Regarding the letter about Holly Springs Town Council's decision to "do nothing" about play equipment in the street ["Disappointed by council, outcome," Aug. 25]:

The idea of micro-governing town residents is really disturbing to me.

At some point people need to be responsible for themselves.

I was brought up playing in the street.

I was also brought up learning to put my things away.

I didn't live in an affluent neighborhood, and I still don't.

What the hope is, is that people will recognize themselves and take responsibility.

However, knowing how people are, we will be revisiting this issue.

I don't want to see the town wasting resources collecting, inventorying and storing this stuff.

I like to see financial penalties for unattended equipment - penalties that will increase with each offense.

I'm sure this will be the path the council will eventually have to take.

To suggest, as some have, that the town doesn't feel much pride in the appearance is absurd.

Then to go further to say the council needs a spine transplant! Really?

We as a town have gone to great lengths to assure a quality appearance in Holly Springs.

We are consistently rated very high in quality of life.

That is not to say everyone will like everything.

You simply can't please everyone all the time. Some people can't be pleased at all!

I suggest, rather, that some neighbors don't have much pride.

Frankly, I've been guilty of not weed whacking or keeping my place perfect.

But I try.

I think it's time to stop blaming government for every little thing.

It's also time to stop painting the council and our excellent staff with that "incompetent" brush that a few people like to use.

It's a fact of life that government does what it does with the intent of bettering life for all. Some may not think so. But it is.

Some skinny, funny looking guy once sang: "You can't always get what you want."

Joseph Signoretti, Holly Springs

Didn't agree with cartoon

In your Aug. 25 edition, was it really necessary to run a pitiful, liberal cartoon about the mosque near Ground Zero? The constituency that your paper serves is in western Wake County, not Chapel Hill.

Since many Americans disagree with the cartoonist's viewpoint - and probably more in western Wake County - was it particularly wise on your paper's part to run it?

Are you that clueless to the sensitivity of the issue and the families of Sept. 11 victims who are opposed to the mosque?

I would hope you will be a little more balanced and publish the cartoons that can get people killed or beheaded in Europe or the Middle East.

But I doubt you will because most papers are too pathetically politically correct and left leaning.

Patrick J. Verdi, Holly Springs