I have made it my stance to not do too much on our local politics because I believe that should be left to our local paper and "true" journalists. Washington gives us enough to rant about. But I do want to address a couple of things.
First, Mr. Liggetts opinion piece is right on the mark.
There's a place for bloggers in our world and I know mine.
I started this one after leaving another one I had been on for a year because I was starting to be called "a co-conspirator", "having like minds" with the editor, etc.
However, for the most part, that is absolutely so far from the truth. Let me make this clear: on quite a few things we do agree - mostly national issues.
If anybody had read my columns or comments, you could easily detect the editor of that one and me were on opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to local politics. And to me, that was good. I loved the banter. I loved the disagreement and I welcome that on my blog. But how can you have a decent discussion if you keep people from "anonymously" posting and only allow "those that agree" with you to leave comments? You can't. It takes away the integrity and the purpose of blogs.
And if only one party is being attacked because the accuser is angry, there's no integrity in that either. There's enough evidence on the other side, DEMS, to bring you all down if our voters would listen.
However, for the most part, that is absolutely so far from the truth. Let me make this clear: on quite a few things we do agree - mostly national issues.
If anybody had read my columns or comments, you could easily detect the editor of that one and me were on opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to local politics. And to me, that was good. I loved the banter. I loved the disagreement and I welcome that on my blog. But how can you have a decent discussion if you keep people from "anonymously" posting and only allow "those that agree" with you to leave comments? You can't. It takes away the integrity and the purpose of blogs.
And if only one party is being attacked because the accuser is angry, there's no integrity in that either. There's enough evidence on the other side, DEMS, to bring you all down if our voters would listen.
Another thing about Mr. Liggetts' posting, he's right that it's obvious the mantra is "to destroy the person" and not destroy the politics of a person. That has become evident in the past months. I believe that is wrong.
We are all God's children, even Obama. As much as I despise what he and the left are attempting to do in this country, it is my duty to pray for him to turn his heart to God, as well as ALL members of Congress, and to pray for their protection. We are directed by the Word (not Nancy Pelosi's Word) but by the word of God, to pray for our enemies. Obama is an enemy of America. He is a student of Marxism (this has been documented!) and Saul Alinsky (more to come on this one). Both of them thwart liberty in lieu of an elitist society - the haves and have-nots.
AND I WILL do my best to not be associated with those intent on destroying a person. Nope. I'll do my best to destroy the politics but not the person. That's my goal - and if I fail, my heart is the first to let me know. I'm waiting for my turn to be hacked at. I've already been attacked in the Herald 's website comments (by posters only). Someone thought they were cute posting the value of my home and where I live. Jerk. I'll pray for you too.
We have far more corruption going on in our government(s) than what may, may not be the case with Mike Stone. I don't know. I wasn't there. All I have is a HUGE headline in the Sunday Herald. But I do believe it is our local paper's responsibility to report. Just give us the facts and let us decide. If only our trusty officials would do the same....let me DECIDE where to spend MY money. It's not yours.
In this county alone,we've had a pastor murder his wife, a lawyer be accused of wife abuse (only accused), a SPD individual put a video on you-tube and ruin the biggest drug best in this county, a woman sell her child for drugs and the child be murdered and left along a highway, a young woman pulled out of CCCC and murdered in the woods by a former lover, a kid murdered simply because the thugs broke in his home and found him there, and so on. And on the state level, a governor who hid flight records (she hid them don't dispute that) and who was the deciding tie-breaker for the lottery, a former governor still under investigation and several members of his party go to jail, NC house and senate representatives get DUIs, abuse the system like there's no tomorrow, etc. And on the national front? Where do I begin? That's another column.
And the "hot item" of the day is "local GOP candidate in piracy ploy"? Ok, let's take him at his word that he wasn't the one "who created the ploy". Why can't we? Didn't the left tell us Bill Clinton was just being a "boy" and having "talk sex" with an intern was ok and we need to just forgive him? In my world, that's adultery. Didn't the left tell us "our soldiers were murdering women and children in Iraq"? Some of you really bought that lie! And what they were doing was giving freedom to millions of people who never had felt or lived it! Didn't the left tell us, and still do, a woman's right to abortion isn't really killing? Do the words "Creator given unalienable rights to LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", ring a bell? They hate "creator given" because that means life begins at conception? Doesn't the left call us on the right RACIST if we simply disagree with them ON ISSUES? I have yet to see a valid argument from the left on the issues. Nope, it's destroy the messenger, not debate the message. Local blogs included!
