OP/ED I 1 CA i r?9 f roJt/i a/\s f Ernest H. Pitt Elaine Pitt T. Kevin Walker i Publisher/Co-Founder Business Manager Managing Editor Governor's Delusion Pat McCrory is coming to town. The Forsyth County Republican Women have announced that our first-term governor will speak at their annual holiday event on Dec. 10. His appearance will surely pack them into the Forsyth Country Club and flood nearby sidewalks with protestors. The McCrory Administration was supposed to be free of scandal, a unifying force, but it has been anything but. The exorbitant salaries being paid to political hires may be just the tip of the iceberg. A bigger issue for the governor is his seem ing difficulty in simply telling the truth; he can't just tell it like it is. During a nationally-televised inter view on MSNBC last week, McCrory demurred when political reporter Chuck Todd asked him about the decision he and his Republican cohorts made to cur tail voting rights. He insisted that the bill to reduce the early voting period to 10 days from 17 days was not a shorten ing of the voting calendar, just merely a more "compacted" voting calendar. Really, Governor? McCrory and the GOP had the temerity to efface early voting, so the [ governor should have the courage to admit as much. Not only has the early voting span been nearly slashed in half, same-day registration was kicked to the curb, as was early registration for teens who will turn 18 before Election Day. With a straight face, McCrory told the nation that these changes weren't r*r>li t ir> a 1 Up enmaKnvt/ rpocnnc that th*? ^/viiiivui. a iv ?viiivuvn i vuoviu iiiui mv changes will make the voting process better for election workers and residents. (Shockingly, a bolt of lightning didn't descend from the sky, nor did the governor's nose grow longer after he made these claims.) More than half of the North Carolinians who voted in 2012 did so early. The governor probably owes his victory to a great deal of folks who went to the polls before Election Day. But early voting statistics don't favor Republicans. Women and minorities - groups not usually receptive to conservatives - tend to vote early more often. The GOP knows this and has made destroying early voting a key priority. McCrory has been busy during his first year in the Governor's Mansion. In between the massive remodeling project (using tens-of-thousands in taxpayer money), the governor is mastering the art of the spin. His circumfluence was on full display on MSNBC. He is determined to convince the victims of the bad laws he and his lot have passed that the voting changes, education budget-slashing, etc. were really done for their benefit. McCrory vowed to be a straight-forward and straight-talking leader, but he is the very epitome of a politician. Immigration reform stalling Chris Liu-Beers Guest Columnist U.S. House Speaker John Boehner recently stat ed that there will not be any conference committee in order to find a compromise on the bipartisan Senate immigration reform bill. The American people are hearing one excuse after another about how immi gration reform is too com plicated and how there isn't enough time for a vote. After months of dithering, it's clear that House leaders are hoping to run out the clock on immigration. If it holds true that the House doesn't vote on any other immigration bills, then an amendment to deport young people eligi ble for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals pro gram - which passed with overwhelming GOP sup port in June - will be the only immigration measure to have received a vote on the floor of the House in 2013. That track record stands in stark contrast to the U.S. Senate, which passed bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform in late June. Since then, more than 150,000 people have been deported. The human cost of inaction on immigration reform by the House of Representatives is extreme ly damaging to communi ties here in North Carolina and across the country. That's why immigrant rights, faith and labor lead ers announced the launch of "Fast for Families: A Call for Immigration Reform and Citizenship" (www.fast4families.org) taking place on the National Mall, steps away from the Capitol. Leaders and immigrant members of the community are fasting every day and night, abstaining from all food except water-to move the hearts and compassion of members of Congress to pass immigration reform with a path to citizenship. The fast in Washington. DC is being held in con junction with dozens of local and solidarity fasts, events, and actions already underway in key congres sional districts across the country. Fasters are joined nationwide by groups and activists who are prepared to make sacrifices for the passage of immigration reform with a path to citi zenship. The truth is that passing immigration reform isn't a matter of the calendar, it's a matter of will. In fact, there are enough votes to pass immigration reform with a path to citizenship today. The House has forty days - the rest of November and December to find time to schedule it. Despite the grave urgency of the situa tion, however, there are only eight days left on the legislative calendar to cast votes, and many pundits agree that the House lead ership is content to run out the clock without any real progress. Even with the holidays approaching and the never-ending cycle of political fundraisers, the leadership could easily clear the calendar and make it happen if it were truly a priority. In a letter addressed to Speaker Boehner, a group of fasters said: "While we understand and appreciate your wish to work part time for the rest of the year while receiving the benefits of full-time employment, immigrants and working people don't have that lux *ury. We have to show up and do our jobs every day. lest our pay get docked or be fired for dereliction of duty. Like us, working peo ple, we need the House to show up and do its job. Again, as you [Speaker Boehnerj have eloquently