lOPINION
The Chronicle
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Ernest H. Pitt
Donna Rogers
Elaine Pitt
Publisher/Co-Founder
Managing Editor
Business 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.
N.C. senators
against Lynch
on wrong side
Greensboro native Loretta Lynch is on her way
to becoming the first African-American woman to
become U.S. attorney general, but without the
blessing of both North Carolina U.S. senators, who
are Republicans.
On Thursday morning, Feb. 26, U.S. Sen. Thorn
Tillis voted against Lynch in the Senate Judiciary
Committee. But by a 12-8 vote, the committee still
recommended that the entire Senate confirm her.
Three Republicans joined Democrats in voting for
Lynch, who is the U.S. attorney for eastern New
York.
Tillis and U.S. Sen. Richard Burr are not saying
they won't support Lynch's nomination because
she is not qualified.
Lynch, 56, who went to high school in Durham,
oversees tederal prosecu
tions in Brooklyn, Queens,
Staten Island and Long
Island.
She received a Bachelor
of Arts degree in English
and American literature
from Harvard College in
1981 and a Juris Doctor
degree from Harvard Law
School in 1984.
She has worked for the
federal Eastern District for
Tillis
over a decade in various positions, having served
several key positions in the U.S. Attorney's office
from 1990 to 2001. In 1999, she was nominated by
President Bill Clinton to serve as the U.S. attorney
for the Eastern District of New York,
During her term as U.S. attorney, Lynch over
saw prosecution of high-profile cases, such as the
prosecution of New York City police officers in the
Abner Louima case.
In 2001, Lynch left the U.S. Attorney's office to
become a law partner at Hogan & Hartson (later
Hogan Lovells). ,
She remained there until January 20, 2010, ,
when President Obama nominated her to the U.S.
Attorney position again. Lynch again has handled i
high-profile cases, such as the case of Citigroup ]
regarding mortgage securities sold by the bank, i
resulting in a $7 billion settlement. <
However, Burr and Tillis seem to overlook the
mifllifirafmne of thic canHi- 1
date to concentrate on her '
stances to uphold the law as 1
she sees it. It comes down
politics,
Tillis has said that when
Lynch testified to the j
Judiciary Committee that she
considers Obama's recent
executive actions on immi
gration to be legal, that did
not set well with him.
Tillic nlcn caiH h/?'c nnt
Burr
a ??livj t*iuv UMJW 1IV O IIV/V
convinced there would be enough of a change in
management style from current Attorney General (
Eric Holder. Republicans have vilified Holder since
he has been attorney general.
Burr mentioned in his news release Lynch's sup
port to continue the Justice Department's lawsuit,
filed under Holder, challenging a 2013 election c
overhaul passed by the N.C. General Assembly c
while Tillis was state House speaker. d
Three Republicans joined the Democrats on the f
Senate Judiciary Committee, voting to recommend I
Lynch's nomination to the full Senate. We can't say ti
ill Republicans will be on the wrong side of history f
when Lynch becomes Attorney General. But we P
:an say that North Carolina native Lynch won't be d
ible to say the Republican senators in her native c
itate supported her nomination like senators usual- v
ly support qualified candidates from their home
states.
Burr and Tillis are wrong. We look forward to
he day soon when the majority vote by the entire
Senate is right in confirming Loretta Lynch.
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1
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Disappointed in
Senator Tillis' vote
To the Editor:
Congressman G. K. Butterfield
(NC-01) on Thursday, Feb. 26,
released the following statement
regarding North Carolina Senator
Thorn Tillis' vote against the nomina
tion of Loretta Lynch for Attorney
General of the United States:
"1 am deeply disappointed, as I'm
sure many North Carolinians are, in
Senator Thorn Tillis' vote this morn
ing in the Senate Judiciary
committee .
Senator Tillis
voted against the
nomination of
North Carolina's
own, Loretta
Lynch, for
Attorney General
of the United
States, despite a
successful 30
year legal career
as a lawyer, pros
Butttrfteld
ecutor, and U.S. Attorney for the
Eastern District of New York.
Senator Tillis had an Opportunity
today to be on the right side of history
in supporting the nomination of Ms.
Lynch, who would be the first
African-American woman to serve as
Attorney General.
The politics that Republicans
have played with Ms. Lynch's nomi
nation is deplorable.
Ms. Lynch's nomination has been
pending for more than 100 days.
During this time she has been open
and transparent, answering hundreds
of questions requested by members
of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Opposition to her nomination is
nothing more than a political ploy by
Republicans to once again use any
means necessary to show their dis
dain for the President.
It is disturbing that Senator Tilli?
is beginning his tenure in the Senate
jy casting such a misguided and
politically calculated vote.
However, I'm confident that the
Full Senate will confirm Loretta
-ynch, a daughter of North Carolina,
is the next Attorney General of the
Jnited States."
