How access to Charlotte leaders helped me go from public housing to being one of them

Critical commodity

Regarding “Too few people in Charlotte interact across class lines. That hurts everyone.,” (Sept. 7 Opinion):

Op-ed writer Sherri Chisholm is right — the opportunity to develop social capital can change the trajectory of a person’s life. I know because it changed mine. I was a first-generation college student who lived in public housing. My life was not just changed by the education I received at UNC Charlotte, but also by the relationships I made. These connections helped me create a life as a high performer in corporate America, an entrepreneur and business leader, which has further blessed me with the opportunity to give back.

As a community, we must continue to invest in the institutions, like Charlotte, that are making it possible for future generations to have the chance to create and access the critical commodity of social capital. We all benefit if we do.

Christopher Moxley, Charlotte

Marriage

Forum writer Ashton Randle (Sept. 11) and the Log Cabin Republicans are right to applaud the efforts of Sen. Thom Tillis in fighting for legislation to protect gay marriage. However, a further step is required; eliminate the role of government in marriage.

Couples, whether hetero or homosexual, should be able to enter into a private agreement backed by a ceremonial marriage without the approval of a governing body. The terms of marriage contracts can be enforced in courts, just like any other private contract. Until the government is out of the business of sanctioning marriages, the rights of gay and lesbian Americans will not be secured.

Gabriel Russ, Lincolnton

Student loans

Ayindé Rudolph brought up some excellent points in her Sept. 13 op-ed, especially about the need for teachers and for student loan forgiveness for those earning up to $60,000 per year. I think the vast majority of people support that. However, the loan forgiveness program forgives individuals who earn up to $125,000 per year or a couple earning $250,000. That is a big difference from $60,000 per year.

Student loan forgiveness would be a lot more equitable and broadly supported if it was capped at a household’s annual salary of $60,000. The amount of forgiveness should not be limited, but should depend on which professions are needed the most, such as being a teacher.

Mike Van Glish, Charlotte

Letter to Biden

Twenty-two Republican governors sent President Biden a letter saying they “fundamentally oppose (Biden’s) plan to force American taxpayers to pay off the student loan debt of an elite few.”

What gall! Republican presidents, members of Congress and legislatures have been handing out tax cuts and credits to the rich for years. To label Biden’s loan forgiveness as a gift to the rich, taking from the poor, establishes yet another Republican high mark for hypocrisy. Is there no end to self-serving hypocrisy?

Sam Roberson, Fort Mill

Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham is fast becoming politically irrelevant. Why in the world would he get in front of a national audience and present his solution to reproductive rights? He’s another politician tarnished by Trump who is trying to appeal to a larger swath of voters. What does he know of rape, incest, failed birth control, and horrible birth defects sometimes diagnosed later in pregnancy? Has he ever struggled to get timely prenatal care?

The wrong people are trying to make these decisions and create the laws. The quiet majority of people need to get out and vote for candidates who are consistent and unwavering in their support of reproductive choices.

Philip Solomon, Charlotte

Moral authority

Since when is it the provenance of our elected officials in Washington to become morality police? A woman has the final say as to what can or cannot be done to her body. The church has a responsibility and a right to preach morality, but not to enact laws. Now we have federal lawmakers such as Sen. Lindsey Graham blatantly overstepping their legislative duty in order to tell women what is right for them. Graham crossed over his constitutional authority.

Jeff Kanner, Tega Cay

Tell the truth

It continues to trouble me that too many Americans are following the lead of extremists and committing violence when they don’t agree with something. It also troubles me that we are letting sources of disinformation and propaganda like QAnon, InfoWars, select politicians, et al, inflame our opinions. Please ignore these folks as they are doing our nation a disservice.

As an independent who leans progressive on some issues and conservative on others, I know that neither political party has all the good ideas — and both have some bad ones.

We must have civil discourse and bipartisan agreement to move important solutions forward. And, we need to use facts and speak truthfully or solutions will miss the mark. Politicians owe us the truth. If they cannot shoot straight with us, they need to resign or not run for office even if they happened to have served before. Full stop.

Keith Wilson, Charlotte