Trump’s threat to end transgender status betrays the promise of America | Opinion

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Good words. Words all of us expect to enjoy. These words expressed a way of life that our founding fathers found it fitting to place them in the Declaration of Independence.

Time changes things, however. Now, in this country, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness apply to only those who look like me, speak like me, think like me and worship like me. In recent comments, President-elect Donald Trump said that on day one he intends to eliminate any transgender individuals by declaring there are only two genders, male and female, based on your birth.

Who is next? There are senior advisors to the president elect who would make the United States of America a Christian nation only. And we know how the next administration expects to treat the Hispanic population. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, unless you are different.

Bruce Wynocker, Denver

Biden did right

President Biden did the right thing commuting 37 of the 40 federal death sentences to life in prison without parole. I am not sure why he did not commute the other three.

They are Dylann Roof, shooter at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015; Robert Bowers, shooter at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018; and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who carried out the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Yes, they were mass murderers. But I do not believe in capital punishment. It is state sanctioned killing.

There are seven countries that practice capital punishment: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the United States of America, North Korea and Myanmar. Should our country be proud to be among such a list? Not even Russia is on the list.

What is truly concerning is that as of October there were 2,180 on death rows in the various states, including 136 in North Carolina. I wonder how many of these are minorities?

Abolish the death penalty. Do life without parole. I can think of no greater punishment than this.

Augie Beasley, Charlotte

Biden did wrong

First, Biden pardons his son. Now, he commutes the death penalty for 37 convicted murderers. But he supports the abortion of the innocent unborn.

Regardless of how these babies are conceived, they are innocent. Those murderers are not innocent and were convicted by a jury of their peers. What a leader.

And look at the shape he will leave our country in, and he’s not through yet. I hope you people who voted for him now feel some remorse. It’s obvious he is not a protector of the innocent, only his special interests and what benefits him.

Patrick Reynolds, Harrisburg

UNC women’s soccer

The UNC women’s soccer team’s national championship win in Cary on Dec. 9 shows that all things are possible for women and girls in America. As a spectator, I delighted in noticing the wonderful number of young women and girls in the crowd.

How many of these young people will achieve goals great and small, but not inconsequential, because they were watching people like them live out their dreams on the pitch?

Leaving the game, the positive energy in the crowd was palpable. The general mood in the country seems stressful, but there are positive examples for women, young and older, that can guide them to successful futures and lives.

Mike Collins, Raleigh

Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT are revolutionizing Charlotte’s real estate and business landscape. Real estate agents now automate property listings, analyze market trends and generate marketing content in minutes rather than hours. Small businesses benefit too, using A.I. to streamline operations and communication while gaining rapid market insights.

These tools free professionals to focus on what matters most — building client relationships and delivering exceptional service. As Charlotte grows as a tech hub, embracing A.I. positions us to lead in technology and real estate advancement.

The future of our city’s business growth increasingly depends on how well we adapt these powerful new tools.

Ashish Sharda, Charlotte