Trump’s Muslim travel ban is ‘offensive and dangerous’

Regarding “Supreme Court upholds Trump’s travel ban” (June 27): The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the president’s discriminatory travel ban mercilessly rejects our nation’s founding principle of religious freedom.

The travel ban specifically targets several countries primarily populated by Muslims. The particular targeting of Muslims violates the founding principles of our country and fundamentally feeds vitriolic treatment of Muslims. The ramifications of a ruling of this magnitude include prolonged family separation across oceans and exacerbated suffering of refugees and asylum seekers around the globe.

We have witnessed the consequences of refugees being turned away from America’s shores. We live with shame for America’s past bigoted policies that targeted people of specific faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds and left many to perish. As Americans, we commit to welcoming the stranger and assisting those seeking refuge on our shores.

We call upon people of all backgrounds to seek to bridge lines of difference and to reach out to support Muslims in our community and our country.

Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, Congress must exercise its power to push back against offensive and dangerous policy and ensure that the future of this nation is one of moral integrity, upholding the religious integrity of our Muslim brothers and sisters.

‘Ballot integrity’

Regarding “NC voter ID question could appear on November ballot” (June 8): According to the N.C. Board of Elections data, in the 2016 general election more than 134,000 absentee ballots were cast and accepted. If there is voter fraud in N.C. elections, I am positive it occurs far more frequently in absentee ballots where a step- or grandchild can vote illegally using the ballot of someone with dementia or some other cognitive impairment.

According to the N.C. Board of Elections website, the voter or a “near-relative” or legal guardian may request the mail-in ballot. The only ID required is a self-reported state ID number or the last four digits of a Social Security Number. If those are not available, a government check or utility bill may be submitted. Voters don’t need to provide a reason for voting absentee.

The proposed Voter ID requirement will only apply to in-person voting where fraud is much more difficult to commit already. This was a key reason the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the 2013 Voter ID law. This proposed requirement is clearly not about ballot integrity.

‘Human decency’

Regarding “House vote failure dooms future Republican action on immigration” (June 27): In November, voters can establish their own “zero tolerance” policy. We will not tolerate racist, xenophobic policies that tear at the very heart of our country’s norms, customs and sensibilities.

We won’t tolerate being frightened by scare tactics that tell us only this leader can “protect” us from the “infestation” to support actions that belie our existence as a decent people. Have we gone from the “home of the brave” to quivering cowards in one election?

We will not tolerate a child, clutched for thousands of miles, being ripped from the arms of a parent and placed in a “detention center” in order to “discourage” desperate asylum seekers who came because they thought we were still the beacon of freedom in this hemisphere.

We don’t need to choose between enforcement of our laws and human decency. This is not who we are. This is not who I am. Not as an American, a mother, grandmother or Christian.

Hog ‘nuisance’

Regarding “Overturned veto brings hog farmers new protections” (June 28): Thanks to Gov. Cooper for vetoing the hog farm bill.

The only thing that smells worse than thousands of hogs cooped up together is legislators falling all over themselves to protect the hog industry from an accounting for the nuisance they are making in their neighborhoods.