Don’t allow illegal immigrants on city advisory boards

No undocumented citizens on panels

In response to “City panels might open to undocumented immigrants” (Feb. 13):

To accord an advisory position to illegal residents of our country is surely a violation of the citizenry by the government.

Any Charlotte City Council member can talk to such residents about any matter, but to allow such people to be in an “advisory” position or on a duly appointed commission for a governing arm of our city is wrong.

If they want to participate in such a body, they need to apply and work for citizenship. I am not against them, only against non-citizen participation in our government.

Gretchen Gittner, Charlotte

Blame Sheriff McFadden, not ICE

In response to “Wilcox tells CMS to rally for students who were ‘traumatized’ by raids” (Feb. 14) and related articles:

Fear and anxiety in the illegal immigrant community is due to ICE enforcing federal laws.

Until Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden eliminated the 287(g) program, ICE was able to surgically target dangerous criminals.

Now, decent, hard-working individuals get caught up in blanket enforcement actions.

Before elimination of 287(g), we did not hear stories about children being afraid to go to class or families afraid to shop for food.

If the media and “advocates” for illegal immigrants want to be intellectually honest and place blame for the turmoil, they need to remember it was Sheriff McFadden, not ICE, who caused the problem.

The immigrant community is reaping what Sheriff McFadden has sown. ICE warned the sheriff.

Paul Jones, Charlotte

Sunday shouldn’t be off limits for liquor

In response to “NC legislators balk at liquor law changes” (Feb. 14):

N.C. Rep. Pat Hurley’s statement that “I think we need Sunday free for the Lord’s day” seems to be the only justification for having liquor laws that treat Sunday as a special day that needs to be protected.

I have never understood – and would love to have someone explain to me – how laws and regulations whose only justification is that Sunday is the Christian sabbath are not an unconstitutional establishment of religion.

Jerry Simon, Charlotte

N.C. health care costs are unsustainable

In response to N and O Editorial Board: “Folwell’s hospital cost cuts could go too deep” (Feb. 14 Opinion):

You want a second opinion? This doctor recommends single-payer Medicare for All.

Healthcare costs for the whole country, not just North Carolina, are unsustainable. The straightforward cure: Cut out the bureaucratic, unaccountable for-profit insurance companies, the main drivers of our spending 30 cents of every healthcare dollar on administration.

That will save much more than is needed to provide free choice, privately-delivered care to everyone, protecting millions of under-insured middle-class folks from medical bankruptcy.

We can easily afford it; we can’t afford what we’re doing now.

Dr . George Bohmfalk, Charlotte

Another meaningless pledge from Trump

In response to “Head of FEMA resigns amid vehicle inquiry” (Feb. 14):

And so another high-level official in the Trump administration resigns under a cloud of questionable ethical behavior. The list of the dearly departed who were forced out under similar circumstances is lengthy, including an astonishing number of cabinet secretaries.

Trump’s campaign promises to “hire the best people” and “drain the swamp” were worth about as much as his pledge to make Mexico pay for the border wall, all of them nothing more than meaningless bluster.

Arnie Grieves, Charlotte

Thanks for dropping offensive comic strip

In response to “Beginning Monday, The Charlotte Observer will no longer publish the comic strip “Non Sequitur,” (Feb. 14):

Thank you for maintaining the decorum of your comics page.

Morgan Kizer, Charlotte

You shouldn’t have canceled that comic

That’s it. The last straw. We have been Charlotte Observer customers for over 40 years. We are simply astonished that y’all are canceling “Non Sequitur.”

Thought you guys had more guts. Or, at least some common sense.

We will miss our local paper.

Martha Acker, Charlotte