We’re blaming Charlotte transit killing on everyone but the people who can really help | Opinion

What can we learn from the recent tragedy in which a seemingly mentally unstable man killed a woman in Charlotte? The standard reaction questions why this person was released after his most recent allegation of repeatedly calling 911 due to mental confusion and casts blame on the police, the judges, the county, the mentally ill, the poor, anyone but the people who could fund a fix for the problem — NC lawmakers.

What judge is qualified to diagnose mental illness? Why does the GOP-controlled legislature under fund mental healthcare, programs to help the unhoused and mentally ill and emergency response teams? The easy answer, “lock them up,” perpetuates the problem at the cost of higher taxes for jails and the human costs of crime.

We need to reconsider how to provide care before illness leads to crime. That would be smart government. We need more of that in the NC legislature and the White House.

Peter van Dorsten, Raleigh

Roadless rule

The U.S. Forest Service proposed to rescind the “overly restrictive” Roadless Rule. This would remove prohibitions on road construction and timber harvesting on public land. This proposal offers limited economic benefit while damaging watersheds we rely on for clean water.

It should not be forgotten fiscal conservatives promoted the Roadless Rule to reduce taxes for maintaining existing forest roads. Nearly 85% of wildfires are human-caused. More roads will increase fires. Emergency road work is already allowed within roadless areas. Logging federal lands is costly and accounts for a small share of U.S. timber production. Adding more roads will strain the USFS budget.

While some new roads may be needed, removing all forests’ protections is irresponsible. This is a cynical attack on public lands and contradicts the principles of Make America Healthy Again. We must weigh in as strongly as we did 25 years ago.

Phillip Baigas, Weaverville

Ethics complaint

State Auditor Dave Boliek has an interesting challenge in the ethics complaint filed with the NC State Board of Elections he oversees concerning $338,000 in campaign donations to NC Senate President Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall from an Indian-American organization.

If the NC Association of Indian Americans is interested in the state paying for a cricket stadium as Ned Barnett suggests in his column, it would have been more beneficial to give the money to Morrisville, which has a cricket pitch used by many in the Indian and Pakistani communities.

North Carolina’s motto is “To be rather than to seem.” Eventually we’ll learn how honest and partisan Boliek and his Republican colleagues are.

Mark Rodin, Morrisville

Vaccines

New federal vaccine guidelines that reduce mandates and accessibility will leave many people exposed to preventable illnesses. All vaccines have benefits and costs. Each person should be allowed to make a decision about being vaccinated. Deaths are likely to increase as vaccinations are less available. Perhaps the politicians who reduce vaccine availability should be held responsible for the increased deaths?

Larry Wolf, Garner

2026 prayer

I’ve lived through 17 presidencies. When I disagreed with their policies, I knew they were working for Americans’ best interest. They had dignity and decorum. Until now. Trump’s administration works to divide us, to enrich the well-off at the expense of those less fortunate, and to diminish our position in the world. While our global competitors are building lasting relationships, we are turning our backs.

Our education system, once key to democratic engagement, is being shredded and our healthcare undermined. The judiciary, essential to checks and balances, is being dismissed as our hard-won civil rights are discarded. I’ve seen what has and hasn’t worked for America. I’ve lived through misguided economic policies, favoring the wealthy over workers. I’ve seen the effects of international isolation.

I’m afraid what is happening now cannot be reversed. I pray I’m here in 2028 to vote for a president who represents the best we have to offer.

Elizabeth McCarthy, Durham

Israel

I do not have a plan for peace between Israel and those in Gaza. I do know what will not work to bring Israel the peace it deserves: destruction of infrastructure, deaths of thousands of innocent people and starvation of a populace. The U.S. needs to secure peace that assures security for both sides.

Jeanne Arnts, Chapel Hill

This story was originally published September 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "We’re blaming Charlotte transit killing on everyone but the people who can really help | Opinion."