Candace Poutre: We voted in transplants

James Seay’s May 8 Point of View “Not from around here” blamed all of the state’s current issues on what he calls neo-carpetbaggers, i.e., people not born in North Carolina. Apparently all of our problems would go away if people who weren’t born here would just go home.

I’d like to remind Seay and others of his mindset that we live in a democracy. The politicians he claims don’t have the necessary mindset to govern a Southern state were elected by the voters in this state, in many cases to multiple terms in office.

It may give Seay comfort to hide behind his xenophobia, but doing so completely negates our political system and voter accountability. The voters voted these people in. If voters don’t like what they’re doing, then they have the ability and responsibility to vote them out.

Hiding behind Southern gentility and blaming those “Northerners” for ruining the state is nothing but a sham. The people responsible for the state’s direction are its residents, born here or not.

If we continue to elect politicians who are turning back the clock on progress, “Northerners” or not, we’re getting the government we deserve and apparently want. That’s the true shame of it all.

This story was originally published May 14, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Candace Poutre: We voted in transplants."