Thom Tillis deserves credit for standing up to protect the Constitution | Opinion
I have written to Sen. Thom Tillis several times questioning his decisions. Now, I am writing to thank him for saying no to the nomination of Ed Martin for U.S. Attorney, DC. Sen. Tillis said he had serious questions about Martin, given his previous comments denigrating police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 attack.
In response to Senate Judiciary Committee members’ questions, Martin refused to say unequivocally there was violence on Jan. 6 and would not directly answer if he believed the 2020 election was stolen. He also didn’t close the door on the idea that Trump could serve a third term.
Thank you Sen. Tillis for standing up to protect and defend the Constitution this time.
Roberta Blumberg, Durham
Education
The Republican majority in our legislature is no longer supporting public education. We have fallen to 43rd in the national rankings for the average teacher’s salary. We also rank near the bottom in expenditures per pupil. Teachers are now leaving the profession and moving across the border in record numbers.
In the recent election, Republican leaders supported candidates for governor and education superintendent who would have weakened public education in the state. They disdainfully refer to our public schools as “government schools” and give extravagant support to private “Christian” schools.
This deplorable circumstance will continue to gain traction unless citizens stop voting for Republicans to serve in our legislature. Ask every candidate if they intend to support public schools and teachers until our state ranks near the top instead of the bottom.
Thomas Spence Jr., Sanford
Dan Blue
Respectfully, I thought Sen. Dan Blue was supposed to represent his constituents. When we voted for him, we voted for him as a Democratic who would represent their issues, not vote for a N.C. Senate budget that does not represent the will of the people he represents. Elected officials are supposed to serve the people who put them in office. I think Sen. Blue needs to explain himself to his constituents. Service has become self-service, it would appear.
David Pritchard, Raleigh
Mental health grants
The Trump government is canceling $1 billion in K-12 school mental health grants that would have been used to hire therapists and school social workers. As a former high school teacher, I know that the need for school counselors is great and already underfunded.
Many children are not successful in schools because they have no one to provide the encouragement and advice they need. Counselors and therapists can improve student performance and prevent potentially violent behavior. Like so much the administration is doing, this lacks common decency and humanitarian consideration.
Joe Burton, Raleigh
Judges
Thank you to the editorial board for the excellent and informative editorial calling attention to the embarrassment caused to North Carolina in the Jefferson Griffin election case by the partisan and unacceptable behavior of Chief Justice Paul Newby, and associate justices Tamara Barringer, Philip Berger Jr. and Curtis “Trey” Allen, as well as Court of Appeals judges, John Tyson and Fred Gore.
Please continue to shine a light on this and other partisan efforts by our judiciary and General Assembly to destroy the democratic process in our state.
Michelle Putterman, Raleigh
Lisbon Payne Berry
May 2, I found myself seated in the historic Mural Courtroom on Margaret Lane in Hillsborough. The occasion was an elegant and deeply moving program honoring Lisbon Payne Berry. Born into slavery, Berry transcended unimaginable barriers to be admitted to the bar in 1882, becoming Orange County’s first Black lawyer.
In recognition of Berry’s achievements, his image has been added to the courthouse mural; a wonderful likeness captured by the artist Michael Brown. Distinguished speakers included North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green and North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls. Green presented a poem with the recurring refrain that significant voices “will not be hushed.” Justice Earls spoke convincingly of her determination to “carry on the torch for civil liberties.”
I am so glad I had this opportunity to hear these speakers who eloquently delivered their messages to confront difficult challenges, resist discouragement and carry forward the preservation of justice and equality for us all.
Barbara Kenyon, Hillsborough
This story was originally published May 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Thom Tillis deserves credit for standing up to protect the Constitution | Opinion."