I'm not condoning illegal activity at all. Piracy is illegal. I never let my kids download songs from those free sites because it was wrong. I made them pay through itunes. And if I did see the programs on my pc, they were deleted and privileges were revoked. How would you like your songs or creations being pirated? It's plagiarism in another form. It's wrong, all the same.
Maybe Mike needs to read my blog directed to him, "Dear Mike", and understand, I mean what I write. You, who are reading this one, need to take a moment and read it as well. It applies to all of us. Somebody is always watching. (look on the right hand side under Past columns - August)
So, I posted these comments on the Herald's site this morning or last night (they all run together these days with school, grandkid, job, blog, etc):
"So let me get this straight: Stone, may have been on the hook for $10,000 for pirating DirectTV.
And Jimmy Love can LEGALLY pirate all the money he wants from us and nobody can do anything about it. Isn't the America the Dems bash all the time the best place in the world to be?
Ty and Mr. Clark- if that's all you got, get the tylenol out now. If we will forgive a President who lies about his friskiness with a young chic, listen to representatives call our soldiers "nazis" and "murderers", watch our representative assault a college student, watch our Prez clap with a foreign leader when he bashes a state trying to secure its borders for AMERICAN citizens and then that same Prez bash us all over the world, we'll forgive Mike. For goodness sakes."
Read more: Sanford Herald - Satellite pirating suit against House candidate surfaces
I'll leave it to Billy or Bill Horner to tell me I shouldn't have copied them here. And if I shouldn't, I apologize. They are my words under the name, qgirl232.
And I don't care if I make the ones in that posting or other letter writers to the editor that I call out ticked off. Enough is enough. They are associating themselves with the left and what is wrong with our country. Don't give me the bull about being a moderate. You can't have it both ways. There's heaven and then there's hell. There's right and then there's wrong. In the Bible, there is no gray area.
Our world is in dire need of prayer. It is in dire need of ones who will take the pledge (see Glenn Beck's website for that - http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/39452/) and LIVE IT! This goes for our local, state, and federal law enforcers. The last thing we need right now is for Lee Co. Sheriff's department to be hinting at some corruption but not coming out and declaring what it is. Geez, Sheriff Carter, we need you to stop hiding. Stand up for your beliefs. Please stop playing games because that what it appears to be. I haven't heard nor seen where you are being viciously attacked by the local GOP. By all means, post comments here if you want defending that position. I would rather you talk to the Herald because bloggers are a dime a dozen. And it would mean so much more to the citizens.
But that won't keep me from trusting you. I just have to live my everyday life with some type of security that our local police department and sheriff departments are not so blinded that they will let politics skew their actions. Dang, I want honesty..Is that too much to ask?
So all of you who read this and disagree with me, please comment! Seriously. I'm a big girl. I might not like what you say, but that's the beauty of the First Amendment.
We are all God's children, even Obama. As much as I despise what he and the left are attempting to do in this country, it is my duty to pray for him to turn his heart to God, as well as ALL members of Congress, and to pray for their protection. We are directed by the Word (not Nancy Pelosi's Word) but by the word of God, to pray for our enemies. Obama is an enemy of America. He is a student of Marxism (this has been documented!) and Saul Alinsky (more to come on this one). Both of them thwart liberty in lieu of an elitist society - the haves and have-nots.
AND I WILL do my best to not be associated with those intent on destroying a person. Nope. I'll do my best to destroy the politics but not the person. That's my goal - and if I fail, my heart is the first to let me know. I'm waiting for my turn to be hacked at. I've already been attacked in the Herald 's website comments (by posters only). Someone thought they were cute posting the value of my home and where I live. Jerk. I'll pray for you too.
We have far more corruption going on in our government(s) than what may, may not be the case with Mike Stone. I don't know. I wasn't there. All I have is a HUGE headline in the Sunday Herald. But I do believe it is our local paper's responsibility to report. Just give us the facts and let us decide. If only our trusty officials would do the same....let me DECIDE where to spend MY money. It's not yours.
