Glorious day in Greensboro. I watched three monster buses leave the downtown terminal as I sat at a stop sign. One of them had more than three passengers. Five at my count. I drove on and went down Florida Street and actually saw a bike in the bike lane. First one ever for me. Preceding west on Gate City, I almost had the big one. There was someone walking on the new sidewalk. For this kind of surge in use, we need bonds for bigger buses, more bike lanes, more sidewalks, right now. Don’t even think about small, fuel-efficient vans or sidewalks on just one side of a street, or putting the tremendous number on bikes on the one sidewalk. We need more and bigger. Fight for your right to waste taxpayer money. Buy more body cameras, but ask John Faircloth if you can watch the video from the cameras you pay for. Build more underused parks. Give more money to the civil rights museum.

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I’ve been around a while, and I voted in a fair number of presidential elections. But I’ve never, ever wanted to vote for a candidate who is a bigger jerk than I am. And I worry a lot about people that do.

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With all the smart, well-educated people in our local school system, why did they have to go out of the area and into New York to hire a new leader for our schools? And don’t we also have, what, three, four or five superintendents, assistants scattered around the area? Why can’t we promote within? It would encourage all of the employees. Thank you.

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John, you’re always the one I turn to when I need information, but I’m going to split with you on the following. I see no justification at all for an individual to have access to an automatic assault rifle. I am firm believer in the Second Amendment and right of the homeowner to have a weapon to protect his home, family and property. But I see no justification for an individual to walk into a gun shop, purchase an assault rifle, pistol, ammunition and three days later commit a horrible crime. I also read that the shooter in Dallas had an AR-15 or something similar. And there is no justification for it.

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Editor’s Note: Fully automatic weapons have been essentially banned in the United States since 1934.

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When we had 17 Republican candidates running for the president, the Republican Party insisted that Donald Trump sign an agreement to support the eventual Republican candidate. All 17 signed it, but now it looks like some of them will not honor it. During the debates we had 16 losing candidates making verbal contracts, and why they would make the better, ethical president. Will they now honor the written contract they made to support Trump? So far eight of the 16 will not honor their contract and say they will definitely not vote for Trump. Two or three others will not even go to the Republican convention for Trump. Fortunately for us, those are the ones we are lucky did not get the nomination. And if you voted for one of these other candidates, I hope you’ve learned your lesson.

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When the NBA votes to move its All-Star Game from Charlotte as a result of HB2, the Charlotte City Council needs to stand and take responsibility for their act in reducing not only the image, but the economic outcome, of their city by result of their passing the nondiscrimination ordinance. All too often the Democrats are willing to heap the blame for these businesses that are being organized by them that want to move out of North Carolina and do business with other states. Ultimately, the Democrats need to shoulder that responsibility.

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Yes, this is to the caller who called in and said Trump supporters must be smoking crack. Look, you’re the one who must be smoking crack, or maybe you need to go try some crack, because if you’re a Hillary lover, you’re definitely on crack.

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If a young male transgenders to female, will he/she be excused from the military draft? How about a young female who transgenders? Will she be required to register for the draft? Which raises a question. What does the military do about transgenders? I remember in my days in boot camp where the head in the barracks had a row of 12 to 15 showerheads with no partitions between them. What do the opponents of HB2 think about that?

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So, Mr. Obama, you say that the nation is not as divided as some people say? Well, let me tell you that you are very mistaken. We are more divided now than we have ever been in this country. And that is all on you and the Clintons.

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When is the Greensboro City Council going to get their head out of the sand and do something about Uber in this town? They are putting taxicab businesses and transportation workers completely out of business. And they do this because they can operate cheaper. And the reason for that is because they sidestep all the regulations that taxicabs and transportation service workers are compelled to operate under by North Carolina law. When are they going to pass an ordinance in this town requiring Uber to be regulated and operate by the same standards as taxicab companies and transportation service workers? It’s just not fair that they operate under a set of weaker standards and insurance. It’s just not fair.

