OPINION
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The Chronicle I
Ernest H. Pitt
Publisher Emeritus
1974-2015
617 N. Liberty Street
336-722-8624 i41 \
WWW.WSCHRONICLE.COM
Elaine Pitt Business Manager
Donna Rogers Managing Editor
wali D. PlTT 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.
Don't take
your vote
for granted
The Winston-Salem City Council South Ward
Democratic primary should show everyone how
important voting and following the rules are. The
election came down to six votes between the two
candidates in the final canvas of the votes.
There was supposed to be a recount, but candi
date John Larson filed a protest before that could
happen after the Forsyth County Board of Elections
reported that the wrong ballots were mistakenly
given out to 26 voters.
There were other election irregularities, also,
such as, 101 absentee ballots were thrown out
because they didn't have postmarks, as the law
requires. Who knew that in order to get the post
marks, voters have to mail their ballots through' a
clerk or mailbox at the post office while it is open.
Mailing ballots any other way won't provide the
postmarks.
The election has become a learning experience.
The protest has been forwarded to the N.C. Board of
Elections for consideration. A new election could be
"Who elected these people?
North Carolina citizens, of
course. Is this why they were
elected? To turn back the
clock in the state?"
ordered.
Too bad the voting discussion is not about the
General Assembly, the same one that passed House
Bill 2. The passage of this law also is providing a
learning experience, because we are learning that the
law cuts more rights than first believed.
Everyone knew that the General Assembly was
going to hold a special session to repeal a Charlotte
law that provided rights to the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people. But look at what else the
GOP-led General Assembly did: it reaffirms that
local governments can't require area businesses to
pay a minimum wage higher than North Carolina's
statewide minimum, currently set at $7.25 per hour
and explicitly prohibits employees of private busi
nesses from filing lawsuits in state courts alleging
workplace discrimination.
The General Assembly would re-instate slavery if
it could, it appears.
Who elected these people? North Carolina citi
zens, of course. Is this why they were elected? To
turn back the clock in the state?
Voters really need to look at the landscape and
decide to turn back the clock on those who are push
ing for the regressive and repressive laws to the
times when they were not part of the General
Assembly. Look at what six votes can do: possibly
determine an election.
We need to vote and urge others to vote against
the time machine that is determined to' put North
Carolina in the news for all the wrong reasons.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Support Cancer
Services, which
has been helping
people for 60 years
To the Editor,
I am writing this letter about the
local disparities and lack of aware
ness about Cancer Services in hopes
of bringing awareness to this issue.
There are a large number of people in
Forsyth County that have no idea that
Cancer Services of Winston-Salem
exists. This is disheartening consid
ering that this organization has been
in existence for over 60 years.
I want to bring this issue to the
forefront, by reaching out Jo the com
munity and equipping them with
information, starting with the news
paper. Most people still have access
to the newspaper at this time, because
certain age groups tend to be more
comfortable with reading the local
newspaper instead of social media or
the websites online.
Secondly, I want to send key
resources into the community to the
areas that are unaware and untouched
in Forsyth County and the surround
ing areas.
The lack of knowledge should not
be a reason that individuals do not
know about an organization that
helps the families in the community.
Cancer Services of Winston-Salem
provides a multitude of services,
which includes a dietician, wellness
programs, patient advocacy, medica
tion and financial resources, commu
nity outreach, encouragement and
support, along with impacting lives
in a positive way.
I am very passionate about
changing the lack of awareness in the
community and this is just the begin
ning of my efforts to fix this issue.
My plan is to continue to move for
ward and advocate for more people
in the community to utilize Cancer
Services of Winston-Salem.
Sherry Switzer
Winston-Salem
Elect opposition
to those who are
destroying N.C.
To the Editor:
Gov. Pat McCrory and Sen.
Richard Burr are half way through
leading North Carolina to rock bot
tom. Their edicts of gentrification,
gerrymandering, voter suppression,
low wages, hydraulic tracking,
micro-managing the public school
system, complete takeover of the
university system, no Obamacare
and now the $50,000 (or more) spe
cial session of the legislature to pass
an anti-LGBT law.
If we are naive enough to re
elect them in November, they will
complete their assignment given to
them by the billionaires Koch broth
ers and little millionaire home boy
"honest "Art Pope.
