I paid my opponent’s filing fee in the Wake District Court race. There was ‘no deception involved.’

Regarding “GOP leader decries partisan games in race” (July 9): I am a Democrat, yet I paid for Republican Evan Schreier to run against me for Wake County District Court Judge.

I did this primarily out of self-interest. Helping Schreier helps my chances in the election, since now there will be a more even playing field: two Democrats, two Republicans and one unaffiliated candidate on the ballot.

Unlike what the Republican Party bosses have said, there was nothing “underhanded” about this. This was not “an effort to deceive” voters. There was no deception involved and the voters now have more choice. Everything was above-board.

I went with Schreier to the State Board of Elections, wrote a personal check, signed it and gave it to the Board of Elections to cover Schreier’s filing fee. Such checks are public record. They are photocopied and put online for all to see.

Animosity and name-calling are neither mandatory nor desirable in a political race. Notice that it was only the Republican Party bosses who participated in the mud-slinging. None of the candidates stooped to that level.

Suppression?

Regarding “Voter ID on the NC ballot is about suppression” (July 12): It seems that every time I read about requiring a photo ID to vote in NC, there is a statement about how only a handful of people have been charged with casting a fraudulent ballot that would have been prevented by requiring a photo ID. That is used as justification for not passing a law requiring an ID at the polls.

Am I the only one who sees a flaw in this reasoning? No consideration is given to all the voters who may not have been caught after casting a fraudulent ballot. There have been reports from other states in which there were more voters registered than there were residents of voting age.

Allowing same-day registration with early voting offers the best opportunity for fraud. One simply goes to a polling place where they are least likely to be recognized, registers and votes.

Voter ID requirements vary across the country, and some states have no early voting at all, so let’s stop calling this voter suppression.

Affirmative action

Regarding “White House reverses Obama on affirmative action” (July 4): Affirmative action which has helped move this country forward has been upheld by the Supreme Court for decades. It is now in jeopardy of being dismantled by President Trump and his administration.

In a joint letter, the Education and Justice Departments announced that they had rescinded seven Obama-era policy guidelines on affirmative action, which, the departments said, “advocate policy preferences and positions beyond the requirements of the Constitution.”

The Trump administration’s moves come with affirmative action at a crossroads. Hardliners in the Justice and Education Departments are moving against any use of race as a measurement of diversity in education.

Affirmative action policies were developed to address a long history of discrimination faced by minorities and women which, reports suggest, produced corresponding unfair advantages for whites and males.

Dismantling decades of progress, which this administration seems bent on doing, moves the country not only in the wrong direction but helps to reopen old wounds of discrimination while erecting old barriers that further inequality for women and minorities.

Keep allies

Regarding “Trump rattles NATO, knocking its value, assailing Germany” (July 11): I was both saddened and disappointed – but not surprised – that President Trump blasted our allies in a testy start to the NATO Summit.

He is well aware that the upcoming midterm elections are critical to Republican control of Congress. He is trying to motivate his base to keep his majority.

The 70 years of collective defense and preservation of peace and security are to him secondary to his personal goal. I can only hope that our NATO friends and allies can overlook this testiness.

Voting in November is important to send a more positive message to our allies.

This story was originally published July 12, 2018 at 10:59 AM.