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In the 10 military dictatorships of South America, it is not unusual for suspects to be summarily executed by armed agents of the state. Now that is also true in America, as we have become a de facto police state.

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Ever since the passage of the Patriot Act, this country has become ever more authoritarian. And I do not hold out much hope to reverse this trend. Not so much God bless America as God save America. Just sign me off as An Independent Thinker.

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Black lives matter. Well, let me ask you, who are they saying that they matter to? Must not be each other, because they are killing each other in the black communities. So, who do their lives matter to? They’re killing each other in record numbers. It’s not the police. It’s the black males killing black males. This cannot continue. This is going to have to stop. Like I said, all lives matter, not just black lives. All lives matter. The killing has got to stop.

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I was again utterly disgusted, but not at all surprised, to learn two weeks ago that our wonderful congressional Democrats with their fearless leader, Harry Reid, recently voted down Kate’s Law, named for the bright and beautiful young lady tragically gunned down by an illegal alien in San Francisco last year. This low-life had been deported five times. Count them, five times. Unbelievable. Fox News, Bill O’Reilly, who I commend for pushing for Kate’s Law, said it best when he made it clear that today’s Democratic Party is morally bankrupt.

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I see where Al Sharpton has chimed back in. Said the police shot people that had a right to carry a gun. When Obama gets back from overseas, he can get Al in the White House and tell him what else to do. He’s been his advisor now for several years. The people that’s shooting the police, if fourth grade was their senior year, looks like they would have enough sense to know if you start killing off the police, or get where they can’t hire people, you won’t be able to go out the door. They’ll break in and steal their stuff that they stole. I mean, you know? You steal a bunch of stuff, leave it in the house, when you leave the house, and there’s no law there, somebody comes in and steals it from you. Them guys don’t know that. They need to quit killing the police. Taking up the guns won’t do no good. The people that’s got guns and that’s shooting them, no telling how many guns they’ve got. It’s one thing about it, they’re not going to get mine.

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You know what’s interesting? A lot of people don’t know this, but when they were filming the Ocean’s Twelve movie overseas, Julia Roberts gets basically surprised by Bruce Willis walking into the motel room. Did you know that’s actually the first real scene actually happened? They found out that he was there filming a Diehard, as I remember correct. And they had him just pop up on the scene, and that was actually the way she really was reacting during that scene in the movie. It was not rehearsed. In fact, they didn’t even – they were playing by ear that whole scene, because they wanted to surprise her and have him show up. And it was Queenie’s idea to bring him onto the set like that. So, you know, that’s pretty interesting. I think it’s pretty cool.

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Our president has been the biggest divider of Americans that has ever been. People are divided now because of income levels, because of race, because of gender, because of religion. You name it, because of him and his rhetoric he has divided the people. He has even divided people because of their occupation. This man has been the worst president and the worst leader, not just in the history of the United States, but in the history of the world. November can’t come quick enough. I can’t wait till he leaves office, and I think 99 percent of America feels the same way.

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Yes, I got a couple of comments in regards the caller that called in about that the black people that supports Trump on crack. Well, obviously, I’ve got a couple of things to say to you, whoever you are. Number one, I think that anybody that actually supports Hillary Clinton has got to be on crack knowing that she’s actually a criminal. Not only that, but she’s also a pathological liar and is unethical to boot. So, if you sit there and say black people on crack, maybe I think you or whoever is supporting Hillary is on crack. Also, for you to sit there, that a black person that votes for Trump is going to hell, obviously you need to read your Bible. Because you don’t go to hell just because you support a particular candidate in a political race. You go to hell because you choose not to accept Jesus Christ as your savior.

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Hey, and, also, I just want to make a comment about these people that keep dragging Trump and giving him a hard time about anything he says. Y’all ought to be more worried about Hillary, because at least Hillary is a confirmed criminal, unlike Trump, which I can say probably the worst thing he’s done is run his mouth and say things out of context and came out with some radical ideas. However, who wants a candidate running for office or wants a president running a country that’s a criminal and can’t tell the truth if it bit her in the behind? And who knows? If she got off for this email scandal, no telling what she’ll try to pull if she actually gets in the White House. Just my thoughts.

