OPINION
The Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt
Publisher Emeritus
1974-2015
? 617 N. Liberty Street i.
336-722-8624 J 41 V
www.wschronicle.com
Elaine Pitt Business Manager
Donna Rogers Managing Editor
wali D. Pitt Digital Manager
Our Mission
The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the
residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
by giving voice to the voiceless, speaking truth
to power, standing for integrity and
encouraging open communication and
lively debate throughout the community.
Chronicle
endorsements
in Democratic
Primary races
m/
The Chronicle provides the following endorsements
in the contested races in the Democratic Primary.
(The U.S. House of Representatives is currently
scheduled to have a separate primary on June 7, but voters
still must vote for someone in that race. Those races still
remain on the ballot and, to avoid confusion, the State
Board of Elections is urging voters to vote the entire bal
lot. Senate races and all other contests are being conduct
ed as normal.)
President
Candidates: Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and
Roque Rocky De Le Fuente
The Chronicle endorses Vermont Sen. Bemie Sanders,
who brings a new view of governing to the table. He is
bringing a liberal viewpoint to shake up Democratic sen
sibilities. He is emphasizing that the wealthy should be
bearing the monetary burden of helping the middle class
like the middle class helped wealthy institutions with the
huge bailout under President George W. Bush. He also is
urging free college tuition and universal healthcare. He
was an officer of the Congress of Racial Equality and led
a sit-in opposing segregated student housing owned'by
the University of Chicago.
Sanders has an office in Winston-Salem on
Waughtown Street.
The winner of the primary will face the winner of the
Republican Primary on Nov. 8. It is unclear who that will
be, but Donald Trump has the highest delegate count so
far.
US. Senate
Candidates: Ernest Reeves, Chris Rey, Deborah K.
Ross and Kevin D. Griffin
The Chronicle endorses Spring Lake Mayor Chris
Rey. Rey, an African-American, began planting seeds for
his candidacy in 2015, making an appearance in Winston
Salem. He was elected the youngest mayor in the history
of Spring Lake in 2011. He's served in the National Guard
and Army, being deployed to Afghanistan during
Operation Enduring Freedom. He is executive director of
Cumberland HealthNET, a non-profit organization that
helps coordinate care for the uninsured in Cumberland
County. With this experience, Rey is well qualified to
navigate through the Congress to help North Carolina
work for progressive issues, such as improving health
care, not trying to trash Obamacare.
On Nov. 8, the winner of the Democratic Primary will
face the winner of the Republican Primary, which is
expected to be incumbent GOP Sen. Richard Burr.
US. House of Representatives
Incumbent: Democrat Alma Adams
Candidates: Alma Adams, Gardenia Henley and
Juan Antonio Marin Jr.
The Chronicle endorses U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, who
in her first term has worked hard.for her constituents. She
has launched or helped to launch initiatives that help the
poor and historically black colleges and universities as
well as addressed other issues. She introduced a bill to
rename the downtown Winston-Salem post office after
Dr. Maya Angelou and won House approval. The measure
has now gone to the Senate for a vote.
The N.C. General Assembly, led by Republicans, ger
rymandered her out of representing parts of Forsyth and
Guilford counties during the recent redistricting effort,
but Adams has vowed to run for the new District 12 seat
in the June 7 primary.
Governor
Candidates: Ken Spaulding and Roy Cooper
The Chronicle endorsed Ken Spaulding on February
18. Spaulding, an African-American from Durham, has
experience as a legislator, so he knows how to deal with
issues of concern to the people directly. He also has
served on the North Carolina Board of Transportation.
Spaulding has been a practicing attorney since 1970.
? During Spaulding's private sector career, he helped
t H f See Eadoneoo All
I . ? . * ' ? ? ?
"JM*. . . ' y '
MOTE!
???^____________________________
you owe it to yourself to see what
Bernie believes and has done in that
area.
Wouldn't you like to vote for
someone who really believed what
you do? And who acted on it!
Katherine McGinnis
Winston-Salem
A Real Rebel
for President
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Support for
John Larson
To the Editor:
I would like to write a quick note
about our candidate for City Council
for the South Ward, John Larson.
I reached out to John Larson
since he is running for the City
Council and representing the South
Ward where I work for the YWCA. I
run a women's substance abuse
recovery facility for women which is
the only state licensed facility of its
kind in Forsyth County and the sur
rounding area. I wanted John Larson
to understand the great need to
expand our program to allow us to
serve a larger number of women.
John Larson was immediately inter
ested in what I do and what he could
do to help. John Larson spent two
hours with me, drove me around
asking if I would mind showing him
where other facilities were that
assisted us in making the program a
success, and also asking how he
could help. We found some sites
together and his desire to help me
was one that could make a huge dif
ference in our South Ward. I want it
known that I support John Larson *
and His efforts.
Kristin M. O'Leary
Vice President of Supportive
Services
YWCA Hawley House & Project
New Start
Winston-Salem
Bernie is Best
To The Editor:
I hope everyone had a chance to
read Dr. Bill Turner's letter in strong
and thoughtful support of Bernie
Sanders in last week's Chronicle.
