Business owners hold ‘all the power’ in America; workers have ‘no hope’

Ownership beats a paycheck any day

This weekend I had my grandchildren over and we watched my favorite kids fantasy movie, “The Never Ending Story.” One of the characters has a line: “The people who have no hope are the easiest to control and he who controls them has the power.” Isn’t that like our country today?

Today most people work for wages paid by someone else. Only about 5 percent of the population would be considered business owners, entrepreneurs or capitalists – people with actual skin in the game.

Wake up people. Instead of becoming part of the 95 percent that have no hope, strive to become one of the 5 percent that holds all the power.

My family’s story of white privilege

My grandfather was a cotton farmer in southeast Mecklenburg County who had accumulated almost 1,000 acres by the time he died in 1942. He was able to acquire that land only with the help of African-American sharecropper families. When my grandmother died in the early 60s, some of those families were still living on the farm in unpainted, weatherboard-sided shacks with rusting tin roofs.

My father, one of 12 children, inherited 40 acres of the farm, which my brothers and I sold ten years ago for a tidy sum. Not one nickel went to those sharecropper families.

Anyone who says white privilege doesn’t still exist doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Trump’s apology rings hollow to me

Mr. Trump, I am sure you regret saying things that caused others personal pain because it hurt your polls. The real question to be addressed is are YOU sorry for saying things that caused others personal pain?

This is the difference between a self-centered bully and a person with a conscience. I rather think you are the former.

Our environment is in deepening crisis

Our environment is under siege: Zika in Florida; floods in Louisiana; fires in California; parasites killing fish in Montana.

And clueless people have faith in Trump!

Young Trump fan lucky he got tossed

Jake Anantha should be grateful to The Donald for throwing him out of the Trump rally. This experience seems to have been even more educational for him than a course of study at Trump University.

I am amazed that a young educated American of Indian origin would ever have considered voting for a person with the views that Mr. Trump has publicly expressed. And his “staunch Republican” parents may want to think about the fact that their party nominated this person to be their presidential candidate.

We live and learn.

Environmental end-run at UNC

The effort of Senate Republican leader Phil Berger to create a “Policy Collaboratory” on environmental issues at UNC is breathtaking. The purpose would be to issue recommendations more in line with his philosophy than past ones from UNC.

It would usurp the authority of the existing Institute for the Environment, staffed by accredited scientists, to influence the legislature. Sen. Berger has complained that UNC does not accede to his recommendations for university positions.

Why does he think he is qualified or entitled to say what the university should do?

What happened to bipartisanship?

The United States used to be a country where Democrats and Republicans would work together and get things done. There is too much fighting today over every little issue, whether it be blocking a Supreme Court justice or free trade.

During World War II and the Great Depression, FDR and the Republicans worked together to help this country through trying times. I am sure today that we can work together and get this country running again.

This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Business owners hold ‘all the power’ in America; workers have ‘no hope’."