North Carolina must do more to stop speeding on I-485

Highway speeding

Regarding “Death in the Fast Lane,” (June 3) and “Here’s how many I-485 drivers were caught going 95 mph and above in just four days,” (June 4):

I realize that the N.C. Highway Patrol is spread thin, and I appreciate the work that they do. But is the state of North Carolina waiting for another entire family to die on Interstate 485 before it takes speeding seriously?

When visiting family across town, I have seen regard for the speed limit deteriorate each time I drive I-485. I drive about 5 miles per hour above the limit, say 75 mph.

Judging from how fast three cars passed me on our last visit, and how quickly those three cars disappeared over the horizon, those cars had to be exceeding 120 miles per hour.

It is just a matter of time before a major accident will once again cause grief and anguish unless the state does more to control these drivers.

David Hyman, Charlotte

CMS funding

The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners is correct to continue its assault on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for the school district’s failure to provide paths for all students to graduate.

The glaring example is Ardrey Kell High School’s male graduation rate at 95% while West Charlotte High’s is 63.5%.

CMS has a lot of nerve budgeting for that kind of failure.

Bolyn McClung, Pineville

Ella Scarborough

If there is any question about Ella Scarborough’s capacity to continue as a county commissioner, that is a discussion that should be held with her and the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.

I applaud commissioner Vilma Leake’s response. This is a private matter and should be treated as such. It doesn’t belong in the Charlotte Observer, front page or otherwise.

Is there no common decency left in this world?

Joanne Holden, Charlotte

UNC dispute

The Observer has printed a number of opinion pieces recently criticizing UNC-Chapel Hill for not giving tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones. But some historians disagree with contentions she made in the 1619 Project, including her main premise, which is that the American Revolution was started to preserve slavery. Several Black historians disagreed with that premise and other assertions.

The 1619 project is a controversial political ideology which, in my view, promotes racial divisiveness.

We can all agree that slavery in the English colonies and the U.S. was an abhorrent institution, but the facts surrounding slavery should neither be ignored nor altered to fit someone’s political agenda.

Mike Van Glish, Charlotte

COVID incentives

Gerald C. Gibson, Lincolnton

Jan. 6 commission

Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr did not support a bipartisan commission to investigate the seditious Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Tillis voted against the measure, while Burr didn’t bother to show up for the vote. Sadly, it’s not surprising that North Carolina’s Republican senators abandoned their duty to protect and defend the Constitution. The needs of their party to avoid another punishing defeat at the polls in 2022 trump any responsibility toward their constituents.

Michael A. Clark, Charlotte

GOP, the filibuster

The GOP blocking the Jan. 6 Commission is for political gain in the mid-term elections. Period. If the GOP is afraid of what a bipartisan commission would find right before the mid-term elections, there’s a solution that the GOP can embrace: If you do not care about the Capitol Police, disband them altogether. Take down the security fences surrounding the Capitol. Open it to all visitors without security checkpoints, and hire your own personnel security team for your protection.

Time to end the filibuster.

Dot Meixler, Huntersville

Teaching history

It is appalling that 16 states have either enacted or are considering legislation that would prohibit teaching the truth about our sordid racial history. The very fact that some Republicans don’t want the truth taught is the embodiment of systemic racism. Our history of slavery and racism is undeniable. To outlaw teaching the truth is consistent with the political approach in communist China, the former USSR, and elsewhere, when government fears citizens knowing the truth. As a society, we benefit from facing the realities of our past and working to ensure we don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Jack Hankins, Charlotte