U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield,
N.C. District 1
Confirm Loretta Lynch
To the Editor:
I proudly support Loretta Lynch's
onfirmation. Lynch deserves a swift
onfirmation. Yet, after nearly 110
lays, the Senate Judiciary Committee
inally voted (12-8) to approve
xiretta Lynch and move her nomina
ion forward for a vote on the Senate
loor. While this confirmation
irocess has been long and chaotic, I
lo find hope in the fact that Lynch's
onfirmation will now move to a full
ote in the Senate.
I am extremely disappointed with
Senator Thorn Tillis' no vote. He
imself acknowledged Lynch's
trong qualifications and experience,
dding: 'She was raised right.' Some
enate Republicans have treated this
Ireensboro native horribly. As 1 lis
tened to each Senator's responses, i^~
became obvious that Ms. Lynch was
being punished because of their dis
like for Eric Holder and President
Obama. She is well-qualified and
very capable of serving as the next
U.S. Attorney General.
I am also dis
appointed
because this pro
foundly quali
fied, intelligent
African
American
woman was
scrutinized dif
ferently by the
Senate than any
man who has
come before her
Adams
? eight hours of testimony, almost
900 written questions, and not one of
the witnesses who testified said they
opposed her confirmation.
Loretta Lynch would be the first
African-American woman to serve as
Attorney General. Is that the prob
lem? She deserves and should have
been judged on her own merit. She is
not President Obama nor is she
Attorney General Eric Holder.
US. Rep. Alma Adams
North Carolina District 12
Swift confirmation
To the Editor:
President Obama's nominee for
attorney general, Loretta Lynch, cur
rently serves as the United States
Attorney for the Eastern District of
New York and, if confirmed, would
be the first African-American woman
to fill the role of attorney general of
the United States.
Lynch is a fully-qualified candi
date to serve in the role of Attorney
General, and the Senate should cause
no delay in confirming her to this
position.
Lynch has a proven track record
as a prosecutor and civil servant.
Born in the
uawII ui lllicgia
tion in North
Carolina to a
librarian and
Baptist minister.
Lynch's person
al narrative has
informed her
service to the
public in her
current role as a
Lynch
u .a. Attorney
and instilled in her a necessary com
mitment to addressing the civil rights
issues of our day. The Senate has pre
viously confirmed her appointment
as a U.S. Attorney, which bodes as a
strong indication of her credibility,
veracity and service.
The United States will be well
served with Loretta Lynch as our
attorney general. The Senate should
acknowledge this and confirm her
without hesitation.
The American people deserve a
chief law enforcement officer of the
federal government who follows the
principles of fundamental fairness
and equal justice under the law.
Loretta Lynch will do just that as our
attorney general.
Advancement Project works with
grassroots partners across the nation
who are fighting the civil rights bat
tles of our era on the ground every
~day. From fighting modern day voter
/suppression tactics, to demanding an
end to the school-to-prison pipeline
and police militarization in commu
nities of color - these civil rights
champions deserve an executive in'
our Justice Department who will"
remain unrelenting in eliminating
racial injustices. The Senate should
do the right thing by the American
people and confirm Loretta Lynch as
Attorney General of the United
States.
Co-Director Judith Browne
Dianis
Co-Director Penda Hair
Advancement Project,
a multi-racial civil rights
organization.
Contact lawmakers
about UNC Board
To the Editor:
In your editorial "HBCUs Need
New Advocate on UNC Board," who
will apply.to serve on the UNC Board
of Governors?"
You stated that "We hope it will
be people who will speak up for the
HBCUs and work to stop the move to
end a valuable part of Black History."
Let's examine the people present
ly serving on the Board.
The UNC Board of Governors
has 3-2 voting members in which
three are ex-officio members.
Twenty-nine are registered
Republicans, four are Democrats and
two are registered unaffiliated. One
of the board members does not live in
North Carolina.
There are seven white females
and two African Americans.
One is a registered Republican,
the other is a registered unaffiliated*,
which probably means she is a
Republican.
Seventeen of the (32) Board
members graduated from the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill.
NOT ONE OF THE 32 MEM
BERS ATTENDED an HBCU
SCHOOL, including the two African
-American members.
One attended UNC and the other
one attended North Carolina State
University and Duke University's
School of Law. Most of the board
members are businessmen.
Although the 32 voting members
of the UNC Board of Governors are
elected by the General Assembly for
four year terms and the General
Assembly is controlled by
Republicans.
African-Americans, especially
Alumnus from the HBCU institutions
should contact their local representa
tives and voice their concerns loud
and clear to put members on the
Board that represent the population of
the state.
Conversely, this is the first
time in almost twenty years that only
two African Americans have been on
the board and one of the few times
that there was not a board member
that graduated from an HBCU insti
tution.
There have been at one time, as
many as seven African-Americans on
the UNC Board of Governors.
Dr. Lenwood G. Davis