Republican leaders in NC should be cooling, not fanning, the flames of hate | Opinion
Flames of hate
How ironic, and frankly embarrassing, that Sen. Jay Chaudhuri’s proposed Hate Crimes Prevention Act has not even been heard for five years, yet our Republican-led legislature rushes to codify drag shows as felonies in its continuous war on culture.
So essentially, drag queen brunches and story hours present a greater threat to our society and than citizens committing a crime motivated by race, antisemitism, national identity or other similar factors.
How embarrassing that North Carolina’s current hate crime laws are weak, with infractions considered merely misdemeanors. Adding to that embarrassment, North Carolina is one of about a dozen states where sexual orientation and gender identity are not protected.
The political agenda of the radical right is misguided. Its leaders in North Carolina should focus on cooling, rather than fanning, the flames of hatred.
John T. Dowd, Raleigh
Reparative justice
Regarding “Is Raleigh ready to discuss apologizing for its racist and oppressive past?” (April 19):
The writer is a member of the Raleigh Reparative Justice Working Group.
The Resolution for Reparative Justice we are trying to bring before the Raleigh City Council is the result of two years of work that has 600 individual and 25 organizational sponsors.
This resolution is essential for racial healing in our community. On behalf of the entire community, the Raleigh City Council must acknowledge the past, our responsibility for it, and take actions to correct the damage caused then and now to our Black community.
Simply saying we will make improvements without assessing all the damage done by white supremacy is not the answer, and likely will continue many of the racist patterns of the past. It is important for the well-being of Raleigh to enact this resolution.
John A. Shuford, Raleigh
Fox News
Now that Fox News has been forced to settle a defamation lawsuit and exposed as a real threat to our democracy, when will cable providers, including local ones, delete that channel from their service — or at the very least, move it to the entertainment tiers with other anti-democratic propaganda outlets like Newsmax? It’s one thing to have a point of view, it’s quite another to repeat ad nauseam the big lies from election deniers that have shaken our democracy to its core.
Jeffrey Shrewsbury, Durham
NC road funding
Regarding “NC Dems want to change transportation funding,” (April 14):
Hurrah to sponsors of the House and Senate bills to alter transportation funding formulas to be more responsive to pedestrian, bicycle and transit needs across our state.
I have tried to walk and bike to work, shopping, and for exercise and recreation for more than 25 years in North Carolina. Unfortunately, I and many others cannot do so safely because walking and biking infrastructure is so fragmented and unsafe that it’s difficult to reach our destinations.
House Speaker Tim Moore has made clear he favors increasing road capacity. As a retiree I can assure him that I will be walking and biking as long as I am able. Rather than presume to know better than communities and residents, perhaps he could actually help his constituents achieve their goals, while improving our state’s transportation options, climate resiliency, quality of life and tourism appeal. Many of us would be happy to leave more highway lane space for Moore.
Libby Thomas, Chapel Hill
Pro-life values?
The state legislature just eliminated the permit system required to purchase a handgun and the House passed a bill that allows guns at religious services held on school grounds — this despite the fact that school children and other innocent people are being killed on a regular basis. Another Republican-backed bill would bar public schools, the UNC System, community colleges, and state agencies from requiring students or employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination — despite the fact that 1.1 million U.S. citizens have died from this disease. And they have the audacity to call themselves the “pro-life” party? It sure doesn’t seem so to me.
Leon Barber, Raleigh
Party switch
I’ve been reading all the hoopla about state Rep. Tricia Cotham and her switch from Democrat to Republican. While she may have every right to change her party, she still owes it to her legislative district, which is 60% Democrat, to remain aligned with the ideals and policies on which they sent her to the legislature to fight for.
In 2015, Cotham stood on the legislative floor and talked about her abortion, and how it was a decision to be made between her and her husband, no one else. She even said: “My womb and my uterus are not up for your political grab.”
Now, she’s joined the political party that, at every turn, wants to deny women their reproductive rights. While Cotham may not be in my voting district, what she does in the N.C. legislature affects everyone in our state.
Partha Howell, Beaufort
Tricia Cotham
The writer served in the N.C. Senate 1997-2013.
When Rep. Tricia Cotham changed parties, she got exactly what she wanted: attention.
Ellie Kinnaird, Chapel Hill
