Observer Forum: Letters to the editor 04.29.15
In response to “A frank talk on race” (April 26) and related articles:
Black leaders must take a stronger stand
In his recent comments in the Observer, civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson acknowledged no culpability on the part of the black community for the tragic consequences of recent encounters with police.
Meanwhile, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked the Baltimore Police Department to give “those who wish to destroy space to do that as well.”
This is the type of denial and lack of moral compass on the part of black leadership that is leading our country down the road to lawlessness and chaos.
Steve Monroe
Charlotte
In response to “After funeral, Baltimore rioters injure officers” (April 28):
Police must do whatever is needed to keep Baltimore safe
The chaos in Baltimore is evidence that law enforcement is a critical component of the American system.
Shame on Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for her misguided leadership. The violence there is utterly disrespectful and lawless.
Law enforcement should maintain the right to protect property and law-abiding citizens with any amount of force necessary.
Traci Cherry Cockerham
Charlotte
In response to “North Carolinians should be troubled by Schaffer’s educational background” (April 26 Forum):
Obama ranks full of Ivy League grads. How’s that working out?
Forum writer Steve Craig is troubled by Rep. Jacqueline Schaffer’s educational background at Regent University, a Christian school.
He needs to be reminded that the absolute mess our federal government is in, both economically and in foreign policy, was perpetrated, for the most part, by many Harvard grads with a few Yale grads thrown in for good measure.
The country would be far better off with fewer Ivy League elites and a lot more folks educated elsewhere.
John Petrie
Fort Mill, S.C.
Chasteen not qualified to be on state education board
Gov. Pat Mcrory’s recent nomination of J. Todd Chasteen to the State Board of Education raises some serious questions about the real motives for his appointment.
With little in the way of any education background, except that his wife is administrator of a private Christian school in Boone, he utterly lacks the required background to serve the state’s public school system and the children it serves.
Last year he was instrumental in efforts to ban a book from Watauga County schools, much to our state’s public and national embarrassment at the time.
The current administration can do better, and should, by selecting a qualified candidate, one who places the interests of a sound public education system ahead of partisanship and ideology.
Alan Crighton
Apex
In response to “Energy solutions come from the market, not from mandates” (April 26 Forum):
Energy market is rigged in favor of fossil fuel industry
Forum writer Travis Fisher of the American Energy Alliance, a Koch Brothers-funded mouthpiece for the fossil fuel industry, neglected to mention that the fossil fuel industry fails the “market test” in an even bigger way because it pays nothing to pump unlimited amounts of CO2 into the air.
That’s a subsidy that dwarfs those given to renewable energy.
Until we put a price on the carbon pumped into our atmosphere, our energy market is rigged in favor of fossil fuels.
As it is, every time we flip the light switch or start our car we send a bill to our grandchildren. They are not going to be happy about it.
Bob Thomason
Charlotte
Time for media to stop treating the Clintons with kid gloves
On the second page, not the front page, the Observer reported on the Clinton Foundation’s “missteps.” (“Clinton Foundation admits disclosure missteps,” April 27)
“Mistakenly” combining grants and donations is fraud. Call a spade a spade.
The Clintons continue to run through the media raindrops and never get wet.
Ron Harnach
Charlotte
This story was originally published April 28, 2015 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Observer Forum: Letters to the editor 04.29.15."