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What would happen if a protest march was planned, or a demonstration was scheduled, and no cameras or no microphones showed up? What would be the results, do you suppose?

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I have a solution to the Black Lives Matter and white police. No white cops should be allowed to stop, arrest, speak to or have anything to do with blacks. Only black cops should be able to arrest blacks. All other ethnic groups would be subject to the law.

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I was just reading in the Thursday, July 7 issue. Some caller said that Donald Trump has done nothing for the black folks. He says anybody that voters for him must be on crack. Only black folks can save themselves. Donald Trump ain’t done nothing for the black folks. Never will. Well, I just got one question, what has Barack Hussein Obama done for the African American people in this country? What has he done for them? Anybody want to give me an answer?

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I could not believe the front-page article in the News & Record or fish wrap in Sunday’s paper. Front page and what I consider in poor taste a few days after policemen gunned down in Dallas, and they come back with their liberal thing making policemen look bad. I certainly hope that Mr. Hammer will critique Sunday’s front-page article this week.

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Well, I saw where king Obama – I was watching Fox News a while ago, and king Obama is going to Dallas to speak at the five police officers, on their behalf. If I were the families of those people, I would not want him anywhere near it. He is the reason they are dead. It’s all on him. All the blood is on his hands, Lynch and Eric Holder. It’s on their hands. They’ve all had a chance to diffuse all this stuff ever since Ferguson. And all they’ve done is throw fuel on the fire and sit there and fan the flames. Racist cops, racist cops, racist cops. That’s all they talk about. I wouldn’t want them. I wouldn’t want him anywhere near my family’s procession there.

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You know, I’ve been watching the news lately and listening to radio, and all I hear is black parents sitting there talking about how they talk to their kids about when they go out, and what they do if they meet up with the police. Well, guess what? I’m white. I have had that same conversation, OK? I have told my 22-year-old, 6-foot-3, 225-pound son to say, “Yes, Sir,” “No, Sir.” Don’t get into any kind of confrontation with them. Just talk with them and you’ll be OK. So, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You diss a cop, cops are the ones you don’t fear. It’s the ones that are shooting other blacks in drive-bys and killing innocent people. That’s the ones you should be telling them about, not the police. If you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re going to be OK if you get pulled over.

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Since Obama likes to run his mouth so much, he needs to get on TV and tell the Black Lives Matter group they need to stand down and cut this balance out before we have a revolutionary war.

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It’s an even Saturday when a partisan smear campaign is paid for with my tax money.

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I was watching TV and I just looked at this Black Lives Matter. All lives matter. But all these people protesting. Why? I mean, I don’t get it. It’s like why are you protesting? Why can’t you go peaceably like it used to be? If you’ve got something to say, say it peaceably. Now they’re trying to kill people. And I just wonder about all these people that are protesting. Do they have jobs? Are they on assistance? Are they on food stamps? I mean, what do they do? All they got to do is protest? And hurt people? And the thing in Greensboro, I didn’t hear anything about it, because I had to work. I don’t read the paper a lot. Messing with all these people after the Fun Fourth, you know, putting their hands on them and pushing them down? You didn’t hear about it on the news. I didn’t. Why don’t you try to get along? They ain’t going to do it. They don’t want to get along.

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These riots now remind me of the riots back years ago over a corrupt police chief. The difference is, police today aren’t corrupt, on average most police officers don’t go around shooting innocent people. But at the same time, decent people don’t go around rioting.

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I just watched The O’Reilly Factor. It’s amazing. These people, they won’t work for a pie factory. So they need to get a job, which they wouldn’t do to start with. But they got an attitude. And why? This man was trying to do an interview with them. And this girl gets up in his face. She’s probably on food stamps. She wouldn’t work in a pie factory. I don‘t get it. I get aggravated watching TV, really. Why don’t they try to get along with people? I don’t know how to say it. I’m just lost for words. Nobody wants to get along with nobody any more the way people act. Anyway, I wouldn’t even finish this. I’m lost for words. Thank you anyway.

