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CBC chair Butterfield blasts Trump as 'unfit' Butterfield BY CASH MICHAELS TOR THE CHRONIC! J. On Tuesday, Aug. 2, President Obama raised eyebrows when, during a press conference at the White House, he bluntly told reporters that "the Republican nominee is unfit to serve as president." But Obama wasn't the first black-elected official to make that declaration about controversial busi nessman Donald Trump. North Carolina U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D NC-1), who also serves as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), took the stage at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last week to tell conven tioneers, a national televi sion audience, and Trump himself (if he was watch ing), "You are not qualified to serve as president of the United States. "In my community, you judge a man's heart by his words and deeds." Butterfield continued. "Donald J. Trump, your words have been hostile, been bigoted, and insult ing. You've used every opportunity to talk about your wealth, to denigrate people who don't hold your views, even in your own party." Trump has ignited numerous controversies since he announced his candidacy in July 2015, calling illegal Mexican immigrants "rapists and murderers," demanding that Muslims from coun tries that have had terrorist activity be temporarily banned, and recently, he criticized the Gold Star family of a deceased Muslim U.S. soldier who was killed in action in 2004, just because the father criticized Trump publicly at the Democratic convention. While Republicans in Congress and elsewhere have severely criticized the controversial businessman, few, if any GOP leaders have revoked their endorsement of the Republican nominee. North Carolina Republican Gov. Pat McCrory has endorsed Trump,, and appeared with him as recently as last week in Winston-Salem, along with other state GOP leaders. Butterfield further charged that Trump would "use your status to alienate African-Americans and other groups, and you would use the office of president to take our great nation in the wrong direc tion." "We know, we know that you have no plan to address issues directly affecting the African American community, such as gun violence and voting rights, historically black colleges and universities, raising the minimum wage and addressing persistent poverty," Butterfield con tinued. Butterfield's public rebuke of the Republican nominee carries weight because the black Democratic congressman says he is committed to doing everything he can to ensure that Trump does not win North Carolina in November. The Tar Heel State is considered a prime battle ground state that could go either for Trump or his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. In 2008, Barack Obama won the state on his way to the presidency, but four years later. Republican nominee Mitt Romney won North Carolina in his failed attempt to unseat President Obama. According to many political analysts, if Trump is to have any real chance of tallying the need ed 270 electoral college votes to win, he needs North Carolina's 15 elec toral votes in his win col umn. Both Trump and Clinton have made numer ous campaign stops to the state, and many more are expected. Their vice presi dential running mates - Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Democrat U.S. Senator from Virginia Tim Kaine - are also scheduling appearances across the state. Pence will be in Raleigh today (Thursday, Aug. 4) and Kaine was in Greensboro on Wednesday. So there was very little surprise when Butterfield, after stating that he felt Donald Trump was "unfit to be president," began to spell out the reasons why at the convention. "Instead of putting forth details to address income equality and oppor tunity for everyday Americans, you use your celebrity status to paint a picture of gloom and doom," Butterfield charged. "You want to know why your polling numbers are so dismal among African-Americans?" Butterfield continued, ref erencing recent NBC/Wall Street Journal polls that show Trump getting zero support from blacks in Ohio and Pennsylvania. "We know you have gotten rich through your business, but we also know your wealth has come at the expense of other people." Street renamed to honor Earline Parmon BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE The corner of Bates Drive and Carver School Road has been renamed to honor former N.C. law maker and social justice warrior Earline Parmon. The street named to honor Parmon last month is across the street from Carver High School. American flags fly under the sign that now reads "Honorary Earline Parmon Drive." Parmon, who passed away following a brief ill ness earlier this year, was elected to the senate in 2012 after serving in the N.C. house for 10 .years. Before that, she served 12 years on the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. Parmon was an educa tor as well. She founded the now defunct LIFT Academy, a charter school that is credited with gradu ating youth who had been written off by the public school system. Just before her untime ly passing, Parmon worked as the outreach director for U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, who represents the 12th District, which currently includes parts of Forsyth and Guilford counties. Adams said Parmon had a special gift of connecting with people. "She was honest, coura geous, straight-forward and compassionate. She was committed to the people and concerned about their welfare," said Adams. "Earline Parmon gave a voice to the voice-less. We