WS Chronicle

When did profits come into the framework of the Constitution?

To the Editor:

People, policy and profits …

We the people, in order to form a more perfect union … will have ideas debated in the public square to arrive at public policies that benefit the general welfare … do ordain and establish this U.S. Constitution for profit?

What? Was that the original intent of the framers of our Constitution? Has the concept of government of, for and by the people been substituted for profits? Where is the public debate on the intent of Presidents Washington, Adams and Jefferson in forming and fighting for a government that recognized the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; has it been substituted for profits?

Were profits the motive of the English crown which taxed those early colonists to the extreme point which eventually compelled them to declare war for their independence from a tyrranical system of government?

Do we now have profits, policy and then people as the new order of our democracy? We hold these truths to be self evident that … all people are born with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Fleming El-Amin 

Winston-Salem

Immigration ban doesn’t reflect the heart of America

To the Editor:

100 Black Men of America Inc. stands with the millions of United States citizens and people around the world who oppose President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration.

The plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty reads, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” She serves as an icon of freedom and has been a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad since 1886.

Every “American,” except for the indigenous peoples native to North America, came to these shores from a foreign land.  Many came of their own volition, while others were forced to leave their native lands because of slavery, war or persecution. These ideas are the foundation on which the United States of America was built.

A ban on immigration runs counter to the words of Lady Liberty and all America represents. To ban those entering our borders because of the religion they practice or the country in which they were born will only serve to separate families and further divide our nation.

Therefore, 100 Black Men of America, Inc. calls on each elected official to stand up and publicly denounce this ban on immigration and work together to develop meaningful, effective and nondiscriminatory immigration reform.

Brian L. Pauling 

National President and CEO 100 Black Men of America Inc. 

Atlanta, Georgia

U.S. resolution  recognizes the significance of Greensboro Four

To the Editor:

As a former Greensboro representative and alumna of N.C. A&T University, I am pleased to reintroduce the Greensboro Four Resolution to recognize the contributions of these four students to the national Civil Rights Movement.

During Black History Month, we remember the many people who have come before us to break glass ceilings and fight for equal rights for all. These student’s peaceful actions sparked a national movement that lead to more than 700,000 people participating in sit-ins nationwide. I thank my colleague, Ted Budd, and the other members of the N.C. Delegation for coming together to honor this vital chapter in our national history.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) 

Washington, D.C.

56 years ago, four students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sparked a movement across North Carolina that moved our state and country toward a better future. The Greensboro Four sit in served as a catalyst for the mobilization of college students in the Civil Rights Movement. This resolution will encourage all states to include in their year-round educational curriculum the history and contributions of the Greensboro Four in North Carolina, and the country as a whole. I am honored to introduce a resolution with Alma Adams that recognizes the significance this historic moment had on North Carolina’s history.

U.S. Rep. Ted Budd (NC-13) 

Washington, D.C.