It’s time to set the record straight. Clarendon County Democrats accuse me of being a Republican. Clarendon County Republicans accuse me of being in John Land’s back pocket.

Trust me, if I were in John Land’s back pocket, you would find me on a tropical island sipping fruity rum drinks for an occupation.

Both sides could not be further from the truth. I am not a Democrat nor am I a Republican. I am an Independent. I tend to be a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. I have voted for Democrats and Republicans. I have even voted for an Independent before.

I vote in favor or against an issue. I tend to vote for a person based on what I believe their beliefs are and how they compare to mine. I do not subscribe to party politics.

I watched both the Democrat and Republican National Conventions. I watched all the Presidential debates. I cried foul on both John Kerry and George Bush.

I’m very tired of partisan politics. It’s all about us versus them. Nobody seems to care about right or wrong anymore.

I read Time Magazine and National Geographic. I get daily news from The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Sumter Daily Item and occasionally The State and The Post & Courier. I scan the network news shows and the various cable news channels. I’m critical of them all. They all have an agenda they are trying to advance.

I think that federal-level politics is so screwed up that it cannot be fixed. I think that the only vote that matters any more is a vote for a local issue or local politician.

At least a local politician has to face you in line at the grocery store.

Federal politics are so far removed from the common man that there is no accountability. We can’t count on the big city media to provide a fair and balanced report. Take, for instance, the recent CBS/Dan Rather fiasco.

In his column this week, The Manning Times writer Mike Gellatly has tackled a very important issue concerning the future of Clarendon County. Mike has been studying this water and sewer issue for some time now. He has talked to people on all sides of the issue and is quite knowledgeable on the subject. I urge you to read his column and pay attention. He has hit the nail on the head.

I’m concerned that because of Mike‘s recent columns about guns and the rights afforded to us under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, that some folks won’t give his column this week the credence it deserves.

Mike and I are very far apart on the gun issues. Not only do I have a couple of handguns, I have several rifles and shotguns. I believe in and support the First and Second Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

I believe in our Constitution and swore to uphold and defend her. I served honorably in the U.S. Air Force and the Alabama Army National Guard. I served in Gulf War I. I carried a weapon in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.

Mike’s recent columns about gun control and the second amendment rights afforded to us by the U.S. Constitution have sparked a lot of comment from our readers. I don’t agree with him on the gun issues, but I more strongly believe in the rights afforded to us by the First Amendment. I guess it’s just the liberal in me.

Voting yes on the Water and Sewer Referendum Tuesday is the right thing to do. Mike has explained why it is the right thing to do as well as I have heard anyone explain it. And trust me, I’ve heard more about it than I ever wanted to.

As a parting shot after Clarendon County Council Chairman Dwight Stewart finished a pro water and sewer presentation to the Manning Rotary Club last week, the father of Clarendon County industrial development, Bill Buyck, summed it up as succinctly as I’ve ever heard. He said, “A vote yes is a vote for the future of Clarendon County. A vote no means you are unconcerned about the county’s future.”

On second thought, forget about reading Mike’s column and just listen to Billy Buyck.