Are we really any better than India about suppressing speech? | Opinion
Free speech
Regarding “India’s retreat from democracy is distressing,” (April 23 Opinion):
Yes, it is distressing that India is deleting the history of Muslims from the nation’s school books. But, why make comparisons only to China and Russia when one need only look to several of our states? Look at Florida where a public school teacher can go to prison for having a book that “someone” finds objectionable on their shelf. Or, Florida... where rafts of books are being withheld because their subject matter is anything but white, and where textbooks are being “whitewashed.”
Look to Florida, Texas and soon to North Carolina. India’s actions are certainly objectionable, but our minds must be directed closer to home.
Howard Landers, Charlotte
Trans athletes
The campaign to let transgender athletes compete in girls’ and women’s sports is a sucker punch to the half-century of women’s rights progress made since Title IX was codified. It is common sense that in all sports, other than horse racing and equestrian, biological sexes are separated due to the inherent physical advantages that males have. This is true for both “making the team” and in competition.
The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act allows trans and non-trans athletes alike to participate in sports based on their birth sex. But allowing athletes like Lia Thomas to compete against women is simply sexism in a swimsuit because it prioritizes a male at birth over a female.
Madeleine Hartwell, Charlotte
Choice for a few
The N.C. General Assembly’s proposal to extend private school vouchers to higher income residents reminds me of reactions in the 1960s and ‘70s to school desegregation — the proliferation of private schools accessible primarily to people of means. Expanding vouchers while unconstitutionally withholding funds to provide N.C. students a “sound, basic education” is unconscionable! True “school choice” is sufficiently funding our public schools — which serve all students — and not taking tax money to fund “choice” for a few.
Louise Woods, Charlotte
Buy back guns
An 8-year-old Charlotte girl was shot April 24 during a drive-by shooting while asleep at home. I don’t want to hear about thoughts and prayers or why. I want the mayor and the city council to actually do something to get guns off the streets, out of the hands of criminals and gangs, so this doesn’t get worse. Right now. Today. Buy-back programs for cash must be instituted immediately by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.
Jon Schuller, Charlotte
My gun rights
We need to be able to own guns so as to protect us from being taken over by our government or any other. Part of the reason we have not been invaded by Russia or China is because we are well armed. I don’t want to give up my right to defend myself, but I very much do want to end the use of guns by mentally ill people or people with an agenda to kill of a group of people. Surely, we are smart enough to figure out how to keep guns away from the wrong people without taking them away from the right people.
Albert Dancy Jr., Charlotte
Transit troubles
The Charlotte region is growing every month. Just look at the thousands of apartments being built. Mass transit is a very important part of that growth. All I read is the Charlotte City Council blaming Charlotte Area Transit and CATS pointing its finger at the city council for all the transit miscues. If we don’t solve these problems quickly our entire region will suffer. Charlotte grew into the city we have today because of the foresight of the city leaders we had many years ago. We need to see if we have leaders like that today, so we can move forward.
Mike Van Glish, Charlotte
NC GOP agenda
Thanks to state Rep. Tricia Cotham’s defection to the GOP, Republican legislators are already using the supermajority she gifted them with to pursue undemocratic, unpopular actions.
Using taxpayer money to fund private school vouchers will threaten our public education system, while being a gift to affluent families who already send their children to private or religious schools. And the rumored 12-week abortion ban being considered by Republicans in the N.C. House and Senate will hurt poor and working-class women.
Michael A. Clark, Charlotte
National debt
How is it possible that Republicans only concern themselves with the national debt when Democrats are in power?
The debt ceiling has been raised 78 times. Forty-nine times, it has occurred under a Republican president. Republicans railed about debt under Obama, did not say a word when debt spiraled upward under Trump, but are now wailing and gnashing their teeth about spending under Biden.
If the wealthy paid a fair share of tax, the debt problem would be significantly better. But the GOP would much prefer to put this burden on the less fortunate than upset their big donors.
Jack Hankins, Charlotte
