BPAL educates community ahead of
primary election
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Over the past three
weeks, the Black Political
Action League (BPAL)
and several other organi
zations have been doing
their part to ensure vot
ers are prepared for the
upcoming primary elec
tion by hosting a series of
forums where candidates
in several local races had
the opportunity to discuss
their platforms and most
pressing issues in the com-
munity.
The series of candidate
forums began on Jan. 27 at
the Central Library when
candidates for mayor and
Forsyth County clerk of
Reginald McCaskill, president of the Black Political Awareness League speaks dur
ing the candidates forum held on Monday, Feb. 11.
court met to discuss the
issues. The second forum
was held on Feb. 1 at the
Delta Fine Arts Center and
featured candidates run
ning to represent the East
Ward on the Winston-Sa
lem City Council. The next
forum held at the Winston-
Salem Urban League high
lighted the candidates run
ning to represent the U.S.
Congressional 6th District
and N.C. State House.
The last forum, held on
Monday, Feb. 11, was also
held at the Central Library
and included candidates
running for District B on
the Forsyth County Board
of Commissioners and the
South, Southwest, South-
east, West, and North
Wards on the Winston-Sa
lem City Council.
During each forum,
candidates answered three
questions pertaining to
their platforms: how they
plan to spend their first
100 days in office, what
they believe is the most
pressing issue in the com
munity, and how they plan
to engage the community.
Reginald McCaskill,
president of the BPAL,
said when they decided
to partner with other or
ganizations, including
the Winston-Salem Black
Chamber of Commerce,
local NAACP, Ministers’
Conference of Winston-
Salem and Vicinity, and
The Chronicle to host the
Photos by Tevin Stinson
Eunice Campbell, a candidate for the North Ward on the Winston-Salem City Coun
cil, talks about her platfrom during a recent candidates forum.
forums, the plan was to
create one venue where
candidates could share
their views with the public.
McCaskill said he wanted
to make it easier for can
didates and the community
“The main reason was
to bring the forums un
der one umbrella so we
wouldn’t have one thou
sand forums,” McCaskill
said. “This concept makes
it much easier for our can
didates and the commu
nity so people won’t be
running around. And what
normally happens is, you
have the same people at
tending forums anyway.”
McCaskill mentioned
that the BPAL and the oth
er partners have already
planned to hold forums
ahead of the General Elec
tion as well. The BPAL
will also participate in the
Souls to the Polls event
scheduled for Saturday,
Feb. 22.
The BPAL was found
ed in the 1980s by several
leaders in the community,
including Mayor Pro Tem
pore Vivian Burke, with
the purpose of providing
educational resources re
garding the political pro
cess. After being inactive
for a few years, McCaskill
and others decided to re
ignite the initiative earlier
this year. McCaskill said
he felt it was important to
bring the BPAL back to
educate black voters in the
community.
“I felt the need to bring
it back because there is a
need to educate our Afri
can American citizens. Ev
erything we do is geared
toward the concept of edu
cation,” McCaskill said.
“So we just wanted to
make sure we reach those
people and that they are
educated about the politi
cal process.”
Early voting for the
2020 primary election in
Forsyth County begins to
day, Feb. 13, and ends on
Feb. 29. The primary' elec
tion is Tuesday, March 3.
For more information on
the primary election and
early voting sites, visit the
Forsyth County Board of
Elections website.
For more informa
tion on the BPAL, visit
“Black Political Aware
ness League BPAL” on
Facebook.
Forsyth County becomes latest Second Amendment
Sanctuary after 4-3 vote
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
The Forsyth County
Board of Commission
ers recently voted 4-3 to
approve a resolution sup
porting the protection of
the Second Amendment,
joining hundreds of other
cities and counties across
the country that have been
declared “Second Amend
ment Sanctuaries.”
The resolution brought
before the Forsyth County
Board of Commission
ers was introduced by
Commissioner Gloria
Whisenhunt. In response
to proposed gun reform
by Democrats, Republi
can lawmakers across the
country have passed laws
and resolutions to prohibit
or impede the enforcement
of certain gun control
measures such as universal
background checks, high
capacity magazine bans,
assault weapon bans, and
others.
