Democrats don’t represent our mountain values

I saw a news story on WLOS last week that covered the Buncombe County GOP ad with the three teens. Those teens asked our president good questions that still need to be answered. An interesting comment on that news story came from Mr. Charles Carter [Buncombe] County Democratic chairman. He stated the ad didn't represent our mountain values.

Charles Carter apparently does not understand the values of the people who live in our great county. Here's what we really value:
• Limited government and lower taxes
• Gun ownership / gun rights
• The strongest protection for unborn children
• A strong military and not helping our enemies grow stronger
• Faith in God and not eroding public worship and prayer
• Jobs and a future for our children
• Private-property rights
• Individual freedom (letting us choose what is best for us, not government)
• Stopping illegal immigration    

These are the things we believe in and are also what our county Republicans stand for. Elected Democrats like Susan Fisher ,who spends our money to go to Hawaii, cannot claim all of these values. Nor can Martin Nesbitt, Bruce Goforth, or Heath Shuler, who all raise both spending and taxes.

— Christian Eck
Weaverville

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57 thoughts on “Democrats don’t represent our mountain values

  1. entopticon

    It is completely asinine to speak as if there was one single set of values for the people who live here. It speaks volumes about your xenophobia and disgracefully hegemonic motivations.

    I certainly don’t share your views, and neither do many of the people who live here. Seriously. where do you think you are? You really think everyone in Asheville shares your twisted values? How incredibly ironic that you chose the liberal weekly to voice your belief that Mountain values are Republican. And how sad that the irony is completely lost on you.

    The drivel about lower taxes and limited government is ludicrously hypocritical nonsense. Right wingers love to ramble on about spending, but the proof is in the pudding. In reality, the most strongly Republican states take far more from the federal government than they pay per capita, and the most strongly Democratic states pay in significantly less than they get back. In other words, Republicans are the real welfare queens, and Democrats are the ones that pay their bills.

    Ronald Reagan raised taxes six times, including the largest tax increase in American history adjusting for inflation. Conversely, the vast majority of Americans had significant tax cuts under the Democrats, so your argument is total baloney.

    It’s just too funny that you blather on about more military spending in the same breath that you whine about lower taxes; completely oblivious of the disconnect there.

    Even funnier that you promote guns and more military in the same breath that you claim to be some kind of Christian. Exactly what part of “turn the other cheek” don’t you understand?

    Are you even aware of the fact that the bible strictly forbids any form of public prayer whatsoever?

    “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have seen their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your father who sees in secret will reward you.”
    –Matthew 6.5

    Exactly what part of the superlative “whenever” don’t you understand? You can advocate public prayer or be a Christian, but you can’t have it both ways.

    It is also insanely hypocritical of you to blather on about limited government and individual freedom out of one side of your mouth, and wanting to use the government to take away reproductive freedom out of the other side of your mouth. In fact, most people support reproductive freedom. Lump it.

    This isn’t a Christian nation, and this isn’t even a Christian county. Tough darts. It’s a county that Christians live in, as well as atheists, Jews, Muslims, pagans, and others. If you want to live in a theocracy, join the Taliban.

    Wake up and accept the fact that your myopic vision of one single set of “mountain values” is complete and utterly ignorant BS. If you want to live in an area with very little political, cultural, and spiritual diversity, get out of Buncombe county. And don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

  2. Gabriel Shaffer

    I would suggest getting a hot tub time machine and traveling back to the south of the early 1800’s, that will give you a better chance of reclaiming your fantasy world.

  3. Dionysis

    Entopticon pretty much hits the relevant points on the head. The letter-writer apparently is oblivious to the inherent inconsistencies in his partisan diatribe, as well as demonstrating a profound ignorance of even recent history. Republicans, including Reagan and W raised taxes and (especially under the Shrub) increased the size of government while diminishing individual freedoms (which today’s version of Republicans seem to embrace with zeal). As for the incessant blather over ‘gun rights’, under this administration, gun owners have MORE freedom than before with his signing of a law allowing concealed weapons in national parks. Every time a Democrat gets in office, the same whining erupts (‘horrors, they’re after my guns’).

    How can one endorse ‘individual freedom’ as the writer defines it, yet in the same breath advocate ‘public prayer’ of his prescribed religious philosophy? As for job growth, how about showing how Republican economic policies have resulted in anything but the exportation of American jobs overseas? It was the inept policies of the previous administration that led us to this economic malaise we’re in today. Thankfully, we’re beginning to see reversals of this abysmal state left us by those the writer champions.

    Finally, it takes some gall to presume to speak for everyone from ‘the mountains’. Just who is this ‘we’ anyway, as in “(T)hings we believe in…?” As someone born in Appalachia, I have a very different view than that expressed by the writer, and I know many, many others who differ from the letter-writer.

    Everyone is entitled to whatever opinions they wish to hold and to advocate those opinions; it’s too bad people like the letter-writer either don’t have a clue as to what constitutes reality, or they chose to engage in disingenuous blather like a good ideologue.

