October 21-27, 2020
opinion
Vice President’s words don’t match his actions
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supremacists at Charlottesville. I have written to the Vice President to ask whether he ever witnesses to the President but have yet to receive a response. Ironically, for all of his silence, Vice President Pence was loud and clear when he told Liberty University graduates in 2019, “You will be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith, but to endorse them.” In Second Corinthians Paul tells us, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” I do not know Trump’s heart, only his actions, but Paul’s main point was the inadvisability of locking yourself into relationships that cause you to compromise your faith. As an apologist for the president, Mike Pence has willingly assumed a dubious role for a Christian and one which illustrates and fosters the notion of this as the “PostChristian Age.” Writer Philip Yancey has said, “There are three kinds of Christians that outsiders to the faith respect: artists, pilgrims, and activists. The uncommitted will listen to them far sooner than they will to an evangelist or an apologist.” Those of us, including Vice President Pence, who profess our faith, should carefully consider St. Francis when he says, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” (Larry Brown lives in Bryson City and is a retired teacher, a musician and songwriter, a moral vegan, and former candidate for state representative. larry.brown72643@gmail.com)
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LARRY B RYSON G UEST COLUMNIST Vice President Mike Pence has stated, “I am a Christian, conservative, and Republican, in that order.” He might want to add politician to his list. I’ll leave it to you to decide its place in the hierarchy. Jesus, however, reminds us, “By their fruits you shall know them.” When Pence engages in misleading, partisan rhetoric, it is difficult to see Christian principles at work. Generalizations such as, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” “President Trump is a truth-teller,” and “President Trump marshalled the full resources of the federal government from the outset of this pandemic,” lack the honesty Pence’s faith calls for. Further, the Vice President’s lack of environmental sensitivity, his allegiance to the NRA and guns, and his promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, seem perplexing positions when measured against biblical standards. The challenge for all of us as Christians is to avoid corrupting our witness by unChristian behavior. A high-profile office like Vice President makes that challenge even more important. Pence’s alliance with Donald Trump is especially problematic, given that many of the President’s behaviors represent the antithesis of Christian virtues. For example, compulsive lying, demeaning people, the complete absence of humility, bragging about assaulting women, showing no emotional connection to the plight of immigrants, and giving tacit approval to white
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stolen from the yard of an elderly lady who lives near Howell Mill Road and two town board members in Canton also had their Biden-Harris signs taken from their yards. • Biden-Harris signs placed along roadways are being stolen at an alarming rate. Some may say the above actions are just simple mischief, but it’s more serious than that. It’s a Class 3 misdemeanor to tamper with, remove or destroy a yard sign and I’m guessing one could also be charged with trespassing to walk onto private property to remove a sign. In closing, here’s a reminder for the “concerned Republicans of Haywood County:” You are in violation of state election laws requiring you to register your organization with the N.C. State Board of Elections (NCSBE) and file an expenditure report. I’ve checked the NCSBE website and you’re not listed as a political committee and no expenditure has been submitted for your “law and order” group. I believe actions speak louder than words, and the above actions reflect the
same lawlessness as the man you support. Perhaps a better heading would be “lawlessness and disorder Trump 2020.” Myrna Campbell Haywood County Democratic Party Chair
Encouraged by Democratic vandalism To the Editor: As a conservative, it is encouraging to see the unprecedented vandalism of campaign signs in the county. Illegal spray painting, taping over, uprooting, and actual stealing of campaign signs for conservative, law and order candidates is occurring more than I have seen in decades of elections. The despicable opposition doing this is sending a message that they are desperate and do not see their candidates winning in fair competition. It is unfortunate, but encouraging, that those doing the destruction, see that their candidates do not have positive, winning messages. The thieving vandals think the positive messages of those in President
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