NC gun bill that allows seizure of firearms denies gun owners due process

NC gun bill

Regarding “N.C. should pass a ‘red flag’ law to reduce gun violence,” (April 12 Editorial):

House Bill 525 falls short of due process. A judge’s order to seize firearms from a citizen who has not been accused, charged or convicted of a crime based on allegation is not due process.

This bill does not allow the accused an opportunity to defend himself. It does not provide an opportunity for a close examination of accusations, including investigating the accuser.

Nobody wants dangerous people to have access to firearms. Risk protection orders should respect due process and ensure those found mentally ill receive the care they need. This bill fails to provide any sort of mental health treatment and would deny law-abiding gun owners due process.

Cathy S. Wright, Chapel Hill

Privatizing utilities

Regarding “Private firm offering millions to manage communities’ utilities,” (April 12):

Based on my reading, a number of communities have found that these private management companies get the gold while communities gets the debt and poor service. Nondisclosure by these firms about how they propose to manage our utility systems is a big negative, as is their funding of political contributions. If they can’t viably come through the front door with sound proposals, I’d pass on any offer, as some communities have already done.

Peter Eckhoff, Durham

Banning phones

Once again the N.C. legislature is looking to ban handheld phones while driving (April 15). I’m not against it, but a few things struck me about this article.

One, nobody has to look at their phone to make a call, read and answer a text. All smartphones do that via voice commands.

Cellphones are a distraction, but so is eating, applying makeup, fiddling with the radio and reading the paper — all things I’ve seen.

Don’t get me wrong, people texting instead of paying attention to driving is a recipe for disaster, but maybe people need to be adult about this and remember they’re in control of a 2,000-pound-plus bomb and pay attention.

Denise Bricker, Clayton

NC legislature

Regarding “An ugly new NC attempt to bully transgender youths,” (April 14 Editorial):

Is it unrealistic to hope a clergyman or clergywoman could preach an effective sermon to the Republican majority in the General Assembly which says all persons, even transgender ones, are created in God’s image and the Lord does not discriminate? Thank God North Carolina has a Democratic governor and enough Democrats in the legislature to prevent a veto override. Amen!

Mark G. Rodin, Durham

Hate crimes

Recent widespread coverage of hate crimes against Asian Americans has turned the daily discrimination into a mainstream conversation.

Recognizing the dangers facing so many of our neighbors, several of my N.C. General Assembly colleagues and I introduced The Hate Crime Prevention Act. Many of the ideas in this bill are not new, but this time there is a new component: restorative justice.

If the victim of a hate crime agrees, offenders would be given an opportunity to own up to their acts and undergo remediation. Hate is a terrible legacy, both for the victims of hate crimes and those who harbor it.

This aspect of the law moves us past punishment toward deeper understanding of inherited bigotry, systemic biases, and puts a piece of healing on the record.

Rep. Nasif Majeed, Raleigh

I’ll take a passport

Being in my 80s, I spent much of the last year fearing for my health and life, choosing carefully when to venture out, always masked, staying away from others, using lots of hand sanitizer.

In February I achieved relative freedom when I got the vaccine. It is remarkably effective and safe. Now I join a widening circle of vaccinated friends and life is slowly returning to what it was pre-COVID.

I’m looking forward to being able to travel again but only if planes and hotels restrict their patrons to those who are vaccinated. Once the vaccine is easy to obtain by all adults, there will be no reason to tolerate those who refuse to accept it.

Give me my vaccine passport and let me return to normal life, away from those who object.

Lawrence Evans, Durham