Gov. Perdue warns women that passage of Amendment One could harm them
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Uov. bev Perdue
urged state residents
to vote "no" on
Amendnent One on
May 8.
The
Republican-backed
Amendment would
add a ban of same
sex marriage to the
state's
Constitution,
although such
unions arc already illegal in
North Carolina.
Perdue
"Our constitution is for
guaranteeing rights, not taking
them away. Gov.
Perdue said last
week at a women's
conference in
Charlotte. "And no
? matter what reli
gious or moral back
ground you come
horn, no one has the
right to put discrim
ination of any kind
into our constitu
tion."
In her remarks, she empha
sized how Amendnent One
could erase domestic violence
protections for all women in
North Carolina and that this
move follows the General
Assembly's intrusion into
women's rights by passing a
law, over the Governor's veto,
dictating what doctors will tell
their patients. Republican
legislative leaders also have
trampled on North Carolina's
constitutional guarantee to a
sound education by making
deep and unnecessary cuts to
schools, community colleges
and universities.
Instead of using the
Constitution to protect rights
and values, the legislature is
trying to strip them away
through Amendment One,
Gov. Perdue said. The amend
ment will hurt businesses and
families through a cascade of
unintended consequences, she
said.
"It could change the laws
that determine outcomes like
emergency financial decisions,
hospital visitation rights and
child custody laws," Gov.
Perdue said. "And it could take
away domestic violence protec
tions for all unmarried women
in the state of North Carolina.
So on May 8th, I'll be voting
against Amendnent One and I
hope you'll join me."
I
Photos by Lay la Farmer
The judges
pose with
contest final
ists from left:
Nadia Wisley,
L i a j a h
Jackson,
M y a s i s a
Hunter,
N i I e y a h
Mason,
Mackayla
Parker and
J a ' H a u n
McConnell
Alexander.
Cook
from page AT
the opportunity to compete
in the contest's finale on
April 11 at Wake's Law
School. Law School Dean
Blake Morant was among the
judges who listened to the
students' presentations. \
"It felt so shocking and
weird," Nadia said of winning
the contest, which challenged
the students to assume the
identity of one of the history
makers they learned about
during a field trip to the N.C.
Museum of History in
Raleigh that the law firm
sponsored earlier this year.
Nadia, who won a $50
Target gift card, chose Dr.
Ben Carson, the first surgeon
to successfully separate
Siamese twins conjoined at
the back of the head.
"I really like how he
inspires people to go to their
dreams and goals and don't
act like you can't do anything
in life," she said of Carson,
who was awarded the
Presidential Medal of
Freedom by then-President
George W. Bush in 2008.
Almost 30 Cook fourth
graders traveled to the WFU
campus to cheer on their
classmates during the con
test. Kilpatrick Townsend
began sponsoring the contest
at Cook last year. WFU Law
signed on as a sponsor this
year.
"We hope thai you will
continue to do this," Morant
told the youngsters. "One of
the things that's really
important as you progress
and as you go through life is
Nadia holds one of the books she read about Dr.
Ben Carson for the contest.
being able to communicate
with people. That's one of
the most wonderful gifts you
can have."
Beth Hopkins, director of
Outreach for the law school,
said the contest was part of a
greater push the university is
making to get students think
ing about attending college as
part of a national effort
known as the Pipeline
Project. The national project
focuses primarily on high
school students, but WFU is
taking it one step further, by
reaching out to even younger
students, Hopkins said
"The purpose is to get
them thinking about a cur
riculum that will lead them
into a successful college
career and ultimately, into
law school," she explained
"...The dean has a special
interest in young, school
aged children. He doesn't
want to wait until they get
deeply into high school to
decide they want to go to col
lege. He wants that fire burn
ing in them at an early age."
Julie Carter, one of two
fourth grade teachers at Cook,
a predominantly African
American school, said visit
ing a college campus made a
big impression on the stu
dents.
'This made it a little
more real to them like,
'Wow, this is possible,"'
Carter said. "It's not that far
away from where they live."
Carter said the contest has
benefitted the students in a
variety of ways, from
improving their verbal and
written communication
skills, to giving them a plat
form where they are heard and
recognized for their efforts.
"I hope that they got a
sense of accomplishment
(from the experience)," said
Carter, who is in her second
year as an educator. "I really
hope that they took away
confidence in themselves that
they can be successful."
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