At first, I just wanted to turn away. It's the same kind of feeling when you drive by a bad accident. There's a certain amount of morbid curiosity. You know you should keep your eyes on the road and yet something draws you in.

That's how I felt when I saw the recent last-minute political attack advertisements that conveniently appeared on a local NBC television affiliate this week. Setting aside the questionable timing, the ads themselves would be laughable if they weren't so distasteful, erroneous and full of scare tactics designed to persuade Yadkin County voters to act on their irrational emotions rather than the issues at stake in Tuesday's primary.

In case you missed these outrageous clips, the viewer is led to believe that Yadkin County has become a haven for undocumented immigrants; that our duly elected officials (with the lone exception of one) have taken away our right to pray; the county is on the verge of financial ruin; and unless we vote for incumbent Brady Wooten, Kevin Austin and John Clifton, we could lose English as our official language.

First of all, let's get something straight. In regards to the last statement, English is already on the books as the official language of North Carolina. (N.C. General Statute 145-12-b). Yes, there are efforts in our school systems to teach English as a Second Language. But that actually benefits our new Latino immigrants who want and need to become part of our heritage of ethnic diversity.

Aside from the misguided notion that we will all be forced to speak Spanish at gunpoint, there are other even more sinister motives at work in these political television ads. At the very heart of the message is fear and mistrust. It's also convenient to lay blame at the feet of the entire Latino population for our economic and social problems. But more to the point, this advertisement is designed to raise the ire of the "man on the street" who sees his world rapidly evaporating, being taken over by secular humanists who deny him the right to say Jesus Christ at a commissioners' meeting. It also doesn't hurt to have a little girl saying the Pledge of Allegiance. That's always good for votes.

Whether the television ads say it deliberately or it is implied, those uninformed voters who have not studied the issues or bothered to attend a board of commissioners' meeting could come away with the conclusion that our county is under siege. First, they take away the right to pray; they provide all of these illegal immigrants with a home; and now I'm going to have to be bilingual. What's the world coming to? I need to get out and vote and preserve my way of life.

It's a powerful message. An extremely misleading one that appeals to the lowest common denominator -- ignorance. And when people don't have the facts, they tend to vote based on their fears, which is certainly not the basis for electing our most qualified leaders.

This is not the first time that candidates or a political action group have stooped to last-minute attack advertisements. It's been a tradition in American politics since the dawn of this democracy. I guess I was just hoping that it wouldn't trickle down to this level, considering the huge amount of money that was spent on these television spots.

All of this could have been avoided if a couple of incumbent commissioners, Kim Phillips and Joel Cornelius, had just done what one political insider told me was the "politically expedient" thing. Whether or not you believe it's the right thing to do, just make a motion the Monday before the Tuesday primary to build the new jail downtown. That's guaranteed to get you a huge slate of votes.

And while you're at it, why not vote in sectarian prayer? That would certainly diffuse one of the most polarizing issues in this campaign. Again, it really doesn't matter what you believe; just do what the people want or what will get you re-elected. Isn't that how the political game is played?

And one more thing. Although it's probably too late, could you please vote to stop construction on the two new middle schools? Yes, we know that we've needed them for decades, understanding they improve the quality of education, raise test scores and enhance economic development. But a lot of people were upset that they didn't get to vote on that, so let's tear up that contract.

But neither Phillips nor Cornelius would concede their ground. In fact, they had the arrogance to actually defend their decisions, saying that Hoots Road was the most economical location for the new jail and that their decision to not allow sectarian prayer had something to do with upholding the oath they took when they were sworn into office.

Well, the primary is over now and we know the results. The voters, hopefully, made up their minds based on the issues, not on the shameless exploitation of using prayer and Jesus Christ's name to get re-elected. Yes, we should all pray. But I've always been suspicious of those who use it as a campaign issue. I always thought it cheapened the teachings of Christianity. I also believe that religion, rather than separating and judging people, should be a healing and uniting force, drawing our enemies together so that we love them as our neighbors. Might not win a lot of votes. After all, who would want to vote for a "bleeding heart liberal?"

Andy Matthews is the Editor of the Yadkin Ripple. He lives in East Bend.