WS Chronicle

Truth Be Told

To The Editor:

Terri LeGrand’s opponent and dark money groups are desperate and have recently made false statements about her position on public safety. I have known Terri for 14 years and believe her when she says that she does not support defunding the police. She never said that and Joyce Krawiec’s trouble with the truth shows how desperate she is to save herself from likely defeat for Senate Seat 31 this fall.

Terri LeGrand believes that we should improve our systems of public safety to ensure we are protecting all of our citizens. The majority of Americans agree that we need to work across the aisle to improve law enforcement agencies. Policing is a critical service and key component of safe communities. We need to provide police with the right resources so that they can effectively do their jobs.

Terri believes that a key to improving public safety is looking at our complementary services. Improving community support systems, such as services for mental illness and substance abuse disorders, will reduce calls that put the police and citizens at risk. Increasing affordable housing has been shown in other cities to significantly reduce crime. Criminal justice and prison reform, with an emphasis on rehabilitation and preparation for reintegration into society and the workforce, will further reduce crime. Terri supports addressing the unique needs of female prisoners, looking into halting transfers of child offenders to adult facilities, and providing adequate religious resources for prisoners. We need to follow the recommendations of the NC Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, which correctly recommended that law enforcement agencies adopt reasonable use-of-force policies, which at a minimum prohibit neck holds. We need fair and equitable hiring practices and world-class officer training. 

These are complex and difficult issues, but an elected leader who fails to understand that is not the leader we need to keep us safe. Unlike Joyce Krawiec, Terri LeGrand has done her homework and will not cover her weaknesses with lies. 

Gus Preschle
Lewisville

‘45’ has to go

To The Editor:

Generally, I don’t do this kind of thing. But the events and revelations of this past week have left me no choice but to enter the fray.

Forget being Republican, Democrat, Independent, non-affiliated, or what-the-hell ever!

Forget being Black, White, Native American, Hispanic, Gay, Straight, “I don’t know”, or what-the-hell ever!

Here we all are being led by a man who has admitted that he does not give a damn about any of us. What “45” does care about is getting re-elected.

Just for the record, he lied (to us) about when he knew how dangerous COVID-19 was and what the impact would be in our country. We know what the fallout from that lie has been: more than 190,000 dead (still counting); the economy in shambles; millions unemployed; parents afraid to send their children to school and teachers afraid to go teach them; and to date, NO PLAN to get us out of the chaos he helped to create.

Oh, the list goes on and on of his myriad lies, misdeeds and atrocities (still counting). You know. And, you know that I know you know that “45” has to go. He lied to us and keeps lying to us. 

I’ll be back when I calm down, if ever.

WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED AMERICA? 

Rudy Anderson

Support for Terri LeGrand for the NC Senate District 31

To The Editor:

For equity, service and community, let’s support Terri LeGrand’s (2020) candidacy for the N.C. Senate District 31. Over many years, I have been blessed to know (and often see) Terri’s tremendous justice work. As the Social Action chair of our church, Terri worked with marginalized community groups and others toward the goal of educational equity and excellence for all. 

Realizing that environmental and climate-related devastation dramatically affects all, but especially those marginalized, Terri co-founded both Piedmont Earth Day Fair and Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA). After receiving world-class (Al Gore led Climate Reality) training, Terri recently prepared and presented extensive trainings throughout the triad. Also, Terri is deeply concerned about the overall wellbeing of all North Carolinians and will tirelessly work for healthcare, jobs, public schools, equity, and mutual respect. Listening deeply to everyone is one of Terri’s paramount priorities. 

Finally, both Terri LeGrand (NC Senate District 31) and excellent candidate Dan Besse (NC House District 74) have been recently endorsed by Barack Obama.

JimNorris

Why are we buying illegal immigrants?

To The Editor:

U.S. politicians have been buying votes with our money for years; LBJ admitted as much after creating his ‘Great Society’. Vote-buying continues, despite our record debt, which now approaches annual GDP, and the risk of hyperinflation or bankruptcy makes overgenerous spending hard to justify. In particular, welfare payments to illegal immigrants seem indefensible, yet the Foundation for American Immigration Reform confirms that those payments exceeded $116 billion in 2017 alone. While it is technically unlawful to subsidize illegals, (a) the law is poorly enforced, and (b) ‘birthright citizenship’ of illegal children permits payment, which is then shared with parents. These parents have broken our law upon entry, are largely uneducated and unskilled non-English speakers; some of them will fly our flag upside down, then burn it; others will become wards of the state; a few will be rapists and murderers, of whom we have enough already. Are we so badly in need of cheap labor that we’re buying illegal immigrants? Or are our politicians just enlarging and funding a dependent population of reliable voters?

Richard Merlo

Winston-Salem