news-record.com

We in the United States are blessed in so many ways because we are free to choose our religion, free to choose candidates and vote and free from biases. We cannot and should not allow these precious freedoms to be compromised.

The question here is not whether the Guilford County sheriff's deputy who on Nov. 24 ticketed me at a sobriety checkpoint should be free to practice his religion — but whether he should impose his religion on others.

And the answer to the latter should be a resounding no!

I am an Iranian American who has lived in the United States for more than 35 years. I am also a practicing Christian.

Further, I am married to a devout Catholic, and our son who is now a young man has also taken after his mother's religion. The beauty about living in this country is that people of all religions can live peacefully together without being harassed. We enjoy the benefits of the freedom that has been provided through our Constitution. Therefore, it is our duty jointly and separately to defend the protections provided under our Constitution and to remind others who forget to conform to its requirements.

I am not at all bitter about being stopped at the sobriety checkpoint. In fact, I am grateful that our police officers sacrifice their time away from their families to conduct such checkpoints to stop drunken drivers and promote responsible drinking and driving practices.

When I was stopped, I was asked to sit in the back of Deputy M. Osborne's squad car (after I had passed the breath test) while the officer searched my car. After the search, the officer stated to me that he was writing me a ticket for having empty, open containers (four to five wine bottles) in my car.

First, as I told the deputy, those empty bottles were there to be taken to a recycling plant and I should not have been given a ticket for having them in the car. I intend to defend myself against that charge.

Second, I am not going to dwell here on whether there was probable cause after I had passed the breath test. Rather, I would like to focus on the fact that while I was detained in the back of the patrol car, I noticed a sign being displayed reading: "Jesus is your savior."

I questioned the appropriateness of the sign being displayed, as it could violate a basic constitutional right. I was told by the supervising officer, Mr. J. Sipe, that this sign is Deputy Osborne's belief and can be displayed there.

I respectfully disagreed. When Sheriff BJ Barnes was confronted with this issue, he said, according to the News & Record, that "his employees are allowed to express their personal beliefs" and that "the issue has never been problematic."

He further said that "religion has never been an issue for us," and "I wish this guy would put his energies toward something else."

I have to respectfully remind our honorable sheriff that the First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment protections provided by our Constitution are essential to preserving our freedom. As a proud citizen of this free country, I am privileged to have the right of free speech and freedom to practice any religion without fear of interference by the government.

Therefore, as a concerned citizen, it is my duty to point out a problem if I see that my freedom and that of my fellow citizens is being compromised. Further, we who are in positions of authority should not impose our religion on others. This is embedded in our Constitution. I sincerely hope I have made a difference by highlighting the importance of preserving the freedoms we have in our country and never taking them for granted.

M. Reza Salami lives in Greensboro.