Democrats must face the facts on Biden, look elsewhere | Opinion
Face facts on Biden
The writer is a Duke University Law School professor.
Maybe Joe Biden’s debate performance was a gift to the country. If the sober judgment is that Biden may not be able to win, we have to face that fact and focus on what we need to do to beat Donald Trump. It may actually energize Democrats and voters to have to rally around another candidate who can do the heavy lifting required to campaign effectively against the convicted felon the Republicans have chosen to be our next president.
James E. Coleman Jr., Durham
Judicial elections
The writer is an attorney active in the Democratic Party.
Opinion writer John Wester’s June 16 plea to transform the political vetting process for judges while laudable is naive. Judges are not “independent.” They are slaves to their preconceived notions, like the rest of us. The voting public deserves to know what those notions are. None is more understandable than political affiliation.
Every judge brings some lifetime of political forethought to the courtroom outside of their legal training. Nowhere has it been more visible than in a U.S. Supreme Court dismantling settled law in place for many, a lifetime, based on its political views. Our state Supreme Court has similarly shaken the faith of North Carolinians.
We have the right to know where prospective judges stand on legal issues before they are elected. When the average person is ill-equipped to know its prospective judiciary, an “R” or “D” next to their name says more than nothing at all.
James Saranteas, Raleigh
Graham statue
I absolutely agree the statue of the Rev. Billy Graham in the Capitol should be altered to remove the Bible verses. (June 27 Opinion) While Graham was a great man and worthy of inclusion in Statuary Hall, the presence of these verses clearly flies in the face of the separation of church and state mandates of the Constitution. The slippery slope we’ve been on, ignoring the separation of church and state, is largely responsible for the divisiveness in this country.
Peter A. DiMeo, Cary
New mask law
Regarding the legislature’s new law on mask use in public... I sometimes wear a mask to protect my health, protect the health of others or in solidarity with a friend whose loved one risks dire consequences if they get sick. I also wear one when walking in frigid temperatures, to protect my lungs when wildfires pollute the air as they did last year, and when walking past someone mowing their lawn.
It is inappropriate overreach for the legislature to dictate what kind of mask I’m allowed to wear in public and when. The new law is poorly crafted, not well thought out and an affront to citizens.
Who are these legislators who dictate to fellow citizens exactly what kind of mask we’re allowed to use, and when? It’s not a good look. Maybe they should hide their faces.
Debbie Williams, Timberlake
Transgender care
Medical care for transgender-identifying minors has been a hot-button issue. A major evaluation of the evidence for transgender medical care for minors in the United Kingdom, published in April 2024 and commonly known as the Cass Review, found insufficient evidence to prove the benefits of gender-affirming care for minors.
North Carolina House Bill 808’s restriction on such treatment is in line with the scientific evidence currently available. Between the state’s swift backlash toward the authoritarian House Bill 2 and the more recent passing of the scientifically sound HB 808, our state is poised as a model for moderate and evidence-based legislation regarding trans rights. Let’s keep it that way.
Virginia Weaver, Greensboro
Balloon litter
As the N.C. General Assembly considers larger fines for littering, may they also consider a ban on helium balloon releases. Each person who has released a balloon is in violation of the state’s litter law. What goes up must come down, and the balloons land in lakes and rivers, on trees and power lines and along roadsides. The N&O’s May 5 article about harmful helium balloon releases provides alternative ways to commemorate celebrations or losses. Let’s encourage biodegradable alternatives and end at least one litter problem.
Patty McQuillan, Raleigh