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Hello, Mr. Hammer. It’s me again. It’s been quite a while since I called. But I must comment on your column about Nelson Johnson. Truer words have never been spoken. And before you get the wrong idea, I am a black man, 63 years old, and I’ve been hearing that same ol’, same ol’ ever since back in Morningside when you hear them people killed. Another thing is, why keep doing the same thing over and over? Well, I don’t know. But I know where he’s going to preaching at on Sunday morning when he dies. It won’t be upstairs neither. And one more thing, that officer that was on the TV the other night talking about how white cops should check black people too. He needs to tell the truth. All the white dudes don’t realize that, that he, the white police, protects whites, blacks, Hispanics and everybody else. Who do we call when we get in trouble? We call the police. Have a great day and keep on talking.

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An African American murdered five police officers and wounded seven others. I haven’t heard or read any comments about this from Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.

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It’s July 14, and I’m watching what’s going on in France. How much longer will the American public put up with a president of the United States not absolutely doing anything about it? Not one thing does he want to do. And they voted him in, and a lot of people still take up for him. If John Kennedy or Harry Truman was living, this, I do not believe, would ever have happened, because when we had a chance to wipe them out about two years ago, he would not do it. I’d like to see an editor’s note on this, because something absolutely needs to be done before it will be over here. He’s bringing more people in now. And it’s ISIS in the crowds.

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I saw in your newspaper a few issues back what the county employees make. It’s amazing they pay Jeff Fowler that much money to do contracts with illegal security firms, or unethical security firms. It’s amazing what they pay him for what he does. That’s where our tax money is being wasted. Goodbye.

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Hello, Beep. Southern Guilford County here. It’s a subject that is worn out in my opinion, but North Carolina has lost some revenue because of HB2. But I wonder if it stopped anybody, and I do mean anybody, from using public restrooms in this state. People are doing the same thing they’ve always done. But now they want to be recognized.

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Hello, Beep. Hello, Reid. You see it. You hear it every day. Give money to the poor, helpless, homeless animals. Yet these poor creatures go without. The animal shelter here in Guilford County is a fine example of a misuse of funds. You really want to help a cat or a dog? Don’t purchase or own one if you can’t take care of it. Southern Guilford County and Otis here.

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I was watching Fox News this morning and the report on there is Donald Trump is not wanting any more Muslims in this country from these terrorists’ areas. Hillary wants to allow 65,000 the first year and maybe as many as 400,000 more over her term. If you look at TV, too many people sit back and watch American Idol and some 30-minute comedies. They never pay any attention of what’s going on in the news. Therefore, they don’t know what’s going on in their country. It’s very apparent when they see them interviewing these students. But if you’ll look at the news one time, and you’ll see what’s going on in Nice – that’s coming to America. We’ve already seen it twice recently in this area. We cannot have any more of these Muslims coming here. We don’t need any more of them.

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Continuing. Under Barack Hussein Obama, people are wanting to allow 10,000 more Muslims. They’re coming. As a matter of fact, they’ve already been so-called vetted, which is absolutely a lie, a continuation of the lies he spread across America, in each and every instance he’s involved in. Hillary won’t stop at 10,000. She wants 65,000. These people cannot possibly be vetted. Sixty percent of them are males, middle-aged males. Males that should be fighting for their own country if they had a desire to live under freedom. But, no, they’re going to come here. After they’ve been here a while, what do you think they’re going to do? Once they get on welfare and they’re drawing their welfare benefits, they’re not going to be doing any work because they don’t speak the English language and have no intentions of learning.

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Gallop called me on my cell phone, or at least they said that’s who they were. I told them I was going to vote for Trump. But I don’t know. Maybe I won’t be able to make it to the polls. Maybe it will snow that day or something.