In this county alone,we've had a pastor murder his wife, a lawyer be accused of wife abuse (only accused), a SPD individual put a video on you-tube and ruin the biggest drug best in this county, a woman sell her child for drugs and the child be murdered and left along a highway, a young woman pulled out of CCCC and murdered in the woods by a former lover, a kid murdered simply because the thugs broke in his home and found him there, and so on. And on the state level, a governor who hid flight records (she hid them don't dispute that) and who was the deciding tie-breaker for the lottery, a former governor still under investigation and several members of his party go to jail, NC house and senate representatives get DUIs, abuse the system like there's no tomorrow, etc. And on the national front? Where do I begin? That's another column.
And the "hot item" of the day is "local GOP candidate in piracy ploy"? Ok, let's take him at his word that he wasn't the one "who created the ploy". Why can't we? Didn't the left tell us Bill Clinton was just being a "boy" and having "talk sex" with an intern was ok and we need to just forgive him? In my world, that's adultery. Didn't the left tell us "our soldiers were murdering women and children in Iraq"? Some of you really bought that lie! And what they were doing was giving freedom to millions of people who never had felt or lived it! Didn't the left tell us, and still do, a woman's right to abortion isn't really killing? Do the words "Creator given unalienable rights to LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", ring a bell? They hate "creator given" because that means life begins at conception? Doesn't the left call us on the right RACIST if we simply disagree with them ON ISSUES? I have yet to see a valid argument from the left on the issues. Nope, it's destroy the messenger, not debate the message. Local blogs included!
I'm not condoning illegal activity at all. Piracy is illegal. I never let my kids download songs from those free sites because it was wrong. I made them pay through itunes. And if I did see the programs on my pc, they were deleted and privileges were revoked. How would you like your songs or creations being pirated? It's plagiarism in another form. It's wrong, all the same.
Maybe Mike needs to read my blog directed to him, "Dear Mike", and understand, I mean what I write. You, who are reading this one, need to take a moment and read it as well. It applies to all of us. Somebody is always watching. (look on the right hand side under Past columns - August)
So, I posted these comments on the Herald's site this morning or last night (they all run together these days with school, grandkid, job, blog, etc):
"So let me get this straight: Stone, may have been on the hook for $10,000 for pirating DirectTV.
And Jimmy Love can LEGALLY pirate all the money he wants from us and nobody can do anything about it. Isn't the America the Dems bash all the time the best place in the world to be?
Ty and Mr. Clark- if that's all you got, get the tylenol out now. If we will forgive a President who lies about his friskiness with a young chic, listen to representatives call our soldiers "nazis" and "murderers", watch our representative assault a college student, watch our Prez clap with a foreign leader when he bashes a state trying to secure its borders for AMERICAN citizens and then that same Prez bash us all over the world, we'll forgive Mike. For goodness sakes."
Read more: Sanford Herald - Satellite pirating suit against House candidate surfaces
I'll leave it to Billy or Bill Horner to tell me I shouldn't have copied them here. And if I shouldn't, I apologize. They are my words under the name, qgirl232.
And I don't care if I make the ones in that posting or other letter writers to the editor that I call out ticked off. Enough is enough. They are associating themselves with the left and what is wrong with our country. Don't give me the bull about being a moderate. You can't have it both ways. There's heaven and then there's hell. There's right and then there's wrong. In the Bible, there is no gray area.
Our world is in dire need of prayer. It is in dire need of ones who will take the pledge (see Glenn Beck's website for that - http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/39452/) and LIVE IT! This goes for our local, state, and federal law enforcers. The last thing we need right now is for Lee Co. Sheriff's department to be hinting at some corruption but not coming out and declaring what it is. Geez, Sheriff Carter, we need you to stop hiding. Stand up for your beliefs. Please stop playing games because that what it appears to be. I haven't heard nor seen where you are being viciously attacked by the local GOP. By all means, post comments here if you want defending that position. I would rather you talk to the Herald because bloggers are a dime a dozen. And it would mean so much more to the citizens.
But that won't keep me from trusting you. I just have to live my everyday life with some type of security that our local police department and sheriff departments are not so blinded that they will let politics skew their actions. Dang, I want honesty..Is that too much to ask?
So all of you who read this and disagree with me, please comment! Seriously. I'm a big girl. I might not like what you say, but that's the beauty of the First Amendment.
Sheila
5 comments:
Sheila;
Excellent summary of the situation. I believe the Herald ran Mike Stone's 7-year-old story as the feature article today as much to demonstrate 'fairness' in reporting as to cover a story of interest.
