Mayor Not “Our Voice”

Dear Editor,

In a recent forum to present candidates for mayor and city councilmembers at Temple Emanuel (on 6/8/2022), Mayor Nancy Vaughan claimed to be “our voice” and claimed that she had visited every Greensboro neighborhood. Councilmember Nancy Hoffmann touted her success in zoning matters between homeowners and developers.

Let it be known that none of those statements are true in the matter of rezoning an almost 4-acre residential site to become a massive out-of-character medical building, which after almost a year has had no TRC plan submitted for it at Friendly Avenue and Muirs Chapel Road in Greensboro.

Mayor Vaughan responded to not one of the numerous requests for assistance by multiple area neighbors. This is what you call being “our voice”? This is what you call “visiting our neighborhood”?

Nancy Hoffmann, who represents our district, did not communicate at all until the eve of the vote, and her mind was well made up against the neighbors by then, without ever communicating with us.

Meanwhile, developers had ample access downtown and were afforded information, including names and phone numbers of concerned adjacent landowners before there was ever time for that to be published. That incorrect matter was promptly buried.

In the final council meeting, where we had no recourse, another council person echoed the opinion of the developers, without ever talking with us, characterizing the neighborhood as “complaining.”

For this reason, if Nancy Vaughan claims to be your voice and Nancy Hoffmann your negotiator, know that it was the complete opposite in the matter of allowing a zoning change that wrecks our street, four perfectly good historic large homes, including the Kimrey-Haworth on the National Register of Historic Places and tons of forest canopy.

Their machine is 10 years old and needs breaking up.

Thank you for your consideration.

Candida Wurman

 

An Armed Society Is A Polite Society

Dear Editor,

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

According to the mouthpiece for the (National Socialist) Democrat party, the person who holds the title of President, Joe Biden “The Second Amendment is not absolute.”

What??

If anyone doesn’t believe this man is mentally incapable of executing the duties and responsibilities of the highest office in this country they’re as brain dead as him. Yell and scream I’m being disrespectful of the president but you are wrong. I respect the office. I have no respect for the person occupying it. They screamed Trump should have been removed using the 25th Amendment but couldn’t give a reason, yet you have Biden trying to have the Second Amendment repealed and all we hear is crickets!

What’s next, the First Amendment so they can shut up those pesky patriotic citizens? The Fifth Amendment so they can conduct their kangaroo courts? Or maybe the 10th Amendment so they can ensure the federal government has total control, aka a quasi-dictatorship?

One of the best posts I ever saw reads, “The 1st Amendment continues to exist because of the 2nd.” Yes, I wear T-shirts with various pro-gun ownership slogans and, yes, I’ve had people confront me for being the reason there is so much gun violence in the world. My answer? When was the last time you heard or read about a law-abiding gun owner intentionally committing a crime? (Final Jeopardy theme) Thought so. Now, when was the last time you heard or read about a law-abiding gun owner stopping a crime? Nowhere near as often as it’s happened.

Robert Heinlein said in one of his novels, “Well, in the first place an armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.” In that novel, challenging another party to a duel was legal, but only if the other person was known to be armed by wearing a brassard on their arm indicating they were carrying. Hmmm.

I was a state certified firearms instructor and taught marksmanship in the military. I was also a concealed carry instructor and am a CCW holder. If you meet me, you should ask yourself, “Is he carrying right now?” There is only one way to find out.

Alan Marshall