OPINION
The Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt
Publisher Emeritus
1974-2015
617 N. Liberty Street
336-722-8624 I 41 ?
www.wschronicle.com $
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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.
Start now to
determine
best candidate
for UJS. House
Three candidates will be competing in the June 7
Democratic primary for the chance to run against
incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, who
was first elected in 2004 to represent the 5th
Congressional District.
Now is the time to look at these candidates before
the June 7 primary.
This will be a new experience for many residents
on the east side of Winston-Salem, who for years
voted in the 12th Congressional District, which was
represented by Alma Adams, an African-American
woman from Greensboro. Most of eastern Winston
Salem's residents are
African-American.
But earlier this year
after a federal court struck
down North Carolina's
congressional districts as
too racially concentrated
in Districts 1 and 12, the
congressional districts
were reconfigured, and a
separate June 7 primary
was ordered. Now, all of
Forsyth County is in the
"Now is
the time to
register to
vote."
5th Congressional District.
June 7 is less than a month away.
?None of the candidates in the 5th Congressional
District's June 7 primary, Democrat or Republican,
is African-American.
Charlie Wallin, 44; Jim Roberts, 71;.and Josh
Brannon, 38, who lost to Foxx in 2014 by 22 per
cent, spoke at a forum held at Forsyth County
Photo by Todd Luc
5 th Congressional District candidates Charlie
Wallin , Josh Brannon and Jim Roberts look on as
City Council Member Dan Besse moderates a forum
at Forsyth County Democratic Party headquarters
on May 5.
Democratic Party headquarters on May 5. (See story
on page A1.) This was one chance to check them out.
However, they all have ways to contact them:
?Charlie Wallin: www.charliewallinfor
congress.com, www.facebook.com/Charlie-Waliin
for-Congress-338660630910/?ref=nf
?Jim Roberts: www.facebook.com/Jim-Roberts
for-US-Congress-1029276277132949/
?Josh Brannon: http://joshforushouse.com/,
w wwfacebook .com/JoshForU SHouse/.
Now is the time to register to vote. The deadline
to register to vote in North Carolina is 25 days before
the date of an election, which is Friday, May 13, for
the June 7 primary. The voter registration application
must be received by the Forsyth County Board of
Elections by this date:
New voter registration cards are being mailed out
in Forsyth County to let current voters know that
their congressional district has changed.
Be ready to vote in the 5th Congressional District
and vote for the person who will work in your best
interest.
i " ;vi " :
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Congratulations one
year later on 41 years
in business
To The Publisher:
I took my wife by the Chronicle
recently and shared my stories with
her about my first job and the lessons
1 learned there.
I was in town to do a training,
ironically, for the WS Police
Department. My trip stirred memo
ries of the Sheila Epps McKellar case
and the work we did in beating the
mainstream press on the story.
You taught me a lot about charac
ter, grit and determination. I am for
ever grateful for the opportunity that
you gave a fresh out of college aspir
ing journalist! May the Lord bless
you tremendously for your service to
your community!
"Davis Mitchell
Former Winston-Salem resident
Praise for
Chronicle
reporter
To The Editor:
My name is Alon and I work for
the advertising/PR firm Bouvier
Kelly, here in Greensboro. I wanted
to reach out to you to provide some
positive feedback regarding one of
. your freelance reporters - Timothy
Ramsey.
Back in February of this year
Tun was assigned to cover one of
our stories for the Rhythms of
Triumph event that took place at the
Greensboro Coliseum. The purpose
of the event was to acknowledge all
those who are making a real differ-:
ence in the community throughout
the Triad every day.
Working with Tun first hand, he
was very professional and wprked
extremely well with our clients
(which was McDonald's of the
Triad). He was able to effectively
cover both the local winners, as well
as the local owners. One of the own
ers that he covered was so pleased
with the article he sent us die fol
lowing note after the article was
published:
"Very good article Alon. Thanks
for your awareness and insight in
inviting the Chronicle reporter to the
Rhythm that night. It's one of-the
best articles done by any Triad paper
in the 16 years it's been in
existence. Again, thanks."
Alon Vanterpool
Greensboro
Voting does come
at a cost
To the Editor:
In politics I thought I have seen
everything when I was proven
wrong when South Ward City
Council candidate Ms. Highsmith
decided to reduce the voting process
to having a monetary value placed
on voting.
It was not only appalling, but
truly un-American to go before the
Forsyth County Board of
Commissions and request that the
John Larson and Highsmith cam
paigns be reimbursed due to errors
made during the March primary.
John Larson has the good judgment
to decline any tax payer reimburse
ment, but Ms. Highsmith feels her
campaign should receive taxpayers'
money to reimburse her campaign.
Men and women have given
their lives to ensure that Ms.
Highsmith and each of us have the
right to cast our vote. Having the
audacity to reduce the entire voting
privilege to money is sickening and
scary. This calls into question the
judgment and decision-making skills
of Ms. Highsmith when sound judg
ment is required. It does not cost
money to vote, but voting does
come at a cost! I speak from experi
ence of having worked with Ms.
Highsmith in the past.
John Larson is a proven leader
with sound judgment, unity builder.
bringing together people from all
racial and social-economic back
grounds, Captain in U.S. Army, solid
work history and committed to
growing the South Ward in a posi
tive direction.
John Larson is the right person
?to represent the South Ward on
Winston-Salem City Council!
Please vote for John Larson on
June 7th! Early voting begins on
May 26-June 4 at the Government
Center from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Absentee
voting, April 16-May 31.
For leadership that is not divisive
and brings people together for the
greater good, cast your vote in the
Winston-Salem City Council [South
Ward] election for John Larson!
Brian L. Allison
Winston-Salem
Honor these
non-conforming
trailblazers by
voting
To the Editor:
Three non-conforming trailblaz
ers, altruistic and audacious leaders
in our first, second and third
Reconstructions should be honored.
First Reconstruction: Hiram
Rhodes Revels, 1827-1901
Second Reconstruction: Fannie
Lou Hamer, 1917-1977
Third Reconstruction: Rev Dr.
William J. Bather Jr., 1963
While the other two trailblazers
have died, Rev. Barber is still with
us.
Matthew 22:14: "Many are
called, but few are chosen" is the
best way to describe our anointed ?
leader. Rev. Barber, President of the
North Carolina NAACP, is fighting
the good fight on so many issues
that I will only mention a few.
His 120-year-old church,
Greenleaf Christian Church in
Goldsboro, invested over $1.5 mil
lion into building 60 low-income
homes, 41 units for senior citizens, a
90- student pre-school program,
after- school academic computer lab
for youth and adults, HIV informa
tion and testing center, second
chance program for training former
ly locked-up men and women in
cooking, landscaping, technical jobs
and other self-help programs.
He also currently leads Moral
Monday, a non-violent protest
against the North Carolina General
Assembly's actions to roll back the
civil rights and earned benefits our
people fought for and some died for.
You can read more about Rev.
Barber in our local Black newspa
pers. When you register and vote in
2016, you can honor the three trail
blazers by taking three people to the
voting booth with you.
Romans 12:2 (paraphrased)
"And be not conformed'to the unjust
laws of this world, but be trans
formed by the renewing of your
mind."
James J. Hankins
Wilmington
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