We voted early and were told ballots cast at EACH polling place were running 300-400 a day. That's an astounding figure for early voting in North Carolina.In a country overflowing with serious problems, I am amazed at how easily voters' attention can be diverted by non-issues. Do the spin-meisters actually believe whether or not one wears an American flag pin should be at the top of the agenda? To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, "I dream of a nation where one day a man will be characterized by the content of his character and the things he believes rather than his wardrobe and accessories."