  4. Yep, there’s lots of Irony there, all right! Here’s something else I noticed. He lists this “value:”

    “• Faith in God and not eroding public worship and prayer” (since the government is Constitutionally prohibited from impeding the free exercise of religion, he must be mad that the government is not forcing non-faith-in-God-havers to engage in public worship and prayer. Therefore it is ironic that he would then list the next item, which would seem to oppose exactly that type of thing:

    “• Individual freedom (letting us choose what is best for us, not government)”

    Ironic, huh?

  5. It would be hard to find two other comments that so completely and correctly refute Mr. Eck’s original letter.
    Hats off to Entopticon and Dionysis for their insightful and fairly restrained words!

  6. shadmarsh

    thanks for letting us know what we are supposed to value, I guess this is not part of the “Individual Freedom” you speak of.

  7. Piffy!

    So predictable to see the rural right continue to pretend the republicans are any different than they claim the dems are. The rubes want a fascist christian state and an aggressive military on foreign soil, but font want to have to pay for it.

  8. frank whitehorse

    While I wouldn’t go so far as to call the letter writer’s opinions “twisted”, I have to take umbrage with his presumption that he represents, thus speaks for, the majority of Buncombe County folks. I am sure there are a number of people who do believe as he does, and I say more power to them- it’s their constitutional right. However, I KNOW there are even more people with more moderate views, religions and notions of government and private rights. It’s interesting that those with the most radical views always assume they speak the only truth for the largest number of people. I’m with the other writers,I say “BULL”!!

  9. Jessica B.

    Interesting…
    Mr. Eck sent this same letter to the Citizen-Times. Mr. Eck is also first President (according to an article in the Asheville Daily Planet) of the Buncombe County Republican Party, elected the same day as Chairman Chad Nesbitt. Wonder how many other publications received this same letter?

  10. Ashevegasjoe

    I read this letter and immediately went point for point with what entopticon has already stated. I would only add that the letter writer, and the Mumpowers on the right, need to drop the whole “illegal immigrant” rant. I know it’s a hot button issue that stirs up their racist base, but enforcement on immigration laws is not the job of Buncombe County Commissioners, or city council, it is the responsibility of the federal government. I’m so tired of local GOPers using this issue, knowing full well that there is nothing local authorities can do to stop people entering our country illegally. And if you suggest penalizing employers in Buncombe, or Asheville, they will be happy to work in Henderson or McDowell.

  11. Ocean of Wisdom

    Enforcement begins at the local level, duh.
    I am sick of the lieberals trying to call this racism when its nothing of the sort. I am sick of having a city council that may be prone to allowing ILLEGAL sanctuary. I am sick that SO MANY people are SO ignorant about their oppressive NC Democrat run government which oppresses us DAILY in the highest taxed state in the SE, with democrat corruption running the show.
    Still, the clueless remain IGNORANT!

  12. In addition to using the term “sick” three times, that writer also used the word “ignorant” and variations of the word “oppress” two times each in one paragraph.

    Ironically, that seems to be a pretty limited vocabulary for someone who claims to have an Ocean of Wisdom.

  13. Ashevegasjoe

    Ocean of Ignorance,
    How would you have locals enforce immigration laws? Penalize employers? Build a wall around Buncombe County manned with gun turrets? I’m so TIRED of ignorant rednecks using hot button issues to inflame their base while skirting real local issues like balancing the budget and supporting local businesses– DUH.

  14. Ashevegasjoe

    Oh, it took me a minute, but that moniker is meant to be sarcastic– I get it.

  15. Ocean of Wisdom

    Sometimes Ocean types faster than editorchek can kick in…Not a stomper here, kranky Ken

    and a.v.joe, yes BIG penalties for employers at all levels. have all permitted jobs to be certified at completion that no ILLEGAL labor was used, etc! wake up people and get YOUR jobs BACK!!!

  16. shadmarsh

    have all permitted jobs to be certified at completion that no ILLEGAL labor was used

    yeah…and who is going to pay for that?

  17. Piffy!

    [b]wake up people and get YOUR jobs BACK!!! [/b]

    if you lose your job to a guy with no shoes who cant speak English, you are expendable.

    [b]I am sick of the lieberals trying to call this racism when its nothing of the sort. [/b]

    And I am tired of social conservatives who pretend is isn’t also about Racism and xenophobia.

  18. Dionysis

    Given the limited vocabulary, the seething hatred, the cutesy-pie way of misspelling ‘lieberal’, the venom spewed at ‘NC Democrats’ and the perverse irony of an obvious dimwit going under the moniker of ‘Oceans of Wisdom’, I’d say the post is by the AC-T’s resident curmudgeon and slum-lord who posts under the handle ‘McTroll’.

  19. UNaffiliated Voter

    shad phd, um EACH permit holder would PAY for the privilege of certifying EVERY permitted project as being ILLEGAL labor free! Even Bruce Goforth likes this idea! Will he sponsor the needed legislation? Hopefully the NCAR is now behind this goal!

  20. shadmarsh

    wow, sounds like a lot of bureaucratic red tape and government intrusion into businesses, not to mention another cost that will get passed onto the consumer. I thought you common sense conservatives were for LESS government?

