This week, memorials continue honoring the lives of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer, North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections Officers Sam Poloche and William Elliott, and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks. All four men were killed in the line of duty protecting community safety. We honor their lives and service.
In 2010, Charlotte Viewpoint published "Serving a Greater Cause" by Rodney Monroe, then Chief of Police of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. (Monroe served as Chief between 2008-2015). Chief Monroe wrote,"So what does it take to reduce crime and continuously enhance the great quality of life we have in Charlotte? The short answer is collaboration. There’s nothing greater and more effective than the power of a community that comes together." The responsibility of public safety is one that we all share in the laws we follow, in the opportunities we create, and in what we value.
We also include a 2013 essay by Chris McLeod entitled "The Courage to Care." Chris shares a deeply moving reflection on encountering a woman experiencing homelessness. She writes, "I said a prayer of thanks for the chance encounter and for the courage to care, knowing our chance meeting would change my life in ways I have yet to understand." We add a 2014 review of the Charlotte Symphony season by Meg Freeman Whalen, a poem by Irene Blair Honeycutt, and an artist gallery by Martin Settle. You'll also see links to two of our PDF magazines from previous years with lead columns from Will Miller and Rip Farris. To those who serve, Mark Peres Charlotte Viewpoint Founder The Charlotte Center Founder & Executive Director |
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Something I’ve learned in my many years of working in local government, particularly in law enforcement, is the extent to which people feel safe in their neighborhoods is not just an important measure of public safety, but of the overall quality of life of a community. This is a measure that not only falls on the shoulders of the sworn members of the community, but one that befalls the whole community because it takes the whole community to achieve this goal. |
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From 2013: The Courage to Care |
I drove up to the Shell Station on Kings Drive on my way into work, intent on getting a 20 oz. diet coke and a pack of Lance crackers on my way into the office, hoping to fuel a productive morning.
As I got out of my car, I walked by a woman in blue surgical scrubs huddled up against the store, shivering and sipping a cup of coffee while clutching a white plastic bag from CMC that clearly contained her clothing. |
| From 2014:
Ben Folds, Chinese Concerto |
The symphony orchestra is a European creation that, arguably, reached its pinnacle in the 19th century; so it stands to reason that the Charlotte Symphony’s “bread and butter,” as Director of Artistic Planning Tanya Davis Sparks calls it, is music by 19th-century European composers. Of the orchestra’s 10 Classics Series concerts, nine are devoted to European music, and most of those works were composed in the 1800s.
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From 2011: Arriving Home Late |
having driven through torrential rains, tired from being lost on muddy Troy road, after a drought becoming reacquainted with the rain. At the retreat at The Well of Mercy, my friends and I wondered why it has become more difficult for us to leave home. Still,
we pack and go The dog sitter sends an e-mail, saying |
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Martin Settle is an assemblage artist. His work consists of found objects that he juxtaposes with scientific concepts, philosophical speculations, stories from myth, and religious icons. Unlike many assemblage artists, Settle’s assemblages are conceptual; that is, each of his pieces is a habitat for an idea.
For example, in his assemblage called “The Annunciation,” Settle twists a rosary to look likes DNA strand combining genetics to the idea of the virgin birth. |
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About Charlotte Viewpoint |
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Charlotte Viewpoint is a magazine about the city and culture of the Charlotte region that ran from 2003-2016. Charlotte Viewpoint published civic and cultural commentary and programmed events about Charlotte for engaged citizens to nurture creative capital, elevate civic discourse and promote intellectual and artistic excellence in the Charlotte region. |
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| Charlotte Viewpoint has been archived by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room for its historical significance. |
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