Prior to voting on the
resolution on Thursday,
Feb. 6, the public had the
opportunity to share their
thoughts on the resolu
tion during a public hear
ing. During the hearing,
the room seemed to be ,
split down the middle with
supporters of Whisen
hunt’s resolution on one
side and those in support
of an alternate resolution
introduced by Cominis-
sioner Fleming El-Amin
supporting the entire Bill
of Rights on the other. As
he stood at the podium fac
ing the Board of Commis
sioners, John Cox, a retiree
from the Forsyth County
Sheriff’s office, asked ev
eryone in support of the
first resolution to stand, at
which point half the room
stood up.
Those in support of'
Whisenhunt’s resolution
argued that the Second
Amendment is under at
tack.
www.wschronicle.com
Melvin Pempsell, who
also spoke in support of
the resolution, said those
who believe that the Sec
ond Amendment isn’t
under attack are wrong.
He said “Somebody here
stated that the Second
Amendment is not under
attack. He is so far wrong
that he’s almost living in
Disneyland.”
Pempsell said he
agrees that criminals
should not be allowed to
purchase or carry firearms,
but they have them and
will continue to get them.
“Take all the guns
away, they’re going to get
them. That will leave some
of us unable to defend our
selves and that in itself is
wrong,” Pempsell said.
Amy Jones urged the
board to vote against the
resolution supporting
the Second Amendment
resolution. Jones said the
resolution is a symbolic
gesture and holds no leg
islative power. She said,
“Fear is a powerful thing
and seems to be the main
motivator for such resolu
tions.” Jones noted that the
resolution follows in the
footsteps of similar resolu
V
tions passed in Davidson
County and Virginia. She
mentioned the only law
that has passed in Virginia,
where lawmakers have
been presented several dif
ferent bills related to the
purchase of guns, is uni
versal background checks.
“Does that warrant all
these declarations?” Jones
asked.
“Those who are truly
concerned with their Sec
ond Amendment rights
should be less worried
about passing needless,
redundant resolutions such
as this one presented today
and more concerned about
those people who become
emboldened by such mea
sures to cause harm and
fear,” Jones continued.
“No one is going to take
your guns; those rights are
guaranteed by the Consti
tution and by those elected
to uphold it. If that is in
doubt, consider the fact
that innocent people are
killed every day because
of guns; no one comes for
your guns.”
Longtime community
activist Al Jabaar said it
is a shame that the public
has to come before the
Board of Commissioners
to discuss protecting an
Amendment that’s already
protected. Jabaar, who is a
Army veteran, who earned
three Purple Hearts while
fighting in Vietnam, said
he finds it difficult to lis
ten to people push against
stricter gun legislation
when children are being
gunned down with weap
ons he used while in com
bat.
“It is a shame that we
have to come before you
and discuss protecting an
Amendment that’s already
protected,” Jabar said. “If
we continue to let people
walk around with weapons
such as these, we’re going
to continue to have mass
destruction of our people.”
Before voting, the
board had the opportunity
to share their comments on
the resolutions. Commis
sioner Tonya McDaniel,
who is a Democrat, said
the first resolution was un
necessary.
“There’s no need to
think that we’re taking
something away from
you,” McDaniel said. “In
my opinion, option one is
unnecessary. What are we
saying today? Are we say
ing the other Amendments
don’t matter? So that’s one
of the things I think we
should consider.”
Before reading the
resolution supporting
the Second Amendment,
Commissioner Whisen
hunt said she understands
those who fear that their
right to own firearms is
under attack. She said, “I
do understand that there’s
differences here in this
county and there’s some
fear in this county.
“Some folks do not un
derstand your fear and I do
not understand other folk’s
fears, but I do share your
concern for the Second
Amendment.”
When it came time
to vote on the resolution,
the four Republican Com
missioners, Whisenhunt,
Richard Linville, David
Plyler and Don Martin,
voted for the resolution
supporting the Second
Amendment. McDaniel,
El-Amin and Ted Kaplan,
voted against making
Forsyth County a Second
Amendment Sanctuary.