We all recognize that Mike was never charged or convicted of anything in this matter, and that he settled whis dispute with DirecTV amicably. So, the story is a little bit 'ho-hum' and certainly not worthy of top billing with yesterday being the ninth anniversary of 9-11!
Still, the Herald is trying to balance its reporting so as not to show favoritism either towards conservatives or liberals running for office. You have to give them a 'pass' on that one.
I'm sure the Herald will be quick to cover several-year-old stories on Jimmy Love as well when the GOP dredges them up for a splash. What's fair for the goose is fair for the gander...
Jim
Shelia, one reason that I respect you is that you write from the heart. I am cause driven in the manifestation of my values.
The words "Lee County High School" or "incentives" do not appear in the statement of GOP principles. Who decides who is a RINO and who isn't? Is it a more serious “crime” to invest in our children’s future or vote to keep Lee County jobs here or be involved in facilitating a federal crime. I think our current incentives policy in NC is all wrong. I want to see it changed, but until then free market is what we are dealing with. The rules determine how the game is played until we change the rules.
My posts are loaded with video clips and audio clips from meetings, copies of public documents, data analysis, and other evidence to let my readers see for themselves. The model is a famous columnist Jack Anderson, by coincidence another member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have found a way to make the legal papers available to the public through the City of Sanford Clerk's Office so the public can see for themselves if they choose. That is a Tea Party-type tactic. I have taken the Glen Beck Pledge. The challenge is to live it.
No one settles a $10,000 federal judge's order without court papers. The paper trail in state government shows that the Colonel never had the job title he once claimed. So don't be so quick to believe it just because certain people say so. Facts are stronger than opinions. I am posting a link to your blog on my personal blog. Given your comment requirements, I much rather see "Fresh Brewed Conservatism" be the forum of choice for political debate that a site behind a private site with anonymous comments, from who may not even be from “around here” as they say. I wish you much continued success.
Keith
Sis: That was powerful and the truth! Lord, I love a person who isn't afraid to state the truth and stand up for what is right! Love ya
Linda
There is absolutely nothing to back up the claims Mike Stone made in Sunday's article. The official record of the court shows what there is to show, which is that Mr. Stone was ordered to pay a $10,000 judgment because he was found to have violated a federal statute and caused damages to DirecTV, and that he complied. Had there been any other outcome, it would be documented in the official record - this is how courts work. As it stands, there is no documentation of any other outcome.
Regarding Mr. Womack's comment and ones I've seen elsewhere, it's an interesting diversionary tactic to point out that Mr. Stone wasn't "charged or convicted of anything." This is true. It is also true that he was found civilly liable for knowingly violating a federal statute. One would think that both civil and criminal courts in our country carry the same weight and credibility in handling alleged violations the law. That DirecTV chose to pursue their case civilly rather than criminally is their prerogative. It does not absolve the violator of any illicit behavior. Finally, Mr. Womack, the Herald may indeed cover a several-year-old story about Jimmy Love in the interest of "fairness," but it should be noted that there are those of us who have lived in here long enough to know that the Herald DID cover the story you reference for days on end at the time when it was a news story. The difference should be obvious to you since Sunday's story represents the first time the allegations and finding of liability against Mr. Stone have come to light. Not to mention the fact that there was no finding of civil liability against Mr. Love.
Thank you for commenting. I have opened anonymous posting for a reason. I want others to post without retribution. I choose to show my name because I am a big girl and as Mr. Womack said, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander."
But if this is all there is on Mike, so be it. My column is addressing others as well. One pressing one is why is our Sheriff hiding behind a blogger? Who knows?
What Sheriff Carter is doing is much more serious than what Mike did (seeing you have brought out specifics too is good). I'm not condoning his actions. It's wrong.
But what was the true charge? Was the store an actual drop off for packages? Where, because I don't know where to find it, is the actual document showing the charge and what happened or are we going merely on heresay?
At least, I have to look at it as it doesn't harm the citizens.
I'm afraid Sheriff Carter needs to just come clean. Just speak up and make this citizen feel safer. I'd hate to be a target of one his deputy's if he doesn't like me. Not saying that would happen. But I am saying it could. Come clean Tracy and make me feel better about living in Lee county.
Regardless of who wins in November.
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