Don’t erase my Black history | Opinion

Black history. Mine.

I was born and raised in Charlotte, lived here all my life. I remember White and Colored water fountains, not being able to eat or drink in places that sold food downtown. I remember having to ride in the back of the bus with my grandmother.

Due to busing, I went to Myers Park High School for three months in 1966, a white school at the time. It was the worst experience of my life. I was invisible and many times was asked to give up my seat for a white student. Teachers did not intervene.

I don’t want my history forgotten. It’s not old news. I lived it. So to all those people who want to relegate my experience to the distant past, you can’t! I am still here.

Linda Harris, Charlotte

CMS bus plan

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools claims its new express bus service plan will “increase access,” but it will have the opposite effect. Only families that can afford to provide transportation to and from either, A) the magnet school itself, or B) the new express stop for their magnet school, will be able to continue enrollment in their fields of study.

All other families will be excluded because their students will have no way to get to and from school.

Apparently, the CMS Board is only interested in “equity” when it suits their budget. They may be shaving 7% off their transportation budget, but in the process they are excluding hundreds of CMS families from their public magnet schools. It will be a sad day in CMS if this plan moves forward.

Megan Oakley, Charlotte

‘Cannabis caucus’

Legalization of medical marijuana appeals to most of us. The bigger problem is legalization of all sales and use, which is often the next step.

A Los Angeles Times series covered extensively the criminal activities of nonlicensed growers and street sales. Mexican cartels grow and sell weed cheaper than licensed growers while using illegal chemicals, stealing water and mistreating workers.

The members of North Carolina’s “420 caucus” better educate themselves.

Suzanne Levy, Charlotte

Deadly force

While we’re all horrified by the Memphis police beating death of Tyre Nichols, it should be recognized that if this had happened in North Carolina those body cam videos would likely have never seen the light of day.

In our state, such footage is not considered public record. It can only be released through court order, and police would likely oppose that.

Europe doesn’t have the problem of citizens being killed by police. Their legal standard is deadly force only if “absolutely necessary.” Such a standard here is greatly needed.

Jeff Hopkins, Charlotte

Community safety

Regarding “Mecklenburg votes to spend last of COVID relief,” (Jan. 25):

Mecklenburg County commissioners voted to allocate $99.6 million in excess COVID relief funds that it received from other government sources into five priority areas mostly social in nature. Perhaps somewhere in these priority areas there are funds for our 911 emergency call system that does not have a sufficient staff to answer calls on a timely basis and for our local understaffed police department who are unable to take police reports or are very delayed in serving residents when the need arises.

The safety of our community should be our highest priority.

David Van Hellemont, Charlotte

Wells CEO pay

In view of the difficulties Wells Fargo bank is encountering, adding to the woes of shareholders, CEO Charlie Scharf is stepping up to the plate. He turned down any increase to his total annual compensation, electing to let it remain at the 2022 level of $24.5 million. Wouldn’t it be nice if more of us could learn to suffer on last year’s income and act in a way more beneficial to those less fortunate?

Noel A. Triplett, Charlotte

I-77 toll lanes

Additional lanes are needed on I-77 from Charlotte to South Carolina. Prior to the Charlotte-area road planning group’s vote this month on whether to study use of managed toll lanes on this stretch, they should spend a few hours on I-77 between Brookshire Freeway and Mooresville, where managed lanes have not reduced congestion, mainly due to the outrageous tolls for driving 26 miles. If another Cintra project is approved, the cost from Mooresville to South Carolina could well exceed $25. The majority of the those who need to use the interstate cannot afford paying $2.50 plus a mile. Let’s start thinking about the users versus the small group that may benefit from a self-serving decision regarding managed toll lanes.

Thomas Uhl, Mooresville

Debt ceiling

The subject of the federal debt ceiling is not something to play political games with. Not passing a bill to raise the debt ceiling will be financially devastating to all North Carolina and U.S. residents. Congressman Patrick McHenry of North Carolina’s 10th District, who now chairs the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, needs to step up and be the responsible person in the room to make sure this gets done for his district, the state and the nation.

Daryl Solomonson, Troutman