October 18, 2007
I get a little tired of people like Gary A. Whisnant, Johnny C. Perry and Ron McDaniel writing to the Lenoir News-Topic “defining” me in their own political terms. I’m a big boy, and my skin is plenty thick enough to handle the criticism—but if folks are going to criticize, I really do wish they’d bother to be factual.
First of all, I try not to engage in personal attacks—which is something my critics seem to enjoy. When someone writes a letter-to-the-editor that doesn’t make sense, though, I have to ask the obvious, logical questions. Still, I don’t “like” everybody, and I’m quite certain not everyone likes me. I don’t lose sleep either way.
Second, I have no “ulterior motives,” as alleged. I comment on the basis of my own political philosophy and what I consider “right” or “wrong.” I try to address political issues with reason, logic, facts, analysis and common sense, not emotions or personalities. Still, I don’t understand why some of our elected officials can’t see the same overburdened Caldwell County I see.
I am not planning to run for county commissioner any time soon, despite Whisnant’s and Perry’s published opinions to the contrary. I was elected a soil and water conservation district supervisor last year, and I’m quite satisfied working with a board where the local, state and federal partnership really does work. Likewise, I try to keep my personal views out of its business. It’s disingenuous, too, to use one elected position as an immediate stepping-stone to another, as soon people are inclined to do.
Whisnant also called me “arrogant” and accused me of “trying to educate those…less literate.” The first quality is in the eye of the beholder; the second, I plead guilty. If not trying to educate, why would anybody write a letter to the editor? County commissioners and editorial writers try to educate people to their points of view every day, but that’s OK?
Then too, should I apologize for having a college education that has allowed me to work only part-time the last seven years? It was fun to “retire” at 51.
A fifth point, for McDaniel, I am not a member of any of the groups I get pigeon-holed into, other than the Republican Party. Specifically, I do not belong to the Concerned Citizens group which put out the signs about the 22.2% tax increase. Still, I cannot blindly “stand with” (Whisnant's words) the county commissioners for policies I think are wrong—just on party loyalty by itself, like some others.
Regarding the Concerned Citizens, the First Amendment guarantees them the right to their freedom of speech, their right to peaceably assemble and their right to petition the government for redress of their grievances. It sounds like that’s exactly what they’re doing. You can never tell, I might join them some day—but not now, because I don’t really know them.
Perry seems incredulous that I call myself a Republican, yet take issue with some of what elected Republicans do once in office. When I registered to vote in 1966, I didn’t give up my right to think for myself. For the record, I have been a Republican for 37 years—“independent” from 1974 to 1978 when I was disgusted with Richard Nixon’s dishonesty.
Still, I haven’t called anyone any names, and I haven’t mentioned commissioners by name, as some do. While I applaud them individually for their public service, my complaint is with their fiscal policies as a group. They can’t seem to say “no,” and they spend, spend, spend money we don’t have. If they were spending their own money, they’d have to stop at some point.
To answer more of Whisnant’s concerns: I have operated my own one-man company for 36 years, sometimes part-time, sometimes full-time; I have helped to start businesses outside Caldwell County; I have been a part-time college instructor for over 12 years; my efforts “to remedy everyone’s situation,” as he put it, includes my church activities, Boy Scouts, coaching youth sports and rescuing abandoned dogs.
I certainly consider myself a conservative by most standards, but I have some libertarian views, like T.J. Rohr on Lenoir City Council. “The government” shouldn’t be involved in some things it tries to do, and some things that are illegal now shouldn’t be. I believe in some “liberal” causes, too—like protecting the only environment we have.
In the end, what gives every level of government its legitimacy is what Thomas Jefferson called “the consent of the governed” in the Declaration of Independence. Whisnant actually agreed that this “consent” is given on Election Day—and I believe the next one will result in some big changes around here.
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