A two-time cancer survivor: NC’s next senator must protect the Affordable Care Act

Next NC senator must protect the ACA

As a colon and breast cancer survivor, I owe my life to the Affordable Care Act. While access to care has been a leading election conversation in the U.S. Senate race, I want to know what the candidates’ plans are to ensure cancer survivors like myself remain protected should the health care law be repealed.

The patient protections provided by ACA are the difference between life and death for so many North Carolinians. Whoever our future U.S. senator is, that person needs to commit to protecting the health of North Carolinians and use their seat to do so.

DonnaMarie Woodson, Charlotte

Accept Trump’s court pick with grace

Regarding “Trump taps Barrett for Supreme Court,” (Sept. 27):

Confirmation for Trump’s pick for Supreme Court will be a tough experience for Amy Coney Barrett. I hope she won’t go through the hell that Brett Kavanaugh did.

After she is confirmed, she should be accepted with grace. Barrett has all the qualifications of any other justice on the court. No party has the right to judge her for her Catholic religion. (I am not Catholic).

Nancy Pelosi can leave her quiver of arrows in her garage. This confirmation is no place for the hateful rhetoric exhibited between the Democratic and Republican parties. It’s time for both parties to begin acting like the governing body they were elected to be and to serve the American people and our country.

Barbara Bell Kerr, Charlotte

Trump’s tax payments infuriate me

I know Republicans who genuinely respect and honor our country and their political party. However, their chosen president grabbed that party, tore it into smithereens, and set it afire. I’m furious that Donald Trump’s reported tax payments are much less than mine. How must those who support him and who pay much more feel? I hope the plethora of alleged wrongdoings makes them realize what has happened to the party they loved. It isn’t the same.

Chris Horn Williams, Charlotte

Trump did what others have done

The media is fully aware that at least some billionaires pay little or no taxes, especially developers who have hundreds of deductions they are allowed to take. If you are not happy with the president paying little in taxes, blame all the politicians in Washington who continue to give tax breaks to the wealthy.

Dick Meyer, Charlotte

Unlike Trump, I cherish voting rights

I grew up as a Republican kid in a small factory town in southwest Virginia. Growing up in the late ‘80s, I was taught to cherish American democracy and the right to vote.

As kids we were always taught that to be a good citizen you had to be knowledgeable and use your right to vote.

With that in mind, I want to speak to the disgust I felt while watching the current White House occupant spew abhorrent rhetoric, saying he wanted to “get rid of the ballots” because “the ballots are out of control.” Those “out of control” ballots are perfectly legal ballots cast in a fair and honest way, two concepts the president knows nothing about.

Jason Campbell, Huntersville

Electoral process not likely to change

Regarding “Doing this would disenfranchise voters,” (Sept. 28 Forum):

As it now stands, states — not the people — elect the president.

It has happened five times in our history, where presidents lost the popular vote but won the election because of the Electoral College: John Adams, Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. In each case, the will of the people was ignored and the loser of the popular vote won the election. How it that fair?

Changing the process will require a Constitutional amendment and that requires the approval of two-thirds of both houses of Congress and the approval of two-thirds of the states through vote of their legislators. In the Union County vernacular, that ain’t going to happen.

Frank McGuirt, Wingate

Why I won’t rush to get a vaccine

Will I get the vaccine? Absolutely. I believe in vaccines. When eligible, I’ll be glad to fulfill my responsibility and step up to get stuck. But I’m not going to be first in line. As a matter of fact, there are 3 or 4 billion people who should get it before me.

Why am I not rushing to the front of the line? I’m not involved in a critical industry. I’m not immune or respiratory compromised. I live in a country with adequate and capable health care. I’m willing to follow best practices to avoid transmission/infection. The only indicator that I should be on a priority list to be vaccinated is that I am over 65.

William C. Barnes, Charlotte