Those 100 Republicans are trying to subvert the will of voters, just like dictators do

Texas lawsuit

As a child, I remember learning in my civics classes that leaders who tried to wrest or keep power by subverting the will of the people expressed in elections were called “dictators” and their efforts called a “coup.”

We have Republican members of Congress supporting efforts to overthrow the will of the voters with no evidence of election fraud. At the same time, their constituents starve and die due to their lack of action on anyone’s behalf but their own. Are we interested in retaining a president whose only interest is keeping a Washington, D.C., address?

With luck and courage, our court system will hold the line against these traitors and let history record their perfidy.

Margaret Magnani, Cary

NC lawmakers

Seven U.S. House representatives from North Carolina have signed on in support of the Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the election that Joe Biden won by over 7 million votes. Reps. Dan Bishop, Ted Budd, Virginia Foxx, Richard Hudson, Greg Murphy and David Rouzer joined with 100 other Congressional Republicans who support Donald Trump’s fraudulent claims and are willing to put our democracy and free elections in jeopardy as a test of their loyalty to a failed president.

North Carolina cannot afford to have elected representatives disregard free and open elections and the will of the people in order to show loyalty to Trump. They must be held accountable because our future Democracy depends upon it. We shall remember!

Stephen Berg, Chapel Hill

Downtown South

Regarding “Downtown South ‘no’ vote sets up public hearing,” (Dec. 9):

The Raleigh City Council faces a decision on Downtown South, a transformative opportunity to bring much needed jobs, housing, parks, walkable retail, and yes, a stadium, to South Saunders Street. I hope the council says yes, and takes the first step — rezoning long-neglected properties to support community goals to build density along transit corridors. I also hope the council continues to press for more affordable housing, workforce development programs, and equitable measures during the years of agreements and design to come. A vote yes for Downtown South is a vote for opportunity.

Jennifer Truman, Raleigh

Safety at church

Regarding “North Carolina may need more than a COVID curfew,” (Dec. 9 Editorial):

My church has been a great disappointment to me in regard to COVID safety, in that it does not require masks and very few who attend choose to wear them. It holds two in-person services each Sunday morning and is planning three Christmas celebrations, along with a women’s Christmas program that could expose hundreds of people.

Several people in the congregation have had COVID, including the pastors and some of their family members. I truly believe the members of my church aren’t being protected. I’ve lost trust in my church’s ability to make important decisions for me and others regarding our health and well-being. Most importantly, my church is lacking the expressions of caring and love.

Celia S. Kiffor, Apex

Superintendents

It was interesting to hear that two people who attended the in-person conference for N.C. school superintendents have now tested positive for COVID-19. One of the superintendents said “hindsight is 20/20” and maybe the conference should have been virtual. Please use your brain, especially when it comes to children.

Debbie Harmon, Raleigh

Civic duty

Kathleen Parker’s “Taking the vaccine is a civic duty,” (Dec. 9 Opinion) would be totally unnecessary if the U.S. had a president who worked to unite the country in fighting COVID-19.

Doubt and mistrust in the development of the vaccine is due to the politicization of the agencies entrusted with ensuring that rigid research standards were followed. As the nation was being terrorized by a deadly virus, we had a president who tossed the problem to the states, essentially abdicating any leadership role in guiding citizens to safe harbor.

Yes, we will eventually do our civic duty to roll back the deadly tide caused by the virus. But consider how many more of our fellow citizens would be alive if we had a president who understood his civic duty.

Louis Giglio, Raleigh

Latino buyers

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey recently announced the N.C. Rate Bureau is requesting a 24.5% statewide average increase in homeowners’ insurance rates to take effect in August 2021.

As president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, I strongly oppose this increase as it would adversely impact N.C. homeowners, many of whom are already struggling amid the pandemic. It would put homeownership out of reach for many prospective buyers.

Census data shows Latinos are driving homeownership growth nationally and in North Carolina. While the Latino population rate in N.C. is just under 10%, Latinos account for over 20% of homeownership growth and 23% of population growth over the last 10 years. Latinos are just now aging into their prime home-buying years. It is critical that we support policies that make homeownership affordable and attainable for this growing population.

Ana Aponte

NAHREP president