It is Long Past Time for Sensible Gun Regulation in America

 By Mildred Robertson

Like many love affairs, America’s infatuation with guns has yet again resulted in violence and death. NPR reported on May 15, 2022, that just five months into the year America had already experienced 198 mass shootings. That averages about 10 such attacks per week. The article came on the heels of a racially motivated mass shooting that took the lives of 10 people in a Buffalo, N.Y. supermarket. The massacre was touted as the deadliest mass shooting of the year in the U.S. according to the “Gun Violence Archive,” an independent data collection organization.  Unfortunately, The Buffalo shooter did not hold the title for long, because on May 24^th an 18-year-old suspect slaughtered at least 19 children and two adults in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Uvalde is about 85 miles west of San Antonio.

Republican and Democrat leaders all over America sent their thoughts and prayers to the victims of the latest bloodbath.  And then they took sides…one talking about the need to regulate weapons of mass destruction running rampant in America, while the other stubbornly clung to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, touting the philosophy that we need a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun. This is in face of the fact that in Buffalo an armed retired police officer lost his life putting that philosophy into practice. In Uvalde the local police had to call in SWAT to take out the reportedly armored, well-armed assailant. But not before he snuffed out the life of those nineteen children and the teachers who attempted to shield them with their own bodies.

The carnage in America outstrips that of any other civilized nation. The gun culture in America harkens back to this nation’s frontier history and revolutionary founding. At our inception, there was no federal army and little or no police force to provide security for isolated pioneers, so they were responsible for their own protection. The revered Second Amendment upon which the gun culture mythology is built states simply: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." At that time, the primary weapon used was a musket.

While the U.S. has the means to provide security to this nation’s citizens through the military, national guard, and state and local police, Americans continue to cling to the idea that they must take up personal arms to protect themselves. This has resulted in a higher population of weapons than people in the U.S. American citizens own about 400 million firearms, according to a 2018 survey conducted by the nonpartisan Small Arms Survey, and the U.S. population numbers approximately 331 million people.

The proliferation of guns has, in fact, made citizens less safe. We have become so accustomed to gun violence that at least 42 states require schools to conduct lockdown drills to prepare for possible active shooter incidents. Every day in America, more than 100 Americans are killed through gun violence. Another 200 are shot and wounded.  Many citizens witness this carnage and live in fear of it. Research indicates that access to a gun doubles the risk of death by homicide. Firearms are the leading cause of death among American youth. Women in the U.S. are 28 times more likely to be killed by a firearm than in other high-income countries. A national “Violence against Women” survey indicates that “Nearly one million women alive today have been shot or shot at by an intimate partner, and approximately 3.7 million American women alive today have been threatened with a gun by an intimate partner.”

Many who embrace the gun culture say that their weapons are primarily for hunting. Yet the sale of semiautomatic handguns outstrips that of rifles that are commonly used for hunting. An AR-15 would not be useful on a hunt…unless you are hunting humans. According to reports, the Uvalde shooter had a handgun, assault rifles, and high-capacity magazines which allowed him to fire multiple bullets quickly. This firepower allowed him to snuff out the life of innocent children and those trying to protect them. He reportedly bought the two assault rifles days after his 18^th birthday.

And so, here we are again; sending up our thoughts and prayers for the slaughtered. But that is not enough. After we pray, we need to get up off our knees and DO SOMETHING.

We seem to agree that the carnage must be stopped, but we cannot get those in power to take action to enact sensible gun control legislation. At least not those currently in control. We are midway through the primary season, with the general election just six months away. I implore those of you who believe that gun rights in America need to be overhauled to let candidates know that a proliferation of guns owned by civilians and permissive gun regulations is not in the best interest of this nation. If they will not hear you…vote for someone who will.

_________

1.        https://everytownresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/05/GVIA-CDC-Update-122221B-02-1024x1024.png

2.        Everytown Research & Policy Gun Violence in America, 5.19.2020; Last Updated: 1.26.2022

3.        Gun culture in the United States, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

4.       https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/24/us/uvalde-texas-elementary-school-shooting/index.html.

Increased Early Voting in NC Battleground State

By Mildred Robertson

We say this, it seems, every election cycle, but this primary election vote may be the most consequential ballot that a voter casts in his or her lifetime. Almost 250,000 North Carolinians appear to think so too, as they cast their ballots in the NC Primary Early Voting which ended Saturday, May 14 at 3 p.m. Primary voters will decide who will vie for the open Senate seat vacated by Republican Senator Thom Tillis on Election Day, May 17.

