NC GOP is following the playbook used in other states to limit voting. It won’t work.
Voting in NC
From the onslaught of voting related bills being introduced in the N.C. legislature, it is clear that the N.C. GOP is borrowing from the shared playbook coming out of Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and Florida.
We are not blind. We see what they’re trying to do. North Carolina citizens have to let their representatives know that they will not sit quietly and allow the clock to be rolled back, not one bit.
The actions taken by the GOP give citizens like me more resolve to get people registered to vote, educate them on the issues, and get them to show up during early voting and on Election Day.
The N.C. GOP cannot win and will not win no matter what they throw against the wall. North Carolina citizens should not have any encumbrances placed in their path when it comes to casting their vote.
Jerome Brown,
Chairman, Wake County Voter Education Coalition
Raleigh election
The trend nationally is to try to overturn election results you don’t like. The Raleigh City Council is going one step further and refusing to hold a timely election because they thought they could hide behind the census, the legislature and attorney/client privilege, as if their hands were tied and they wouldn’t be held responsible.
Any discussion of the political pros and cons of a March election vs November 2022 should be public record.
The question isn’t what loophole the Council can use to justify its actions. It’s why there was ever a need to hide their conversation from the public.
If they’re not willing to stand for election, they’re not qualified to stand for the people of Raleigh.
Tim Niles, Raleigh
Kids and masks
As we continue to await the time when we can get back to some sense of normal, I was distressed to read the June 17 article concerning the discussion about children in the Triangle area wearing masks at school.
Yes, it is inconvenient and somewhat uncomfortable. But now that we’ve come so far in conquering this disease, why would we get lax and take chances on the outcome?
This is not over. Mask up your kids.
Sally Wenda, Raleigh
Gun laws
Regarding these June 16 headlines: “911 callers describe fatal shooting of 19-year-old outside Food Lion,” “Man with multiple guns arrested at UNC-Chapel Hill,”and “4 dead, 4 injured in South Side Chicago shooting”...
To all those who want “their freedoms” back, having to trade in your COVID mask for a bulletproof vest is not freedom.
If you want your freedom, get behind reasonable but serious gun laws and get your vaccine.
I do not want my freedoms restricted by those who aren’t vaccinated. I do not want to fear drive-by shootings. And lord help us if our voting rights are restricted.
Let’s recognize what’s at stake and work to protect our freedoms and democracy.
Carole Katz, Cary
Lessons of history
The Saving American History Act that Sen. Thom Tillis is cosponsoring should be renamed the White-Washing American History Act.
Why are the cosponsors afraid of truth telling?
I grew up in rural Jim Crow Georgia. I know from personal experience the systemic racism of strict Black and white segregation. We are now experiencing the results of the ignorance and prejudice it produced.
So I am thankful for the 1619 Project and other efforts to help young people know and understand the historical truths about racism in the American past. That is a positive, not something to be feared.
Joe Burton, Raleigh
Affirmative action
Regarding “Black Americans can overcome policies of affirmative action,” (June 10 Opinion):
What affirmative action seeks is to give opportunities to persons who have the capabilities but who may not meet traditional qualifying measures.
It is a narrow approach to assume that the highest SATs or grade-point averages are the only criteria meriting the best opportunities. It is also biased against those who show other relevant qualities — e.g., intelligently and successfully using limited resources to overcome debilitating problems in their less fortunate lives.
Astute observers of meritorious individuals in otherwise underrepresented populations are able to provide information in their reference letters to employers and admissions officers that can lead to affirmative action and to a more equitable society.
Richard Cramer, Chapel Hill
Teacher shortage
Regarding “NC bill makes it easier to become part-time teacher,” (June 10):
As a high school student in the ‘60s, I had an “unlicensed” teacher for one class and it was a fantastic experience. Eugene “Pop” Roberts was the former editor of the Goldsboro News Argus and volunteered to teach a journalism class after he retired. He was a great instructor.
But I think every student in North Carolina deserves licensed teachers for all core subjects. If a school is lucky enough to have a Pop Roberts volunteer for an “extra” class, so much the better.
Otherwise, we need teachers who are licensed and knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. The legislature needs to stop “dumbing down” the education in N.C. schools. Give teachers some respect and pay them for their professionalism.
Lynn Johnson, Smithfield
