Ted Budd may be tone-deaf on guns, but what he did on Jan. 6 should worry voters more

Ted Budd, guns

Ted Budd may be completely tone-deaf in regard to gun violence in America as the July 10 editorial correctly points out, but voters should also be concerned about Budd’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021. Just hours after the Capitol riot occurred, Budd voted to disenfranchise millions of American voters in swing states that Donald Trump lost based solely on Trump’s election lies.

As we’ve seen, American democracy is more fragile than we ever might have imagined. We need elected officials who put the country and democratic principles first. Electing Budd would be a grave mistake.

Barry Jordan, Charlotte

Student debt

Regarding “Student debt distress,” (July 10):

Affording college is really just simple economics. How much is the total cost of the college you want to attend and how are you going to pay for it? If you have money saved, good. If you have to take out a loan, then does the cost of the degree produce a job that will pay back the loan and your post-college living expenses. Too many students don’t seem to match the college or degree to what they can afford. They take out loans and then look for the government to forgive part or all of it. Anyone who pays federal taxes should be overwhelmingly against student loan forgiveness because it’s you who is paying, not the government.

Jim Shuback, Charlotte

Aiding ICE

The writer is Mecklenburg County sheriff.

Gov. Roy Cooper was right to veto the bill that forced N.C. sheriffs to work with ICE.

Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. When police chiefs and sheriffs are forced to step in, trust among our communities erodes. My community is safer when all members are able to assist law enforcement with investigations and report crimes without fear of repercussions as severe as deportation.

Forcing sheriffs to honor ICE “detainers” also risks running afoul of the Constitution. Once someone completes a sentence or makes bond, law enforcement agencies have limited authority to detain that person for immigration purposes — and could face civil liability.

North Carolina sheriffs do work with ICE, as state law requires. Cooper’s veto supports safe communities, responsible government, and keeping immigration enforcement where it belongs.

Garry McFadden, Charlotte

NC climate policy

I applaud Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania whose climate rule took effect July 1, forcing Pennsylvania’s coal and natural gas-fired power plants to pay for each ton of carbon dioxide they release.

Now that the Supreme Court has crippled the EPA, we must rely on individual states to improve living conditions. I hope Gov. Roy Cooper will enact similar protections for our state. With hurricanes, flooding, fires, tornadoes and extreme heat all affecting N.C. residents, a stronger local climate policy has become imperative.

Kim Fanelly, Mint Hill

Clarence Thomas

Justice Clarence Thomas risks taking conservatism off the guardrails of sanity. Above all, we conservatives should be concerned with preserving liberty laid out in the Declaration of Independence and guarded by the Constitution.

According to Thomas and ultra-originalists, anything state legislatures and majorities say goes, even at the expense of individual liberty. Originalists seem to forget the Ninth Amendment protects unenumerated rights, even those not directly cited in the Constitution.

Conservatives must answer whether they prefer individual liberty or state power that vastly expands government power to regulate everything from access to birth control to romantic partners.

Gabriel Russ, Lincolnton

US aid to Ukraine

It is a natural thing for Americans faced with economic hardship to resent the amount of aid going to Ukraine. But Sen. Thom Tillis is to be commended for realizing that the front line of freedom is currently on the steppes of Ukraine.

Failing to arm and resupply Ukraine will lead to a Europe held hostage by Russian arms and oil, leaving America isolated.

The burden and mantle of freedom is a hard one, but no other nation has the capacity to do what America does. Standing with Ukraine is what America should do.

Carlton Huffman, Granite Falls

Writing off Biden

It’s too early to write off President Biden. I suspect that most Republicans, certainly Trump supporters, will automatically say in any poll that they disapprove of him. But the political trends of the country are changing and the idea that regional and local candidates must ride the coattails of the presidential candidate is not a current “sure bet.”

In a world where the media spends a lot of time speculating on what Biden’s low approval numbers mean, be patient concerning the country’s mood. The mid-terms are still months away.

Sam Roberson, Fort Mill

New QB

Best of luck to the Panthers from Cleveland! You traded for a more than competent QB and the Browns mortgaged their future for a player of dubious moral character. Baker Mayfield helped turn our long dysfunctional team around. It’s my hope that he starts game one and annihilates the Browns. Who knows? I may be sporting Carolina Panthers blue this fall.

John Bryan, Chagrin Falls, Ohio