said [about immigration reform], 'inaction is not an option." After visiting with activists in DC, Salt Lake City Catholic Bishop John Wester said: "I'm very grateful because I'm hop ing that it will communi cate to our people in the United States the need for immigration reform - that it's not just politics. This is a human issue that calls for courageous action on the parts of our elected offi cials. And for every day that they dally and dither and don't do anything, peo ple are suffering." This fight is personal to us. Every day the House fails to act on immigration reform is another day when 1,100 families are ripped apart by senseless deporta tion. This holiday season, when we hold our families close; let's pray that our elected officials will finally do their jobs. Chris Liu-Beers is a program associate at the North Carolina Council of Churches. Ghana from page AT Shegog said Daniel convinced him to take part after the 12-year-old heard a presentation at school about another service trip to Ghana students took to aid a different school - Fayef International in Kokobrite. The younger Shegog became preoccu pied with helping Ghanaian kids, so much so that he asked his dad and mom (Wake Forest Baptist Health's Dr. Jamehl Demons Shegog) to donate to the cause in lieu of giving him Christmas gifts. Daniel said he was moved by the Ghaqian stu dents' unwavering dedica tion to learning and their lack of technology, elec tricity and running water. He is ecstatic that he and his dad are taking an active role in helping to make a difference in their lives. "I wanted to see the kids," said the sixth-grad er. "I've heard so much about them, I wanted to see them for myself." The Bridge Project evolved out of the work of Dr. Medge Owen, an obstetrician professor at Wake Forest Medical School, who, through her nonprofit Kybele, recruits other obstetricians to train doctors and other medical professionals in impover ished nations around the world. Owen's efforts have greatly reduced the num ber of mothers and babies who die during childbirth. During one of her Kybele-related trips to Ghana, Owen saw that the schools were sorely lack ing essentials. She raised money to have a computer lab and outhouse built at Fayef International School, and last year, she took her daughter. Jozy Unal, and a group of Forsyth Country Day stu dents to the school to install the lab's computers, which FCD, an acclaimed Lcwisville-based pre-K through 12 private school, donated. It was Owen who gave the presentation at FCD that so enamored Daniel After her talk, she often saw Daniel making a bee line to her when she'd pick Jozy up from school. He'd always want to talk about Ghana. Owen said she knew Daniel had to come on this trip. "I cannot let that pas sion I saw in that little boy go undone." she said. It's going to change his life. Shegog, a former FCD computer teacher, served as an advisor for the first trip, helping student Chris Hawley select the comput er equipment the school donated. His knack for comput ers will come in handy as the group sets up the lab at Odoi Atsem. "It feels good, its grati fying to know my skills can be used more than just where they were," he said. "...The fact that 1 can go someplace else and help someone else is definitely gratifying." Owen said she expect ed the trip to go smoothly. Ghana is politically stable, and English is the primary language. She said the stu dents she took last year took to the Ghanaian stu dents immediately. "The kids were like magnets to each other. There was no barrier of color, no barrier of poverty or wealth; it was just kid on kid." she said The group will stay at Ghana Health Services, which will also provide them with transportation and food Owen, whose Kybele work acquainted her with the organization, worked out the arrange ments. ' Locals have already donated several hundred pounds of books to Odoi Atsem. They, like the com puter lab, will occupy the school's new library, which was constructed with Bridge Project funds The group has also funded efforts to bring running water and electricity to the school and purchased lap lops for the computer lab The team of volunteers who departed last week, stuffed their luggage with clothing. Beanie Babies. school supplies and books for Oboi Atsem students. In addition to individ ual donations, the Bridge Project held a yard sale to raise funds and turned to fundraising site Indeogogo. Local non profits have also chipped in. They included Hopscotch Adoptions and Lovell's Little Bits, the non-profit wing of Cash Lovell Stables, whose owner, Parker Lovell, is returning to Ghana with daughter Cashlyn after taking part in last year's effort. FCD students were expected to use the live video chatting service Skype Monday to commu nicate with their class mates and Oboi Atsem stu dents. FCD music teacher Beth Frack. who is among the group of volunteers, was also slated to conduct a song performed simulta neously by Odoi Atsem and FCD students in Lewisville. Aside from their work at Odoi Atsem. the group of volunteers are sched uled to visit Fayef International, a local chieftain, and the slave castles along the Ghanaian coast. The Shegogs say they will miss their family and the traditions of Thanksgiving; however, they believe this opportu nity is well worth the sac rifice. "I'm looking forward to it because it's a com pletely different way of giving thanks and honor ing all that I've been given and giving back to others," Shegog said. For more information, visit www.thebridgepro jectMS. Photo by Todd Luck Don Shegog and his son, Daniel. SHIP EARLY AND AVOID THE RUSH. Let the experts pack and ship your gifts. WE Q LOGISTICS 380-H KNOU.WOOO ST WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27103 336.703.003S (mBfaoTkNMfnmaifBaimO Holiday Honrs Nov 17-Doc 23 Mon-Fri: 8am - 7:30pm Sat: 9am - Spm Sun: Noon - Spm Authorized *| c% 13 OFF PACKING SERVICE IM tm <*mm f* (em ??' C N1}Mrt kathe. IK Mil \\^=p gM^/neiuwiv // & fpox