dear Editor,
Most of us recognize that climate change is happening. Most of us believe it is caused by humans. A few of us believe it is not caused by humans. I say that regardless of the cause, we have to do something about it if we want the earth – and our grandchildren – to survive.
Maureen Parker
Focus on Positive
Dear Editor,
HI’m 57 years old and so far I have always voted a straight Republican ticket. I have done this because I don’t believe in the Democratic Party’s philosophy of big government, over regulating private businesses and their programs that reek of socialism. I’ve lived long enough to see the negative effects of these.
But I have to admit for the first time I am strongly tempted to not vote for Trudy Wade because of the cruelty of the ad that is being run against Michael Garrett, calling him “a mess,” picturing him as an adolescent and shaming him for having to move in with his mother. I know nothing about his personal circumstances and really don’t want to know. But I do know that he is a human being and any of us are subject to crisis situations and may have to rely on the mercy of a family member. This and these type advertisements are hitting way below the belt and take political campaigns to a subterrain level. Or shall I say “a decent to hell level.”
I will vote for Trudy Wade because of her performance at her job. I would like to see advertising dollars spent on a positive commercial about her and the job she has done in future elections There is a scripture that says “and you shall know them by their fruits.” This should be enough. This should be enough for all of the candidates, not these ugly accusatory commercials which are really beneath the exceptional human beings that they are. Whoever is responsible for these commercials needs to know that they are so offensive to the point that they are counterproductive.
Patricia Small
Consent of Governed
Dear Editor,
One has to wonder what goes through the mind of an elected official that chooses to ignore the rule of law and allows violent radicals to impose their will on citizens like something lifted from some third world country that has reverted to near total anarchy with local warlords and their lackeys running their own little fiefdom. They allow these animals to operate by ordering law enforcement to stand down, unless someone decides to stand up to them then they order the police in. And why don’t these things happen in areas where they live?
I believe the left is moving into the final phases of their desires and plans to force this country into becoming a socialist state. They have said if they get control they will consider expanding the numbers on the Supreme Court so they can swing it back under their control. Now they are saying the number of senators each state has should be changed to reflect population sizes. If this were to succeed it would completely destroy our form of government and give them total and complete power over everything and everyone.
For those that forgot or were never taught, under the system set up by the founding fathers, senators are supposed to represent the interests of the states. That is why there are two from each state regardless of size. The House is supposed to represent the interest of the people, which is why the number of representatives is dictated by population size of each state. That is also why the left wants everybody counted in the census, to include illegal aliens, in order to pack the House. It’s also why they want to abolish the Electoral College. They control the states with the largest populations and would therefore be able to dictate who was president every election. You would end up with states like California and New York deciding the outcome and the rest of the states would have to simply bow to their choice.
Once again I remind you of this: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”
Get out and vote, John Faircloth and Troy Lawson.
Go Galt and save the republic.
Alan Marshall
Deplorables, to the Polls
Dear Editor,
The Kanvanaugh hearing was a bizarre circus, with unruly spectators, each of whom had to be given a pass by a senator to be in the gallery, appearing unhinged. We witnessed adults screeching and beating on the Supreme Court doors, trying to claw them open. How could we want these people to have power over us?
What platform are the Democrats running on? First impeach Trump and then raise taxes, Medicare for all, free college, abolishing ICE, open borders, universal basic income, gun control, sanctuary cities, cut back in defense spending, abolishing the Electoral College and amnesty – but don’t ask them how they plan to pay for it.
With open borders and no ICE, how long do you think it will take for the millions in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico waiting to come to this country, plus anyone else who can get here – friend or foe – to overrun the country and bankrupt all its resources?
Medicare for all is socialized medicine. The National Health waiting list has over 4 million people, approximately 6 percent of the United Kingdom waiting to start hospital treatment.” Free medical care turns out to mean rationing. When Bernie Sanders says it would be cheaper, he means denial of care.
Universal basic income is a government stipend to every citizen, with no strings attached, whether they have ever worked or not. If the Democrats give amnesty and citizenship to illegals, between Medicare for all and this, the treasury will be empty.
Jack Hellner states, “So what do Democrats propose in response to the great economic news that is obviously related to President Trump’s policies? They propose reversing the tax cuts and increasing the regulations to get back to Obama-era policies that yielded the slowest economic recovery in seventy years … They want less drilling, fewer pipelines, and less coal so we can be more dependent on Saudi Arabia and Russia.”
He continues, “I cannot think of anything as stupid as a party that wants government power above all else, a party that seeks to make more people dependent on government instead of giving them more power to move up the economic ladder.”
The take away from all this, the Democrats want power over us and they don’t care what they have to do to get it. We must remember the left doesn’t just hate Trump. They also hate all the “deplorables,” or recently as Joe Biden called us, “the dregs of society.” We battled in 2016, but the fight isn’t over. This is probably the most important election we will have to save this country. Vote red.
Phyllis Picklesimer
Qualified for Sheriff
Dear Editor,
It has been my pleasure to work with Sheriff BJ Barnes and the men and women of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. For many years, I was the designated liaison with the Sheriff’s Office as part of my duties at the Greensboro Police Department as both the Criminal Investigation Division commander and as an assistant chief of police. In this role, I had the opportunity to see firsthand the dedication of Sheriff Barnes and the members of his organization. There was never a time when I asked for assistance on behalf of my department that it was not eagerly provided.
At one point, when we were experience an overwhelming number of homicides in the city, and our investigative resources were stretched thin, a welcome call was received from the Sheriff’s Office offering the assistance of his detectives from Sheriff BJ Barnes. This spirit of teamwork has always been a hallmark of the Sheriff’s Office under his leadership.
Sheriff Barnes is a very principle-driven leader and demonstrates his commitment to serving the citizens of Guilford County with honesty and integrity. He bases his leadership as a sheriff with respect for the rule of law and makes commonsense, but well-informed decisions based on the facts at hand. He holds personnel to a high degree of accountability and encourages all members of the Sheriff’s Office to strive for excellence.
Sheriff Barnes has earned the respect of fellow law enforcement professionals across the state and nation. He is the best qualified person to continue as our sheriff of Guilford County.
Gary Hastings
Send to letters@rhinotimes.com or 216 W. Market St., GSO 27401