I am so happy to have Bemie to
vote for. He really is a candidate I
can support without reservation. Of
course, I'm drawn to his independ
ence, his rejection of establishment
politics and corporate money, and to
the fact that he can freely vote his
conscience and the best interests of
his constituents, not influenced by ?
big donors.
So often it seems that this posi
tion on financial and political
integrity and his reputation for a
strong and honest character are all
we hear about in his support. And
that is important to me. But there
are a lot of other reasons I vote for
Bernie. In the limitations of this let
ter, I can't name and explain
enough, so I will urge you to go to
feelthebern.com where you can find
his positions explained in eighteen
categories - civil rights, criminal
justice, earth and the environment,
economic inequality, the economy
and jobs, education, family, foreign
policy/national security, government
regulation, healthcare, immigration,
military and veterans, personal free
doms, political and electoral reform,
racial justice, science and technolo
gy, social safety net, and working
people.
Whatever your values and your
concerns in the upcoming election,
To The Editor:
I consider myself to be a natural
born, modern rebel!
Born in Rocky Mount, N.C., I
now live in Sylva, where I have
planted roots for over 11 years. I
grew up in a family, very proud, and
humble, to be Southerners.
According to my Mother I was bom
rebellious, questioning why I was to
do something when told. I still am
this way and thankfully so because it
causes me to pause, to listen, and to
critically analyze new information,
experiences, and people.
We, as American citizens, are in
dire need of a rebellious leader.
There is no other way to change the
varied courses of destruction we
have been following. We need to
rise again, not only the South, but
the North, the Midwest, the West,
the Southwest, the whole nation! We
need a leader who has the guts to
take' bold steps, to chart a new
course for our future. We need a
leader who has the strength of char
acter to choose to be civil, to be
respectful of us, and of the peoples
of all nations.
There is only one candidate for
President of the United States who
lives up to this, and he is Beroie
Sanders. He has proven for over 30
years that he sticks to his guns, and
his guns are shooting bullets that
will blast the status quo for many
things. His ideas are bold, well
thought out, and well explained. His
vision is one that I believe in for us,
and matches what I was taught our
great nation is about. As Thomas
Jefferson stated "What country ever
existed a century and a half without
a rebellion? And what country can
preserve its liberties if their rulers
are not warned from time to time
that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance?"
We need a modem rebel in
office;, we need bold leadership that
respects us all, and our future. I
encourage you to support Bemie
Sanders this March 15 in our state's
primary.
Thank you for your time and
serious consideration,
Christian Curtis Collins Jr..
Sylva
Insight into
community's
problems *
To the Editor:
As the New South Community
Coalition's President, I have had the
privilege to work with
Ms. Highsmith in her role as
Vice President and as one of its
founders and in pursuing our mis
sion of protecting the integrity of
our neighborhoods. Through the
Coalition, Ms. Highsmith has been
instrumental in ensuring the re-land
scaping and beautification of West
Clemmonsville Road after its major
road expansion project while also
working diligently with the Police to
try and keep every person healthy
and safe when shopping at the South
Park Shopping Center and through
out the neighborhoods of South
Winston-Salem, especially the
Konnoak Hills Community.
However, I most admire Ms.
Highsmith for her selfless volun
teerism and community work and
her increasing experience in dealing
with all level of issues at both the
city and county levels.
In serving with her in our com
munity, I have had the opportunity
to observe Ms. Highsmith's honest,
pragmatic, and hopeful insight into
our community's problems and
needs, and her willingness to exam
ine the issues and listen closely to
the community's questions and con- *
cerns?all of which sets her apart
from her opponent's expected and
uninspired discourse. ?
So, I am writing today to express
my support for her campaign and
my intention to spread the word to
others of the value of her policies
and abilities, along with my respect
and admiration for her generosity,
intelligence, and dedication. With
proud enthusiasm, the New South
Community Coalition and I endorse
Carolyn Highsmith as the next South
Ward City Council representative.
Rev. Robert E. Leak m
President
New South Community
Coalition
Winston-Salem
John Larson not
afraid to
roll up his sleeves
To The Editor:
I heartily endorse John Larson
for Council Member for the South
Ward. The St. Philips Heritage
Center, a touchstone of Winston
Salem's early African American his
tory, lies in the South Ward. John's
work on the restoration of the St.
Philips site in Old Salem bears wit
ness to his commitment to commu
nity and his dedication to the preser
vation of all of our city's history.
St. Philips is not where the story
ends and that is why 1 most admire
John Larson because of his ability to
see the big picture and the value of
inclusiveness. He stated in a 1994
article entitled, "Architecture and
The Preservation of Memory,*' -
"What are the vessels we shall carry
forward to remind us of ourselves
and our past? Which memories are
we to discard? To what degree do
we simplify the realities of the past
and remember only what is conven
ient and comfortable? ... and just
whose memories are to be saved."
John Larson is not afraid to take
on tough issues and roll up his
Sqe Letten on A8 y