Doing the right thing

By: Letters To the editor | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: October 21, 2009

I was appalled to read in the Oct. 15 Journal that some agencies had refused to lower their flags to half-staff to honor Sgt. Mickey Hutchens of the Winston-Salem Police Department (" ‘Half-staff' confuses some"). Why Forsyth County and other agencies would not do this is beyond me. It makes me think that the process of getting elected to public office destroys brain cells of those elected, or there is a policy that common sense will not be tolerated.

Sometimes you just have to do the right thing and the right thing to do in this case was to lower every flag in the city and county to show respect for a man who gave his life to protect us.

MARC TURKALY

Winston-Salem

Divisive

Let me get this straight. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell does not want Rush Limbaugh to be part owner of the St. Louis Rams because he is "divisive" ("Limbaugh dropped from investor group," Oct. 15). This same commissioner reinstated Michael Vick this summer, and he is now on the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Is there a double standard, or am I missing something?

BOB REAGAN

Winston-Salem

Must demand results

Your Oct. 12 editorial, "Inexcusable waste," stated that UNC Chapel Hill must demand results from its Citizen-Soldier Support Program. We agree.

Credit Chancellor Holden Thorp with bringing this issue to the board of trustees' attention. His administration has taken a hard look at the program and has noted serious flaws in it. Most important, he has demanded that it show immediate improvement.

With federal appropriations, the university created the Citizen-Soldier program with the best of intentions -- to strengthen services for military personnel and their families before, during and after they are deployed. But, in his report to the trustees, the chancellor concluded that the university had not given the federal government the best return on its investment.

In a time when people are more likely to point fingers at others rather than own a problem, we think Chancellor Thorp deserves credit for honestly assessing the program and then holding himself and others at the university responsible.

BOB WINSTON

CHAIRMAN, UNC CHAPEL HILL BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Raleigh

Public option lowers cost

A government-managed health-insurance program (the "public option") should bring down the cost of health insurance, in part because it would not need to make a profit.

The government would not need to spend millions on advertising. It would not need to hire lobbyists. It would not need to contribute to political campaigns. It would not hire lawyers and consultants to find ways to deny, decrease and delay claims payments.

In short, the government could spend virtually all the premiums paid into the program on health care. The possibility of this kind of competition must be scaring the private insurance companies silly. Otherwise, why would the insurance industry now be spending so much of the premiums it has collected from us on lobbyists and media attacks on reform proposals?

LARRY ROTH

Germanton

Greatly inspired

The Griffith for Sheriff campaign committee sponsored a booth at this year's Dixie Classic Fair so that the citizens of Forsyth County could have an opportunity to personally meet and talk with our candidate, Dave Griffith. We were greatly inspired by the outpouring of support and the many kind words of encouragement that were offered. We are now truly convinced that Forsyth County is ready and willing to elect a sheriff who stands for public service and who can return the confidence of the citizens in the office of the sheriff.

For those who either did not attend the fair or who may have missed meeting Dave, please visit our Web site, www.griffithforsheriff.com, to learn more about Dave and for information regarding campaign events.

SHARON LLOYD

COMMITTEE MEMBER, COMMITTEE TO ELECT GRIFFITH SHERIFF

Tobaccoville