Will your join me by voting for
their progressive opponents Roy
Cooper and Deborah Ross???
James Hankins
Wilmington, N.C."
Greensboro CVB
remains committed
to diversity
To the Editor:
The Greensboro Convention &
Visitors Bureau's mission is to aid in
the marketing of our community's
assets, maximizing economic impact
while providing excellent service.
We will continue to serve all travel
ers and those interested in visiting.
We understand there is a wide range
of opinion and concern about the
Public Facilities Privacy and
Security Act (House Bill 2).
Our primary mission remains to
increase tourism's economic impact
to the city of Greensboro and
Guilford County.
Respect for diversity and inclu
sion also remains a constant for our
staff and area hospitality partners as
well as for our valued visitors.
The Greensboro Convention
and Visitors Bureau
Board of Directors
Moral and civil
rights leaders need
to consider mass
nonviolent sit-in
To the Editor:
We cannot be silent in the face
of this race-based, class-based,
homophobic attack on wage earners,
civil rights, and the LGBTQ com
munity.
Unless Gov. McCrory and the
legislature repeal HB 2 by April 21,
the Forward Together Moral
Movement, better known as 'Moral
Monday,' will consider launching a
campaign of sit-ins at the General
Assembly - a moral witness against
this unconstitutional and immoral
legislation.
With our many allies, we will
coordinate a campaign of nonviolent
direct action along with other forms
of nonviolent protest to instruct our
representatives to respect the rights
of all citizens. *
Rev. Dr. William Barber II
President of the NC NAACP
and architect of the Moral
Monday Movement
HB 2 traumatizes
They believe North Carolinans
are too busy to read their bigoted
law. They think we will not grasp its
explicit, far-reaching and radical
impact on our civic and economic
life;
HB 2 traumatizes our democra
cy. It impairs our local governments.
It undermines the rights of most citi
zens. And it diminishes civil rights
and basic human respect for trans
gender children and adults who wish
to use public restrooms in a safe,
dignified manner.
Bjshop Tonyia Rawls
Executive Director
The Freedom Center for Social
Justice
i
Forsyth County
United Way
is not so uniting
To the Editor:
As children growing up in
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, we
were raised to be very community
minded by always being charitable
to the neighborhood and any organi
zation that helps all the people in
Winston-Salem. We were told that
you never know when you may need
that helping hand.
Through Sara Lee Company, one
of my family members won for
being one of the largest contributors
to United Way.
Even today through the
East/Northeast Winston-Salem
Neighborhood Association and the
Ashley School Precinct, which both
are volunteer community services,
we give of our time and funds striv
ing for a better neighbor/community.
We have co-partnered with the
City of Winston-Salem in many area
plans, mostly for the East/Northeast
wards . We co-partnered with the
Winston-Salem Police Department.
We have participated in so many
things to uplift this community since
2005.
And if I might add, we excelled
at being the most active neighbor
hood association in the E/NE wards,
which was our purpose: to shine a
light on the much needed renova
tions in this Black Historical
Community.
. Over a year ago, I was contacted
by a neighborhood organization to
inform me that 13 neighborhoods
had been chosen by Forsyth County
United Way for rehabilitation assis
tance, but we were not one of them.
Now mind you, my neighbor
hood sits in the very middle of these
13 neighborhoods that were select
ed. So we continued to beautify our
neighborhood by cleaning the
streets, painting a mural, and contin
uing our winning streak of being the
citywide largest National Night Out
for the sixth year in a row in hopes
that we would be given some con
sideration for funds other thah com
mitting our properties to the City.
Most people would like to leave
their property to family members
and not be indebted to the City,
which would inherit the property,
So after almost two years of
hearing this sad news of not being
selected, we felt gerrymandered,
black-balled, red-lined for some rea
son. Actually, it seems mean-spirited
to leave our neighborhood out.
We can only attribute the deci
sion by Forsyth County United Way
via its Board and Advisory
Committee.'
We invited Forsyth County
United Way out to our Mural Debut
in hopes they could see the progress
we want for our neighborhood and
reconsider helping us as well. We
know of no explainable reason to be
singled and left out like that.
We hope someone would contact
me to explain what we are doing
wrong.
Marva Reid, President
East/Northeast Winston-Salem
Neighborhood Association
and Community Advocate
Ashley Precinct Chair
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