Letters: Fight noise pollution

Thanks to Kevin Egleston for his intelligent and well-written opinion piece regarding loud vehicles, which daily disrupt Raleigh’s peacefulness. Yes, it’s hard to relax while extremely loud and unnecessarily annoying vehicles zoom by, flaunting their sense of noise entitlement.

While we’re on the subject, how about a couple others?

Extremely loud, low-flying planes flying out of RDU. Yes, these planes are expensive, but don’t they come equipped with mufflers, which should be included in the high cost of ownership? Why should a single-engine pilot be allowed to disturb the quiet morning or afternoon of hundreds or thousands of us citizens as they fly low across our neighborhoods?

Extremely loud leaf blowers which flay away all day across our neighborhoods. It’s not the fault of those of us who use them, but what about the manufacturers? It’s hard to believe that in 2018 leaf blowers can’t be made quieter and sold at outlet stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot at reasonable prices. As in past years, it’s going to get much, much worse during the Fall season upon us.

Unless we agree to spend our lives inside of earbuds, we should be allowed to enjoy quiet spaces as a matter of our rights.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Awareness of this deeply entrenched problem in our society may manifest itself in many ways: wearing purple ribbons or clothing, stringing purple lights or other forms of superficial support.

The most dangerous time in the lives of the women, children and men who suffer at the hands of abusers is when these victims make the decision to leave their abusers. It takes a lot of courage to leave an environment where verbal and physical abuse are the norm. It also takes a lot of courage to speak up for those victims.

North Carolina’s voters will have a chance to speak up for victims of domestic abuse and other felony crimes this year. Please read carefully the proposed changes to the current victims’ rights amendment. The 2018 voter guide explains in careful detail each of the proposed amendments to the NC Constitution.

The current victims’ rights laws do not extend far enough in our state. A vote for Marsy’s Law will provide much needed additional protections for victims of the aforementioned crimes, no matter whether the perpetrator is an adult or a juvenile.

Judge Kavanaugh could not live up to his own definition of the qualities of a judge. As Judge Kavanaugh said in a speech in 2015, “to be a good judge and a good umpire, it’s important to have the proper demeanor.” He added: “To keep our emotions in check. To be calm amidst the storm. On the bench, to put it in the vernacular, don’t be a jerk.”

OK, so we lost the Civil War. Let’s not lose history. Put Sam back on the ground where he fell. Maybe add a plaque, info kiosk, or something. What would be a better way to show African-Americans that they are finally welcome on campus? What would be a better way to show students that their actions (even if they earn them a slap on the wrist) can be effective.

Historians of the South have made it clear that the statue known as “Silent Sam” was put on campus by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to reinforce white supremacy, and that the dedication speech by Julian Carr was racist and violent. Putting the statue back on campus will ensure more strife, national embarrassment for the university, and discomfort for students, faculty, and staff of color.

UNC-Chapel Hill already has two memorials to alumni who died during wars, including Confederate soldiers. The bronze Book of Names, which stands between Memorial Hall and Phillips Hall, honors the war dead, including 287 soldiers who fought in the Civil War. In addition, four tablets in Memorial Hall, hanging on the walls of both sides of the stage, provide the names of “260 alumni and students who died fighting for the Confederate States of America.”

Telling the real story of the statue can be done by creating a permanent exhibit in Wilson Library or elsewhere on campus, with photographs of the statue, educational text, video of rallies and interviews, and so on. There is no need for the statue—an artifact of a corrupt cause—to be included in the exhibit.

The writer is a professor emerita of Sociology at UNC, Chapel Hill

This story was originally published October 6, 2018 at 6:52 PM.