Appointing Loftis to an NC House seat was a new low

Donnie Loftis

Regarding “NC House Democrats protest as new GOP Loftis sworn in,” (Nov. 3):

I moved to North Carolina in 1969. State government wasn’t as polarized politically as today. Ten years ago, trying to be more objective in my voting I became “unaffiliated.” I consider myself a moderate.,

Over the last several years one cannot help but see that our state government is moving more towards the extreme right. Balance and compromise is the path to success for a government that truly represents N.C. citizens.

Recent swearing in of Donnie Loftis in the N.C. House is a new low for the Republican-led N.C. state government. Loftis participated in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. He has also promoted COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Activities such as these are a threat to our democracy and the welfare of our citizens and should disqualify Loftis from serving in public office.

Raymond Tyrrell, Beaufort

GOP redistricting

The N.C. Senate redistricting committee approved (along party lines) new boundary lines for Congressional districts that would give Republicans advantages in 10 of 14 districts. This plan, like several others proposed by Republicans over the years, seems to have an extreme Republican bias and once again splits up districts in an effort to win more seats and take back the U.S. Congress.

Many Republicans love to complain about debunked fraud in the 2020 presidential election, but the real fraud for decades has been committed by Republican majorities in the N.C. House and Senate passing these “surgically precise” gerrymandered districts maps.

Marley Honea, Morganton

NC education

The Nov. 1 Forum writer who complained about school bus drivers was misguided in her blame. The blame lies squarely on Republican legislators who refuse to fund education adequately.

In the last decade our state has dropped from being a state with a respectable education system to one of the lowest states in teacher pay and student funding in the country. We have lost good teachers and administrators, and we’re losing staff and bus drivers.

Republicans’ strategic effort do dismantle public education in North Carolina is damaging our state’s reputation and our state’s economy. Our children deserve better.

Sarah Carrier, Chapel Hill

Healthcare workers

In “UNC Health could fire workers over vaccine mandate” (Nov. 2), I read with interest that about 1,000 UNC Health workers have gotten vaccination exemptions on religious grounds. I’m curious, should I or a loved one be admitted to a UNC hospital, will my attending healthcare worker’s religious exemption protect us, at this very vulnerable time, from contracting COVID-19 from him or her?

Mark Rose, Raleigh

Two NC justices

The writer is an N.C. attorney.

Our freedom to vote is on the line in North Carolina, and two of the justices set to hear the case have conflicts of interest that raise legitimate questions about whether they can be fair or impartial.

Soon the N.C. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a lawsuit to decide on whether we all have equal access to the ballot box. One of the named defendants in the case is Sen. Phil Berger Sr. One of the justices hearing the lawsuit is Phil Berger Jr., the senator’s son. And one of the other justices helped to put the anti-voter proposal on the ballot while she was a legislator.

There are recusal rules for a reason. This is clear-cut and the court should require Justices Phil Berger Jr. and Tamara Barringer to sit out.

Dawn Blagrove, Durham

Racism

The education of our kids and subject matter is now part of the political divide in our country. I guess nothing is sacred at this point.

The push against critical race theory is a movement to keep our kids from understanding real American history of past racial injustices. The movement is being driven by the right wing of the GOP who would rather sweep our past under the rug and keep our kids from understanding race relations past and present.

Racism has to be overcome. If our kids do not understand its history, we have little chance of defeating it in the future.

Bob Hannigan, Holly Springs