Black voters who choose not to vote in 2020 are essentially casting a ballot for Trump

Black voters

Regarding “In tight NC presidential race, Black voters could make the difference,” (Sept. 10):

This article quotes a 61-year-old Black voter saying she has lost faith in politics and might not vote.

As a 75-year-old Black female voter I am appalled at her cavalier attitude. Does she not recognize the disrespect she is exhibiting to those who fought for her right to vote?

More importantly, does she not realize that by not exercising her right to vote she will, in effect, have cast a ballot for Trump?

Voting is an honor and a privilege; the most important thing we do as citizens of this country. If you do not vote, others decide how this country is run — and you cannot complain.

Muriel B. Henderson, Raleigh

Court nominees

President Trump’s Supreme Court “short” list of Republican judges amounts to a strategy to do away with our democracy. Instead of putting forth policy proposals and letting the electorate decide how to best proceed to address the great challenges before our country, he offers the red-meat of right-wing demagogues for appointment to the Supreme Court. God willing, this will backfire spectacularly when the votes are counted in the week following Nov. 3.

Jewel Wheeler, Durham

Tillis, health care

Sen. Thom Tillis has apologized for a staffer’s response to a cancer patient who called his office with fears about losing her health insurance. The staffer compared her predicament to his being unable to afford a new dress shirt he wanted and said she needed to “figure it out.“

The staffer was simply putting into words Tillis’ abject failure to do anything about the health care crisis facing North Carolinians.

When Tillis was in the N.C. legislature he led the effort against expanding Medicaid. That allowed our tax dollars to go to other states and left thousands without access to basic medical care.

While in the U.S. Senate, he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Tillis’ staffers should not be reprimanded for accurately representing his longstanding position of denying health care to desperate constituents. North Carolina deserves better than Tillis.

Lynn Andrews, Durham

NC stimulus

North Carolina’s Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0 will give $335 to parents who have children younger than 18.

Golly, how magnanimous! But there are a couple of catches:

Catch 1: Families get $335 no matter how many children and no matter how much money they take in. So for example, families with four children who are scraping by on minimum wage jobs get $335, just like single-child families with six-figure incomes.

Catch 2: Families who didn’t earn enough money to file income taxes don’t get the check automatically; they have to apply.

Gov. Roy Cooper and most Democrats signed this bill, probably because they figured it was the best they could hope for from the Republicans.

Sen. Phil Berger could have given this money to the people who need it the most. That would have been the right thing to do. But helping people in their time of serious need isn’t what he does, is it?

William Nesmith, Durham

Federal stimulus

President Trump has turned a pandemic into a catastrophe, and lied to the American people about it.

The Democratic-led U.S. House passed a comprehensive pandemic relief bill in May. Over 100 days later, the GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to get even a watered-down version of it passed.

Meanwhile, over 1,000 Americans die each day from the coronavirus and millions of out-of-work Americans face rent, mortgage and food needs without any assistance.

This is a disgrace. If there was ever a case for voting a political party out of office and out of power, this is it.

Robert G. Harrison, Durham

Remote learning

I cannot accept that virtual learning is the best option for our children.

Half of the individuals who have died in North Carolina were in nursing homes, residential care facilities, or correction facilities. I do not intend to diminish the significance of even one death, but it is important to balance the governmental decisions with how much they impact our lives.

Families with resources have their children in private schools, where they are having a real learning experience. Children and their tax-paying parents deserve a better educational experience than the current virtual learning.

Gregory Rogers, Wilmington

Poll workers

We see groups of people gathering at beaches, bars and other social events, seemingly not concerned about contacting COVID-19. Many are not practicing precautions like social distancing and masks. One suggestion is to contact these people; explain the need for poll workers and recruit from this population. After being tested for the virus, this population should be willing to step up and fill that gap and replace their parents and grandparents as poll workers.

Carmelita Myers, Cary