Observer Forum: Letters to the editor 05.05.15
In response to “Anthony marches in Baltimore; Harbaugh, Lewis visit schools” (May 1):
NBA star should invest, not protest
NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony's appearance on the streets of Baltimore would be a lot more meaningful if he was scouting out a place to invest some of his – and fellow NBA stars’ – money in a business.
Just imagine the progress if all the NBA jerseys, shoes and souvenirs were made in factories located in impoverished Baltimore neighborhoods and financed by NBA superstars.
Ed Hinson
Charlotte
Rich hijacking politics in U.S., just like they have in Mexico
Our family visited Mexico City in the 1960s. We saw mansions ringed by electrified fences and poverty that stretched for miles.
Dad explained that Mexican politicians and judges were hand-picked by the wealthy, so there was no one to prevent the rich from sucking the country dry.
His belief in the superiority of the U.S. system was obvious in the tone of his voice.
If Dad and his WWII buddies knew that today the democracy they fought to defend is being hijacked by billionaires, they would roll over in their graves.
Alan J. Hoyle
Denver, N.C.
In response to “Sanders plants progressive flag” (May 1):
Socialist Bernie Sanders has wrong idea about America
Vermont senator, now presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders says that he doesn’t “believe that the men and women who defended American democracy fought to create a situation where billionaires own the political process.”
Apparently, he thinks that these men and women fought to defend American democracy so America could have socialism.
Bill Garrity
Matthews
Politicians can prove concern for life by adopting children
N.C. Reps. Pat McElraft and Jacqueline Schaffer have recently introduced laws that will impact abortion rights in our state.
Both indicate concern for the unborn as a major reason for such legislation.
If they are truly interested in helping the unborn they should willingly adopt a child or two who might otherwise be aborted because their parents fear they would not be able to support them.
These representatives need “skin in the game.” If not, their efforts seem disingenuous and only aimed at punishing people who need such help.
Ben A. Sharpton
Waxhaw
Don’t tell doctors they can’t ask patients about gun ownership
Don’t tell doctors they can’t ask patients about gun ownership
The writer is president of the N.C. Academy of Family Physicians.
As family physicians, part of our obligation to patients is to help them identify and prevent health and safety risks.
Yet, a bill before the N.C. General Assembly would prevent us from utilizing clinical screening tools because they may include a question about gun ownership.
We would never presume to tell our patients whether to own a gun or not. However, we believe it is important to educate them about proper precautions to prevent illness and injury.
This bill would hurt our ability to effectively evaluate the health and safety risks of our patients.
We hope our legislators will remove this provision of the bill and continue to protect the sacred relationship between a patient and their physician.
Thomas Rhyne White
Cherryville
In response to “CMS would have trouble meeting state online testing requirement” (April 30 CharlotteObserver.com):
Don’t rush to put Chromebooks in local school classrooms
The writer is a CMS eighth grader.
Forcing the school district to pay for online testing by next year is an unrealistic goal.
The cost of equipping these schools could be over $10 million!
That will take the focus away from the learning that should be going on in classrooms.
CMS will need a few years to raise the money required. The superintendent should realize that and request another waiver for the next year or two.
Jack Miklaucic
Charlotte
This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Observer Forum: Letters to the editor 05.05.15."