  21. Piffy!

    [b]I thought you common sense conservatives were for LESS government[/b]

    No no no, shad. they are for less Government they DONT like. But give them some draconian enforcement of xenophobic idiocy and they are ALL for big brother. Until the next election cycle, when they can blame the cost of running the program on immigrants and Democrats and Communists.

  22. frankwhitehorse

    UM, unaffiliated voter, did you not notice that dear Bruce Goforth is no longer in office!! lol

  23. UNaffiliated Voter

    Um, Bruce Goforth is STILL in office until this term is over, DUH.

    Has Cecil Bothwell backed away from the illegal sanctuary crap due to public disdain?

  24. Yes-siree..what Entopicon said!!!

    We my have a corrupt democratic system in this state. But they have no monopoly on corruption. To say only republicans have mountain values, is patently, beligerantly ignorant.

  25. Should have said; what ever the hell Mr. Ick’s, “mountain values” are, he/they cannot possibly have a monopoly on values when it comes to politics. Because frankly that “values bar” is very low.

  26. Viking

    I think it would be great if Eck ran for office. Then his ideas would get fleshed out,,, and hopefully flushed out.

    Essentially, the majority of Americans support his list. The thing is Eck’s approach for making those things absolutes is probably crazy.

  27. Chad, I haven’t backed off on any of those issues. They remain my core agenda.

    Next weekend WWNC will feature a debate between Chad and me, during which he tended to decry my politics as serving some “agenda.”

    Well, yes, I have an agenda, Chad, though you were unable to articulate it during our chat. I aim for representational government. I believe that majorities should rule with reasonable protection for minority populations. I’d like to see a return to the tax and accountability rules of the Eisenhower administration. I want clean air and clean water and healthy food to matter more than corporate profits. Yeah, I have an agenda.

  28. Bert

    There have been excellent rebuttals in the comments here and I guarantee you that no Buncombe Republican will legitimately answer any of them. I’m still waiting for Mumpower or Nesbitt of any of the Stompers to explain why they supported Bush when he was running up the largest national debt ever? Why do Republicans not give Bill Clinton credit for balancing the budget, and why are they only concerned about the national debt when a Democrat is in the White House? I’m still waiting for them to explain how Republicans plan on paying for Medicaire and Social Security, Iraq and Afghanistan, without borrowing more money from China? And, as someone pointed out earlier, why is it Republicans won’t defend individual freedom when it comes to choosing a religion other than Christianity?

    Republicans like this letter writer love to dish it out, but when you actually challenge them and try to have a debate they don’t respond.

  29. Oh, Chad, and per the drug war:

    A failure, over and over and over again, a failure.

    More drugs, higher potency, more people involved. After a century of failure, the drug war should be abandoned. We need legalization, regulation, taxation and common sense.

    Anyone who continues to support the U.S. drug policy is either an idiot or has a financial stake in continuing the madness.

  30. Bert

    “I’d like to see a return to the tax and accountability rules of the Eisenhower administration.”

    If Eisenhower was alive today, Palin would kick him out of the Republican Party. Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln too. Forward thinking and responsible Republicans aren’t welcomed in the Party. Just ask Charlie Crist.

  31. Shad – no arm wrasslin yet. But despite the fact that Chad is much younger than me, and has had his muscles pimped on a cover of MountainX, I would be willing to wrassle him. I know he’d win, but beating an old hippy like me would only make him look like more of a fool. Seems to me.

  32. cwaster

    “Our values?” I don’t agree with several of them.
    It’s very narrow-minded to lump everyone together like that. Fortunately in this country we are all entitled to our opinions.

  33. entopticon

    I wonder if Chad will show up with a pretty young boy from rentboy.com to hold his things for him. For research purposes of course. Because right wing anti-gay activists like Chad, George Rekers, Larry Craig, and Ted Haggard aren’t gay, they just like to roll around naked with oily young men sometimes, with a little sex thrown in, but not in a gay way.

  34. Ashevegasjoe

    I mistakenly watched R.Bernier’s youtubbe link. I wish I could have that time back. Is the scary music supposed to make me afraid of atheists? If that is what you do with your spare time, you have way too much. Anyone who watches those clips will be instantly made more stupid.

  35. Ken Hanke

    Is the scary music supposed to make me afraid of atheists?

    I dunno, but the cheesy horror movie music is part of why I only stuck around long enough to see the number of times these things had been viewed.

  36. entopticon

    The rhetoric of the right wing extremist evangelical claptrap of those such as Christian Eck and Chad Nesbitt is often remarkably similar to Stewart David’s vegangelical claptrap, as illustrated over on the Rabbit recipe thread. Somewhere along the continuum, picketing abortion clinics with horror images and hyperbolic rhetoric about murder is hauntingly similar to picketing barbeque cookbooks at Malaprops with horror images and hyperbolic rhetoric about murder.

    No wonder Cullen finds it to be such a comfortable pairing for him.

  37. shadmarsh

    yeah, but babies aren’t quite as good eaten as rabbits. Maybe a nice fat juicy baby…

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