Now is the wrong time to be repealing any handgun permit laws in North Carolina

Pistol permits

Regarding “NC would end pistol permits under bill,“ (April 22):

In the midst of mass shootings across our country, when there is national outcry for gun control legislation, N.C. legislators are instead proposing a bill that would repeal a handgun permit purchase law.

The Supreme Court ruled in a 2007 decision (District of Columbia v. Heller) that the right to keep and bear arms is subject to regulatory measures. Thus, “gun rights” are not really the issue here. The issue is the safety and security of N.C. residents.

For our state to respond to a national gun crisis by making gun ownership easier in any way has all the logic of pouring gasoline on a raging fire and expecting a good outcome.

Lindsay McDavid, Clayton

Female lawmakers

I have been grumbling for years about spineless members of the U.S. Senate, but our own N.C. House is slouching along the same path. (“The clumsy punishment of an NC Republican woman,” April 23 Editorial)

We women can cry out “Men!” when a one of them pulls rank and gender on us, but where are the men in and out of the legislature who respect and are not threatened by women? If they have a voice, it’s time for them to use it against what looks like Speaker Tim Moore bullying a colleague.

The Speaker’s arrogance is shameful.

Karen Wiebe, Raleigh

Minimum wage

While lawmakers at the federal level stall on a $15 minimum wage, our legislature in Raleigh has a chance to act.

At a press conference Thursday, a group of N.C. legislators announced a $15 minimum wage act which would raise the minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $15/hour by 2023.

Critics say raising the minimum wage is a job killer, but they’re stuck in an old way of thinking. Here in Durham, I’m proud that we have a thriving economy, have the highest average private sector wages in the state, and pay all of our public employees at least $15 per hour, as per local ordinances.

Plus, we have a living wage certification program, the Durham Living Wage Project, that has certified over 150 private-sector and nonprofit employers who voluntarily pay their employees at or above the living wage established by the city.

Living wages equal a more prosperous community. It’s time for lawmakers to stand up and raise the minimum wage for all of N.C. workers.

Carl Rist, Durham

Berger’s vision

In an April 22 op-ed, N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger explained the Republican philosophy of income tax-rate reduction leading to improved well-being for the residents of the state. I do not see the evidence.

Tax cuts don’t cause budget surpluses. The N.C. budget surpluses are due in large part to state spending not in line with need for services.

One example of inadequate spending: The Census Bureau reports that per-pupil expenditure in primary and secondary education in North Carolina in 2010 was $9,280, and $11,844 in the U.S. as a whole. In 2018, it was $9,377 and $12,612 respectively.

Educational spending is an investment in the future of our state; we are falling behind. Other investments have been shortchanged as well.

What is the result? Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita for North Carolina in 2010 was 90% of GDP per capita for the U.S. By 2018, that ratio was 84%. Our state is falling behind.

Patrick Conway, Chapel Hill

Biden and war

Military airstrikes by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the leading cause of civilian death, injuries, and dislocation in Yemen, yet the U.S. military continues to provide the weapons and military support for this humanitarian disaster.

The Saudi blockade is preventing food, medicine, and essential goods from getting to Yemeni civilians, where more than eight million people are on the brink of starvation, many of them children.

To bring peace to Yemen, President Biden must call for an end to all U.S. military aid and logistical war support to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, demand an end to the blockade, support a nationwide ceasefire, and invest in humanitarian aid.

U.S. tax dollars, yours and mine, should not be used to fund endless wars, especially with so many needs going unattended here at home.

Biden can either continue the failed path to war or make the United States a genuine force for peace. It’s up to us to let him know which path we choose.

Joe Burton, Raleigh

Sustainability

With Earth Day just past, sustainability is top-of-mind. As owner of Fred Smith Company Ranch in Clayton, my goal is to raise cattle that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable for my ranch, my fellow ranchers and the community as a whole.

I use a variety of sustainability practices to sequester carbon and maintain the open space on my ranch. Today, we are able to produce more beef with a smaller carbon footprint because of the improvements we’ve made in resource use and land management.

I’m committed to continuous improvement so that we can produce the beef consumers know and love, while preserving natural resources. It’s a practice that will allow us to continue living off this land, generation after generation.

Fred Smith, Clayton