I don’t like the path the North Carolina legislature is on

NC legislature

The N.C. legislature is elected to reflect the will of the people. Did the people really support the egregious “bathroom bill,” gerrymandering, refusal to expand Medicaid, the pending bill with “guidelines” to assure students are not taught the racial history that impacted our institutions?

Perhaps the most troubling is the bill that would fund $9 million to support so-called “crisis pregnancy centers.” A woman can enter such a center expecting to get help regarding her unplanned pregnancy only to be greeted with a prayer, pregnancy testing, an ultrasound, and encouragement to keep her baby.

Our legislature is on the path to become one of the most restrictive governing bodies on the country. Vote for informed legislators.

Louise Goodnight, Charlotte

UNC leadership

UNC-Chapel Hill, the first public university in our nation’s history, has a big problem that’s only getting worse. It is a crisis of leadership.

On Sept. 3, student leaders organized a forum with university officials to share their concerns about the school’s inadequate response to the pandemic. UNC-CH Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz refused to attend, dismissing the event as a “publicity stunt.”

As a proud UNC alum, I am dismayed at the actions of Guskiewicz and the UNC administration. From the Silent Sam controversy, to the Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure fiasco, to last fall’s catastrophic COVID-19 response — which led to the university to cancel in-person classes six days into the semester — there is a vacuum of leadership inside South Building. Sadly, it has tarnished the reputation of a great university.

Keith T. Barber, Saxapahaw

SC governor

President Biden has implemented vaccine mandates and other measures to combat the dreadful pandemic that still threatens us all. The greatest danger that remains is that far too many Americans refuse to be vaccinated.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster replied by saying on Twitter, “Rest assured, we will fight them to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian.”

When he and others with this misguided view arrive at those gates, they will likely find them flung wide and hear the gatekeeper say, “Well done, good and faithful servants!”

Joel B. Miller, Charlotte

A national holiday

Each year we give reverence to those who lost their lives on 9/11 and to those who sacrificed their lives for others on behalf of our country as a result of the attack on our nation. It’s time to designate Sept. 11 as a sacred holiday to honor their lives.

Chip Stout, Charlotte

Teach truth

It is disheartening that so many appear on board with the GOP campaign to infantilize the history taught in public schools. Perpetuating myths for the sake of sparing feelings won’t erase the horrors of the past and won’t protect us from their consequences. There is no escape — we pay for the violence of our ancestors.

Nick Holt, Charlotte

Union mask policy

I do not understand the Union County school board’s position on making masks in schools optional. This is just selfish.

What about those children who have compromised immune systems?

My grandson attends a Union County school and wears his mask to school. He had to be quarantined for two weeks because he came in contact with a student who got COVID.

Marian Alaimo, Monroe

Abortion

I have yet to see any response from the local business community in support of women and their right to an abortion. If Charlotte is an “world class city,” then where is the outcry from its world-class businesses and financial institutions on this disastrous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court’s not to block the new abortion law in Texas? The Texas law places mental and financial burdens on women who already face hardships from the pandemic and a lack of childcare, two things that may prevent them from going to work.

What will it take to corporations to speak out? Women make up a substantial portion of their workforce.

Lorraine Stark, Matthews

Capitol rally

There is concern about another rally at the Capitol. Many of us trained at Fort Bragg here in North Carolina for battle in the Vietnam War. There are well-trained soldiers at Fort Bragg right now. Let’s bring a contingent of them to guard the Capitol, and I bet we will see how brave the insurrection folks really are.

Richard Lindsey, Charlotte

Expired tags

I applaud the Sept. 5 letter to the editor pointing out the tremendous amount of expired license plates. I, too, see this practically every time I drive somewhere, typically on an expensive late-model vehicle.

I offer a sure-fire revenue generating solution to this problem. Instead of the paltry $25 flat fee currently charged by the DMV for renewing an expired plate, I would make it $25 per day for each day past the expiration. Some of these vehicles are over a year past due. What a way for the state to make money!

Lawrence Diehm, Denver, NC