Letters: Can Americans trust the justice system?

EDITOR: Of late many important people have been denigrating our judicial system. Claiming that this branch of our government is slanted towards finding white people innocent and minorities guilty.

The system has been in place since the founding of our country and has served us well, however it is not perfect. What I find most interesting is that many of these same people have a unquestioning belief that our election system is perfect and not subject to a slant towards one political party or the other.

James Laurita, Wilmington

Locked Away Investigation series

EDITOR: I am writing to say thank you to StarNews for publishing the Locked Away Investigation series. I also appreciate the individuals who told their stories. I hope North Carolina residents read this series.

As a registered nurse and mental healthcare advocate, I have not seen much progress in the North Carolina General Assembly towards reform. I have seen bills that would improve community resources and access to mental health care introduced only to go to committees to die. It has been frustrating, but I think this frustration is because many people do not voice their concerns to their legislators. If people speak up on the behalf of children who suffer from behavioral and mental health issues, there will be a positive change.

North Carolina needs more community resources and more pediatric mental health care providers. Having more resources and providers will help prevent pediatric psychiatric hospitalizations.

Additionally, North Carolina residents can invest in resources in their communities. For example, Coastal Horizons and The Carousel Center provide needed services to children and adolescents in the Wilmington area. Donations would help these centers provide for those that have experienced trauma and struggle with mental illness.

Cara Vitadamo, (RN, BSN PMHNP student at Eastern Kentucky University), Hampstead

Does the western bank of Cape Fear River needs developing?

EDITOR: As I read about possible development on the west bank of the Cape Fear, I wonder if anyone has considered the effect on the bridges, particularly the already overburdened Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

More: Cape Fear's west bank project has an obstacle to overcome before approval

More: Developers want to build on western bank of the Cape Fear River. It's not the first time.

More: Project could bring skyscrapers, condos, and Riverwalk to Cape Fear's western bank

Both residential and business development would mean a significant amount of additional traffic in the area. A park would be much better for both the environment and traffic.

Leaving it undeveloped would be the best, although I fear greed may prevent that solution.

Yvonne Moody, Southport

Reader disagrees with columnist Cal Thomas

EDITOR: In response to the Op Ed by Cal Thomas in the November 23 StarNews, I strongly disagree with Thomas' premise "If confronted by someone seeking to loot, destroy your business, or kill you, would you see your armed self as the best defense, or would you call 911, hoping the police will show up in time, if at all? Or would you be glad that a Kyle Rittenhouse is patrolling your streets…”

I do not want an untrained 17-year-old carrying a semi-automatic weapon in my neighborhood. Rittenhouse should not have crossed state lines with an AK-14 to "protect" property. I was not there, nor was Thomas, so we cannot be sure what really happened, but the unarmed men he confronted could not have been as much of a threat to him as he was to them, and their deaths are proof of that.

Thomas refers to the founding fathers and the Second Amendment for the right to bear arms and form a militia. Let me remind him that in the 18th century we had no formal standing army and needed to have citizens ready to defend our country. Additionally, firearms were muzzle loaded and one shot at a time, not able to shoot dozens or rounds a second. Many people used their weapons for subsistence living, adding to their diets by hunting. You do not use a semi-automatic to shoot a deer.

We do need more gun control. We need to get semi-automatic weapons off the street and certainly out of the hands of underage "watchmen."

Alan Gerberg, Leland

The Second Amendment

EDITOR: Cal Thomas’ recent column regurgitating the ‘right wing’s’ propaganda that the Second Amendment was written to permit citizens the use of armed violence against the government when they did not approve of its actions is utter nonsense.

Having witnessed the Shay’s Rebellion in Massachusetts and the previous Regulator Movement in North Carolina, the Founders were more concerned with the Federal Government’s ability to defend itself and the people against violent lawless armed mobs. When considering whether the new government needed a standing army, a deciding factor was the agreement that the military would be needed to suppress armed insurrection by domestic factions. To highlight that concern they included within the Constitution a definition of Treason “as making war against the United States.” Considering that the men who created the Constitution were the elites of the country, they assumed the new government would be directed by themselves, so it was extremely unlikely they intended a provision for dissatisfied persons to initiate armed violence against themselves.

Gustav Dahl, Wilmington

Why did Terry McAuliffe lose?

EDITOR: Columnist Dana Milbank's column on why Terry McAuliffe lost to Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia Governor's race in totally wrong. In my opinion Youngkin did not win because the Biden Build Back Better agenda was not approved or White nationalism, but won because the citizens of Virginia were against a multiple trillion-dollar spending plan that would add to already runaway inflation. Also, that White nationalism was parents that found out what was being taught to the kids during virtual teaching last year.

I know they said they were not teaching critical race theory but calling it by a different name does not change what was being taught. I think McAuliffe lost the election when he said parents have no input into what schools teach.

I think Milbank like most progressives try to put race into every topic if you disagree with the Woke progressive ideology. However, the American people are waking up to this Woke agenda and thinking this needs to change before America disappears.

Terry Shew, Wilmington

Letters should not exceed 200 words. Please put text in the body of an email. Do not send attachments; attachments will not be read. Letters should address the editor, not a third party. Two weeks must elapse between letters from the same writer. We edit for space, clarity, civility and accuracy. Include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Only your name and hometown will be published. There is no guarantee of publication. While the StarNews office remains closed to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic, letters to the editor will only be accepted by email. Email: letters@starnewsonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Letters: Does America court system work?