On LGBTQ issues, Holly Springs mayor set a divisive tone

Holly Springs

Regarding “Holly Springs mayor rejects gay Pride month proclamation,” (June 8) and subsequent articles.

The Holly Springs mayor refused to issue a Pride Month proclamation recognizing the LGBTQ rights celebration. The town also has not signed onto Wake County’s nondiscrimination ordinance.

The discussion feels typically partisan. Depending on what color you are — red or blue — I can predict your response. And that’s the problem. We continue to divide ourselves into teams, instead of centering our humanity and seeing each other as valued parts of the human family.

The mayor explained that “our actions as a town speak louder than the words.” The mayor is right. His action to not embrace a symbolic proclamation that acknowledges our nation’s historical discrimination against the LGBTQ community spoke loudly. It shouted: “We don’t see you and we will continue to deny you the full scope of your humanity.”

Michael Finley, Holly Springs

Immigration

In North Carolina, we are in dire need of unskilled workers in agriculture, the hospitality industry, and as home health care aides, as well as highly skilled workers in technology fields. Instead of welcoming immigrant workers, we make it difficult to impossible for them to settle and/or remain here.

No one wants open borders, but an efficient immigration system would make it easier for potential immigrants to apply without the need to cross illegally. Reform would also fund a mechanism to more promptly evaluate claims for asylum made by those coming toour border, rather than releasing them into the country for years while awaiting a decision.

The notion of immigration has been so demonized and politicized that members of Congress are afraid to touch the issue, while countries such as Canada prosper with an effective system that serves the national interest.

Judith Pulley, Chapel Hill

Jan. 6 hearings

In response to the Jan. 6 hearings...

President Trump did not win the last election; he and the others knew that this was a big lie and they are responsible for the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol and the deaths and injuries that took place.

It was criminal and intentional. They collaborated together to try and incite a coup on our democracy.

Trump should be banned from ever running again, and criminal charges should be filed against him. His own daughter, his attorney general, and his staff told him he was not winning and the stolen votes were a lie. Even if his base has been deluded, we know.

Republicans in Congress have been cowed into cowardly silence. Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr need to speak up or be forever labeled in history dishonorably.

Sinead Borgersen, Apex

Gun legislation

The ineffective bipartisan gun legislation crawling through Congress will do nothing to stop the rate of gun violence in the United States. It reminds me of the political effort to clean up pollution in Jordan Lake by stirring several billion gallons of lake water with solar powered devices that experts said would be totally ineffective, and they were. Few politicians wanted to fix the pollution at its source up-river.

Barton Holtz, Pittsboro

Court security

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently called for immediate action in Congress to craft new legislation to protect sitting U.S. Supreme Court justices and their families. As a lifelong Democrat, I am surprised to find myself in complete agreement with the senator. In fact, I would like to see the legislation he calls for to be expanded to include, for example, all federal judges, all federal employees, all school children, all church worshipers, all shoppers, all attendees at outdoor music events, and everyone at their jobs and at home. Just like our Supreme Court justices, all of these people need to be made safe, too.

Tony Tschopp, Raleigh

NC dental care

The writer is N.C. Senate Majority Whip.

Despite North Carolina’s stature as a top-ranked state for business, education and relocation, we are woefully behind in a major area: dental care.

It’s hard to believe from the vantage point of Raleigh, but all 100 counties are partially or fully designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas. This means access to basic oral healthcare is extremely limited.

High Point University has announced a $32 million gift from the Rick and Angie Workman Foundation to create a new dental school. It’ll be the third in the state. It can’t come soon enough.

But North Carolina must also do better at fostering dental support organizations (DSO). They assist dental practices with the non-clinical side of the business, including providing human resources services, continuing education, quality equipment and state-of-the-art diagnostic technology.

Many DSO practices are located in rural areas, where the need is high and unmet by private dental practices. My colleagues in the legislature and on the N.C. Dental Board should be empowering DSOs in our state.

Sen. Jim Perry

This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 12:00 PM with the headline "On LGBTQ issues, Holly Springs mayor set a divisive tone."