Letters to the Editor
The Winston-Salem Chamber Statement of Support for UNSCA Stevens Center
To The Editor:
The Stevens Center is an iconic and cultural masterpiece beloved for generations here in Winston Salem. We are grateful for its presence in our community, and its role as an important economic asset to the city.
The Stevens Center is a vital fixture in the aesthetic of our downtown and is an essential teaching facility for the many artists and creatives who study at the UNC School of the Arts.
The Stevens Center is long overdue for major renovations. It has been 37 years since its last makeover, and the facility is in great need of infrastructure upgrades. The Winston Salem Chamber supports House Bill 494 proposing $42.2 million in statewide funding toward the rehabilitation of the Stevens Center due to its tremendous impact both locally and regionally. Additionally, the Chamber supports the funding allocation through the UNC system, alleviating the tax burden on local individuals and businesses.
A revitalized and vibrant Stevens Center will support the educational objectives of the UNC School of the Arts while attracting tourism to the Winston-Salem area, and acting as a catalyst for additional investment and development in Winston-Salem.
The Chamber is grateful to Representatives Conrad, Lambeth, Montgomery and Terry for their support in introducing House Bill 494 for the renovation of the Stevens Center through allocation of funding from the UNC system. For so many years the Stevens Center has performed so admirably for us. We support infrastructure upgrades to this remarkable building, and we are honored to stand with our elected officials as they take the stage for the Stevens Center.
Winston-Salem
Chamber of Commerce
N.C. Senate overrides Governor’s veto of Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
To The Editor:
The North Carolina Senate voted 30-20 today to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of SB 359, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The vote came a day after five of the state’s prominent pro-life organizations held a press conference calling for lawmakers to stand up for newborns.
“When N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper issued his Easter veto of the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Act, he vetoed the lives of innocent babies, and he instead chose to support infanticide,” Tami Fitzgerald told onlookers on the lawn of the Legislative Building in Raleigh on Monday. The executive director of the NC Values Coalition was the first of five speakers to call on the General Assembly for a veto override.
“Roy Cooper didn’t just veto a bill. He vetoed babies, babies who are innocently born alive as a result of a botched abortion,” Fitzgerald said.
Senate Bill 359, which passed the House and Senate earlier this month, would make it a felony for doctors to deny appropriate medical care to babies born alive after a botched abortion and would require nurses and other staff to report the incidents.
Cooper and others who oppose the bill have denied that such incidents occur, despite reports from the Centers for Disease Control verifying them.
In addition to Fitzgerald, also addressing the crowd on Monday were the Rev. Mark Creech with the Christian Action League; Jill Coward with Concerned Women for America; John Rustin with the N.C. Family Policy Council; and Barbara Holt with N.C. Right to Life. Each made a plea for lawmakers to take a stand against infanticide.
The Rev. Creech compared the governor’s action in vetoing the protection act to that of the King of Egypt when he ordered midwives to kill born-alive infant sons of the nation of Israel. He called the practice of allowing these babies to die without medical help “execution by default.”
The Christian Action League
North Carolina
Statement from NCAE President Mark Jewell regarding the shooting at UNC-Charlotte
To The Editor:
North Carolina’s educators mourn the senseless loss of life and act of violence this evening at UNC-Charlotte. This incident is yet another example of the need for our decision-makers to take action to prevent dangerous weapons from reaching the hands of dangerous people. ‘Thoughts and prayers’ are not enough. As our educators come to Raleigh tomorrow to advocate for North Carolina’s students, the victims of this tragedy and the entire UNCC community will be top of mind and deep in our hearts. Our program will acknowledge and pay tribute to those who lost their lives and recover from their injuries. As everyday gun violence continues to plague our nation and our state, now is the time for elected leaders to take action to prevent the next mass shooting before it happens.
Mark Jewell
North Carolina
Association of Educators
Governor’s Office statement on Republican budget
To The Editor:
Governor Cooper’s spokesperson, Jamal Little, shared the following statement on the NCGA House budget:
The Republican budget prioritizes yet another corporate tax cut over strong teacher pay raises. What’s worse is Republican leaders touted these raises when the teachers were in town while deliberately hiding the fact that their raises were only for half a year. Only after the teachers left did they find out the Republicans pulled another fast one on them. Our public schools deserve better.
Jamal Little
Spokesperson
Office of Governor Roy Cooper
Debating Foxx’s view of Mueller Report
To The Editor:
In her letter in response to the Mueller Report, Rep. Virginia Foxx made several statements that are up for debate. (1) She believes the Democrats’ inquiries are causing needless division in our country; that horse (division) was already out of the barn. President Trump capitalized on it before he ran, during his campaign and since his election. (2) Russian trolls, through social media, has already sown discord and mistrust in our electoral system. (3) Mueller is displeased with the spin Barr and Rosenstein put on the report, saying they didn’t capture its context, nature and substance.
Former federal prosecutor Preet Bhamama, author of the book “Doing Justice: A Prosecutor’s Thought’s on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law,” asserts laws must be interpreted by people of integrity. I don’t think the framers of the U.S. Constitution envisioned a president who seems to admire autocrats and dictators. When faced with unwelcomed scrutiny, did Presidents Nixon and Clinton talk about a “coup”? A Democratic Republic and a despot in the highest office are incongruous. History will have the last word on this administration’s integrity.
Alice G. Brown
Mocksville, N.C.
