Support for Saitta

Dear Editor,

I will vote for Alex Saitta for county council. As readers to the Pickens County Courier have seen, Alex does more than any other elected official to inform the public. And he explains it in such a way most can understand.

His finance expertise is apparent, and he does research the issues to their core. I do believe we still need him on the school board, but the county council does have its share of troubles he will help with. I would vote for him for both offices if I could.

Our government has run amok. For years, Alex has spoken out for the public and voiced the frustration so many feel with our government that is not doing what the people want. He had the common sense to oppose closing the Albert R. Lewis and Holly Springs elementary schools. We need more with such common sense.

Ken Horbinski

Pickens

Memorial Day thoughts

Dear Editor,

Many times throughout each year, I reflect on the blessings of being an American. We get to enjoy living in the greatest nation on this Earth, but how often do we show our gratitude?

By God’s grace, we were born in the United States of America and have the freedoms to worship freely and achieve our own piece of the American dream.

I thank my grandparents’ generation, who fought for our freedoms and liberating other nations as well and were willing to sacrifice their very life for these freedoms. Many gave their lives for their country, and Pickens County has one of our nation’s richest heritages for sacrificing for our American freedoms.

We have four Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from our county — per capita, more than any other county in America. These men — Furman L. Smith, William M. McWhorter, Charles H. Barker and James D. Howe — paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country and our freedoms while serving in America’s military.

I make sure my children know who these four men were and have taken them to visit the memorial behind our Pickens County Courthouse. I grew up at Rice’s Creek Baptist Church, where the Howe family were members. I cross the James D. Howe bridge often in Liberty, near Calumet Baptist Church, going to my children’s ballgames at Liberty High.

As we embark on this Memorial Day weekend of 2016, I would like to encourage all Pickens County residents to visit this memorial, our county museum and visit your local church of choice this Sunday, as we honor our fallen heroes. We will be honoring these soldiers and our veterans this Sunday at Enon Baptist Church in Easley and invite you to join us.

May we all take time to remember the cost of freedom this Memorial Day and remember the greatest sacrifice made for all mankind. This price was paid by Jesus Christ, upon Mount Calvary, more than 2,000 years ago. I pray you know Him, and enjoy the blessed assurance of a home in glory. As John 8:32 tells us, “Ye shall know the truth and His truth shall make you free.”

True freedom can only come from knowing Jesus, and I pray you have this true freedom.

Brad Dover

Liberty

Make them fear the people

Dear Editor,

I am convinced the only way our elected officials are going to listen to we the people is when they fear us! The only way to strike fear in their hearts is to rise up and get to the voting poll … and kick them to the curb and show them you mean business and will not tolerate them having any liberal bone in their body.

You will not tolerate them voting against the will of the conservative mindset of the people they represent.

We have to get rid of the elected officials that don’t respect their bosses! We are their boss! When we go to the voting booth and kick them to the curb … then and only then will the next person elected realize, “Hey, if I don’t do what they elected me to do, they will kick me out next election cycle, too.” That is the only way to control elected people.

Get to the voting poll and vote them out. No votes for turncoats! No votes for people who are going to raise your taxes! No votes for people who think they have a mandate to do whatever “they” think is best and refuse to listen to their constituents!

Pickens County people, listen up. Do not re-elect Larry Martin. Do not re-elect Neal Collins. Do not re-elect David Hiott. Do not re-elect Gary Clary! Put their challengers in office!

And when the time comes to vote for new school board members in Pickens County, make sure they are true conservatives and will follow the will of the people and not raise your taxes or close more rural small schools!

It is up to you the citizen to make our elected leaders fear you! They don’t listen to “please” and they don’t care about your emails to them. But they will care when you oust them. And the others who are elected will see that we the people are their boss — not the other way around!

Johnnelle Raines

Pickens