Letter to the Editor – Will they be “Honor Bound and Fearless?"

Editor

 

The current Republican Primary Election in particular, a local race for NC Senate Dist 2, has the public and many voters confused with blatant twisted distortion of facts, innuendo and outright lies that are being spun to a mostly uninformed electorate. This confusion is as bad as I have ever seen in my participation in Republican Politics beginning about 1950, as a high school kid. I grew up in a household in which the Honor Code of the U.S. Military Academies was instilled in me and later had the honor of becoming and serving as an Army Officer via Army OCS where it was also expected of me. To “Lie, Cheat /  Steal or to Allow or Condone Others or Those That Do” is just beyond the pale for me whether it is done as a military officer, civilian corporate executive, businessman, political candidate, local state or Federal employee or an elected official at any level from the township to the White House. Do I know it occurs, Yes.  Do I ignore it, No. Do I condone it, No.  Am I willing to confront it, Damn Right!

 

Recently, Representative Pat McElraft ( R ) who represents both Carteret and Jones Counties in the NC House, stood up and in a Letter to the Editors of local area newspapers ( Ignored by the New Bern Sun ) set the record straight in a gutsy political move.  You see Representative McElraft, did what darn few elected officials seem willing to do today, she did the right thing without regard for her own political public service future or personal gain, SHE TOLD THE TRUTH! That was refreshing and that is what we all clamor for in our elected officials. Party loyalty or silence is great, but not at the expense of ones personal principles or the possible election of an unfit candidate. The same applies to elected public servants who sit on the sideline based on some idea/myth that because it is a primary election you should; sit back and not say anything even when you know what is being said is a lie or distortion . This is one of the problems in our modern American politics, elected officials/leaders who fail to stand on Principle and Truth and their seeming loss of a political moral compass once elected and /or their fear of loss of personal political legacy. The political lie moves quickly in the multiple modern systems of communication and is hard to refute.

 

So, will our Eastern North Carolina leadership, as elected officials/ public servants / party officials, continue to sit on the political sidelines in this critical 2012 NC. Primary Election or will they stand up and help set the public voting electorate straight?  Will they be “Honor Bound and Fearless”?

 

Austin M “Gus” Wilgus, Lt.Col. Army Retired, Republican Precinct Chairman Emerald Isle NC

Emerald Isle NC