In response to "If I must show my ID to buy wine, why not at the polls?" (July 21 Forum):

Voting is a right, buying wine a privilege; don't confuse them

The writer is board chair of Democracy North Carolina.

A fact lost on the many people who point out all the things an ID is required for, is that voting is a right not a privilege.

Buying alcohol, driving, flying, even cashing checks are all privileges with no guarantee you get to do them. Voting is a right guaranteed by our national and state Constitution.

Over 400,000 voters in North Carolina do not have a state-issued ID - most of them poor and/or elderly. Do we really want to deny these people their constitutionally guaranteed rights?

Gray Newman

Mint Hill

In response to "Perry has few fans among tea party faithful" (July 20):

If Gov. Perry isn't 'right' enough for the tea party, that's scary

A little over two years ago at a tea party rally, Gov. Rick Perry was talking secession for Texas over the health care reform law. Currently, the tea party contends he's not far enough to the right to suit them. When a political group starts calling Gov. Perry a pinko liberal, it's time for the rest of us to head for the hills.

Frank D. Long

Davidson

In response to "Bill Gates funds CMS PR blitz" (July 19):

Gates ads OK as long as you understand who is paying, why

The writer is a senior fellow for education policy at the Heartland Institute.

Is there anything wrong with rich people spending money to push for what they consider education reform? No, not at all. The key word is transparency. The public should know who is paying for the ads attempting to sway their thinking. Sometimes citizens buy in, sometimes they rebel. At least they have a choice.

More ominous is the heavy Gates subsidizing of the national Common Core education standards and tests to be rolled out over the next few years. As matters stand now, it's hard to see how everyday citizens are going to have any say over this de facto national curriculum. And that is a shame.

Robert Holland

Chicago

In response to "A glorious road not taken" (July 20 Viewpoint) and related articles:

Obama's got it all wrong, but GOP strategy needs tweaking

While the necessity to cut President Barack Obama's spending is obvious, the GOP has failed in the public relations arena. In tough economic times it's easy for others to be jealous of those with more. But thinking that raising taxes on some of the rich is going to solve the $17 trillion debt Obama wants to get us into is absurd math. More debt will simply result in more problems. The GOP has to combat the Obama propaganda machine and stop taking inflexible positions on the wrong issues.

Nicholas Pasquine

Lancaster, S.C.

In response to "If it's freedom you seek, more government isn't the answer" (July 21 Forum):

Freedom from regulation brought us Enron and more

Freedom is the rallying call by monied people to have their way. Government is the only check on the wealthy from increasing their share of the wealth and lessening their share of the burden. The wealthy currently enjoy the lowest tax rates since 1950 and still want more.

Remember the freedom from government regulation that Madoff, Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Countrywide, Goldman Sachs, etc. used to lie, steal and cheat the rest of us.

Tom E. Bowers

Charlotte

In response to "17-year-old's family wins $10 million in Taser verdict" (July 21):

Shame it took a $10M verdict

to get us to act on Tasers

How sad that a financial verdict, not the loss of a young life, will "sound the alarm" about excessive Taser use.

Joy Mobray

Indian Trail

In response to Bishop Desmond Tutu's "TIAA-CREF should hear us, divest from Israeli apartheid" (July 17 For the Record):

What I saw in Israel bore no resemblance to apartheid state

I just returned after three weeks in Israel. I had the privilege of spending a day at Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem. There I witnessed Palestinian and Jewish doctors working hand-in-hand. I saw a Palestinian mother hand over her most precious possession - her sick baby - to a Jewish doctor for treatment.

Is this what we call an apartheid state?

Lila Josephson

Fort Mill, S.C.

In response to "N.C. Governor's School gets new deadline to raise $100K, or else" (July 20):

This is no summer camp, it produces N.C.'s future leaders

I attended the N.C. Governor's School as a trumpet player in 1990. People need to understand this is not just a summer camp, but a rigorous academic program. Alumni describe it as the most profound educational experience of their lives. It is impossible to overstate its importance in developing the future leaders of North Carolina. It's a credit to our state and must be saved.

Steve Dunn

Charlotte