are all much better as a result." ID from page AI "The Court's decision reinforces that race-based decision-making in the electoral system will not stand," said Penda D. Hair, lead attorney for the NC NAACP. "We know that voters of color rely most heavily on these voting measures, and that, without this decision, they would have borne the brunt of the burden this November." Unless a timely stay on the ruling is granted by the entire U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals before the Nov. 8 general elec tions (something Gov. Pat McCrory and Republican leaders have vowed to seek, but legal experts say isn't likely), then voters will have their early voting period restored to 17 days prior to Election Day instead of the current 10 days; maintain same-day registration and out-of precinct provisional ballot ing; reinstate voting pre registration for 16- and 17 year-olds; and most impor tantly, not have to show a govemment-issued photo ED in order to vote. For Ellison, this means county Democrats no longer have to educate vot ers at rallies or by phone banks about making sure they have some form of official government-issued ID, or legal excuse for not having one. They can con tinue their door-to-door canvassing of neighbor hoods for candidates, as they have since June. "It's a great relief to know that our [legal] sys tem does work," Ellison said, noting that at least six laws by the Republican-led General Assembly have been found unconstitution al by the courts since the GOP takeover in 2011. "The pressure valve has been released," Ellison added, also noting that in case there was no positive ruling before November, his county party was instructing voters to make sure their voter registration was up-to-date, and to even use the absentee- balloting process in order to lessen the prospect of long lines at the polls. Now, not only should excessive long lines be eliminated, but voters can still have their ballots counted, even if they go to the wrong precinct. But, like other activists who've worked hard to overturn voter ID, Sutton is now waiting to see how the Forsyth County Board of Elections (BOE) is going to proceed. How will it implement the changes brought about by the ruling in terms of early voting and same-day registration? "We're awaiting the Board of Elections meeting so that we can have some input, as usual, into early voting. So I want to get that over with first, she says." The problem is there is no word as to when that Forsyth BOE meeting will take place because, as of press time Tuesday, there has been no further instruc tions from the state Board of Elections, which effec tively determines policy for all 100 county BOE's across the state. we need to, and are awaiting direction from the N.C. State Board of Elections and the executive director," confirmed Gary Sims, director of the Wake County Board of Elections, because" whatever action does or does not happen, needs to come from their guidance." Ironically, all local BOEs were required to have their early voting sites locked in by July 29, the same day the federal ruling came down. Sims added that while the 17-day early voting period is reinstated, the longer hours of operation per early voting location currently in force could be relaxed since the period is being extended from 10 to 17 days. But exactly what to do with that seven-day extension would be up to local county BOE boards, like Forsyth. One of the other chal lenges Forsyth and other local BOEs face is that they are already locked into budgets prior to the July 29 ruling. That reality will also constrain how quickly and adequately local BOE's will be able to comply. Having only one early voting site open, namely the local BOE office itself and no sateilite sites for the seven-day 'extension, is a possibility. Prior to the July 29 rul ing, Sutton had been dis tributing materials educat ing voters about the photo ID requirement, which went into effect this year during the March and June primaries. "Now we have to go back and educate people that they do not need the photo ED," she added, say ing that now the communi ty must also be clear that pot all of the voter ID law was knocked down. They will still be faced with no straight-ticket balloting, meaning that instead of voting for all candidates of a single party with just one mark, voters will have to individually mailt, race by race, which candidates they choose. Critics of the 2013 law have always said that vot ers may not be aware of all of the candidates, especial ly during a presidential election year, and thus, only vote for a few of the major offices, leaving judi cial or local races blank. Another element of the 2013 "Monster Voting Law" left untouched is the provision that allows any one from anywhere in the state to confront any voter in line at a precinct, and challenge their right to vote. That means the chal lenged voter is required by law to leave the line, and report to the precinct judge's table with the chal lenger to answer questions about their voting qualifi cations. "Those are still current challenges that we have," Ellison said. "So we have to have a strong voter pro tection plan in force - observers making sure that people are educated, and that they are not intimidat ed at the polls." Photo by Tevin Sanson In honor of Forsyth County's first black sen ator, the corner of Carver School Road and Bates Drive, located in northeastern Winston Salem, has been renamed Earline Parmon Drive. Parmon died earlier this year fol lowing a brief illness. ^ I A 1 ??? ? J
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