Harvey Gantt: In US Senate race, don’t get distracted by Cunningham’s personal issues

US Senate race

I was disappointed to read that you chose not to endorse either candidate in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race. Taking a pass on the most important election in a generation is a luxury that we cannot afford. The clear choice is Cal Cunningham.

The Observer editorial focused on recent disclosures in Cunningham’s personal life. We all make mistakes, and I am proud that he took responsibility for the hurt he caused.

Voters are now ready to focus on the issues that impact them daily.

Amid a pandemic, we know Cunningham will fight to save the Affordable Care Act, while Sen. Tillis has voted to repeal it. Cunningham supports expanding Medicaid to help more than 500,000 folk who lack access to healthcare. Tillis led the charge to block it.

This election is too important to get distracted.

Harvey Gantt

Former Charlotte mayor and US Senate candidate

My issue: Abortion

Regarding “New billboards feature Republicans for Biden” (Oct. 1):

The billboard featuring Mark Viehweg reads: “I’m a Christian. I’m a Republican. I’m voting Biden.” Viehweg says he was looking for a way to be “faithful to my Republican values...”

The majority of Republicans believe abortion should have some restrictions.

There are many important issues facing our nation as we near Election Day. A vote for or against will have long-term consequences. For me, a deciding factor will be the stated position of each political party and candidate concerning their views on abortion.

Jean Tunstall, Benson

Leaders who unite

Recently my son, owner-operator of a small business, was in Youngsville for work. He stopped at a small gas station to fill up. An attendant stopped him, saying, “We don’t serve your kind here,” and refused to let him fill up.

My son is Korean-American.

The president and top aides addressed the pandemic on news shows over the weekend using the term “Chinese virus” and blaming China for problems created by administration mishandling of the pandemic. Small wonder that some take that as license to discriminate against those they perceive as Chinese.

We desperately need to find what unites us, not what divides us. We need leaders who model this and set a positive tone for the country. It’s time for change.

Barbara B. Rumer, Durham

Least racist?

President Trump claiming he is “the least racist person in this room” is like being the dullest steak knife in the drawer. The knife is still a knife and he is still a racist.

It is not enough to be “the least racist.” How about being the most anti-racist person in the room?

Anthony Quartararo, Raleigh

J. Peder Zane

“Tell me,” demands J. Peder Zane, “what transformative benefits have decades of Great Society programs delivered?” (Oct. 27 Opinion)

O.K. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act transformed race relations. Medicare and Medicaid vastly expanded access to health care. Food Stamps significantly reduced hunger. The Clean Air and Clean Water Acts transformed our approach to the environment. Head Start. The Consumer Product Safety Commission. I could go on.

Zane trumpets modest economic improvements for poor and minority Americans under Republican rule, but Great Society programs reduced poverty by 30 to 40%. Sounds transformative to me.

Clyde Frazier, Chapel Hill

Nuclear weapons

The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will become international law in 90 days. It prohibits nations from developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons, or allowing nuclear weapons to be stationed on their territory.

This is a perfect opportunity for the United States to begin dismantling its arsenal of 4,000 plus nuclear weapons.

If the weapons are dismantled, $1.7 trillion being used by the Pentagon to modernize nuclear weapons can be diverted to fund life-giving projects: infrastructure repair, education of young people, healthcare for all, and green energy to stop an increase in global warming.

Joe Burton, Raleigh