What NC Democrats did to the Green Party was ‘un-democratic’

NC Green Party

Rejection of the N.C. Green Party’s petition for its candidates to appear on the November ballot was clearly a partisan decision by the Democratic Party. It wanted to block a party and candidate in the Senate election who could potentially pull votes from the Democratic candidate.

I can speak with certainty to the validity of my signature and the signatures I collected on behalf of the Green Party. The overarching sentiment of signatures that I gathered were provided in support of voters having a choice.

Let’s not be naive about why the three Democrats on the State Board of Elections voted “no.” That action by the board’s Democratic members was blatantly un-democratic. Voters want more choices, and the Democratic members of the SBOE have taken choice away.

Mike Przykucki, Charlotte

Predatory behavior

Regarding “Winthrop allegedly bungled woman’s sexual assault claim,” (July 4):

Until our society stops excusing predatory behavior of men, there will be no justice for women.

Forty years ago when I was in college these misogynists were euphemistically referred to as “skirt-chasers.” Title IX has changed nothing, because even when an investigation is done the conclusion is, essentially, boys will be boys. But they are not boys; they are men. And when they abuse women, they should be held to account.

Under no circumstances should they be confirmed by the Senate for a seat on the Supreme Court. Yet, both Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh were confirmed despite serious and credible questions about past dealings with women.

We need fewer senators like Lindsay Graham (R-SC) who championed Kavanaugh, and more who will defend the rights of half the U.S population.

Martha Catt, Charlotte

Panthers HQ

David Tepper is a businessman who established GT Real Estate to isolate himself and his other companies from possible liability should things in Rock Hill go astray. That has happened. Now we read that a man who is worth billions is Insulated from any responsibility. The contractors are left hanging and may fail because of financial loss.

The honorable thing to do would be for a billionaire to make each of those contractors whole out of his own pocket. What’s owed is pocket change to a billionaire.

Peter MacVean, Rock Hill

Gun restrictions

There were undoubtedly deranged people around when the Second Amendment was drafted, but the Founding Fathers had no concept of the dense populations, assault rifles, and speed of communication that would exist over 200 years later. In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment has limits and exceptions, just like other rights in the Bill of Rights. It is past time for reasonable restrictions to be placed on gun ownership. Otherwise, well, so much for “the pursuit of happiness.”

Phil Clutts, Harrisburg

Assault rifles

Every politician who has ever opposed banning military-style assault rifles should have to come face to face with families who’ve lost loved ones in mass shootings. They should be forced to look them in the eye and tell them why these military-style, high-powered weapons should be allowed on the streets. Give them one reason why we should not have the toughest background checks in the world. While our lawmakers do little to stop these killings, more occur daily. Politicians should be held accountable.

Claude Savage, Charlotte

Clarence Thomas

The conservative justices on the Supreme Court have been applying their preposterous “originalism” test to decide recent landmark cases. This test simply asks whether a right was mentioned in the Constitution; if it wasn’t, then no such right exists today.

Justice Clarence Thomas strongly believes in originalism, but I wonder if he would apply it to his private life. Nowhere in the Constitution is interracial marriage mentioned, though the framers were almost certainly opposed to it.

Thomas’ 1987 marriage to Ginni Thomas, who is white, would have been illegal in most states were it not for the Supreme Court deciding in Loving v. Virginia (1967) that the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment made anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional.

William B. Jones, Hickory

Trump 2024

It’s no surprise that Donald Trump is considering announcing his candidacy for president. As we learn how his actions and inactions on Jan 6, 2021 injured and killed people, he is ready to move on and resupply his war chest with donations from the MAGA folks who’ve yet to figure out how dangerous their guy is to democracy.

Phil Solomon, Charlotte

Weak leadership

Democrats and Republicans have problems this election year.

Democrats promise so much but don’t deliver. They need to work on the baby formula shortage, inflation, gas prices, gun control and prescription drug pricing.

Too many Republicans seem to favor a dictatorship over a democracy. As an Independent voter, I hope Trump backers wake up and vote these miscreants out of office.

Both parties need to come up with programs to help Americans who are hurting due to weak leadership.

Herb Stark, Mooresville