A number of local races across the state will also be decided, along with some mayoral and city council seats in Charlotte and Greensboro which were delayed last year due to redistricting.  Tillis’ departure casts North Carolina among the nation’s mid-term battleground states and provides an opportunity for Democrats to take the seat.

In 2020 Tillis only defeated challenger Cal Cunningham (D) by 1.8 percentage points. The most recent presidential election was decided by less than 1.3 percentage points solidifying North Carolina’s status as a purple state. The balance of power in Washington D.C. may well depend on who North Carolinians choose to represent them in November.

While the election features several contentious races that have drawn national interest, a recent Spectrum News/IPSOS poll found the top issues for North Carolina voters are inflation and rising costs for housing. Nevertheless, media has focused on the more controversial aspects of the race with national characters weighing in. Former President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Ted Budd who is seen as the Republican front-runner for the open Senate seat, closely followed by former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCory. Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley is the presumptive Democratic nominee, leaving most of the action on the GOP side. Also competing for the GOP nomination are former Rep. Mark Walker and U.S. Army combat veteran Marjorie Eastman.

Other controversial primaries include that of Madison Cawthon (R) in North Carolina’s 11^th Congressional District, whom Trump has endorsed. Cawthorn is facing stiff competition from the GOP establishment and the America First wing of the party.

On the Democratic side, in the 4th Congressional District, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam is up against state Sen. Valerie Foushee and former American Idol star Clay Aiken. Allam, who is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), represents the Progressive wing of the party while Foushee is seen as a more establishment candidate. The 4th District includes Alamance, Orange, Durham, Person and Granville counties. The seat, vacated by Rep David Price (D), is considered a blue district, and the winner of the Democratic primary will likely win in the November General Election.

While the early voting numbers may at first glance appear anemic, they outstrip 2018 by close to 20,000 votes. Democratic ballots cast thus far slightly outstrip Republicans 124,000 to 122,000. More Democrats have mailed in ballots as well, according to the elections board.  

In each of these high-profile primaries, if no candidate gets more than 30% of the vote the races would go to runoff elections on July 26.

This is a lot of information to take in. But America faces unprecedented challenges. It is important that we be informed and that we participate despite shallow media coverage.

Elections matter. Whether your concern is inflation, housing costs, women’s rights, affirmative action, or the balance on the Supreme Court, your voice needs to be heard. If you did not vote in this year’s primary election, you still have a chance to speak up.

Here in North Carolina, your vote may change the nation’s trajectory. Prepare yourself. Ask questions. Get informed, and then cast your ballot on November 8, 2022.

Policing Black Bodies Still a Lethal Business

 By: Mildred, Robertson

So, the police have killed yet another unarmed black man for an administrative infraction. Patrick Lyoya, 26, was killed outside a house in Grand Rapids, Michigan after a traffic stop for driving with a license plate that did not match the vehicle. Video shows Lyoya running from the officer and then struggling with him while an onlooker taped the interaction. We see the actual murder on video shot by that onlooker because the officer's videocam mysteriously ceased to function. 

Of course, there will be discussions about the victim's behavior. He should not have run. He should not have "allegedly" grabbed the officer's taser. Both of these statements may well be true, but they do not justify a death penalty. Other narratives suggest the officer shot Lyoya because he was afraid. If an officer is too afraid to carry out his or her duty in a legal manner that does not endanger the public then he or she should not be afforded the shield or the power that accompanies it. 

Not only did the officer kill Lyoya, but he did so while the victim was face down on the ground. He did so with a shot to the back of Lyoya's head. 

The officer, who as yet is unidentified, could have made better decisions. He could have refrained from placing his hands on Lyoya when he first interacted with him. He could have called for backup when  Lyoya ran. He could have continued to subdue him without lethal force. But his first instinct was a kill shot to the back of the head. That is an officer I would not wish to patrol in my neighborhood. That is an officer with whom I do not wish to come into contact. 

I am a 69-year-old black woman. I don't speed. I don't carry a weapon. I don't have drugs in my car. I don't commit crimes. But when I look in my rear-view mirror and see a police car behind me, it is somewhat unnerving. That should not be the case. There is something wrong when average black folks have to be wary of someone who should actually be there to protect and serve. 

Don't get me wrong. I believe we need GOOD police. I even believe that most of them are. But in policing, it is just like a box of chocolates...you never know what you are going to get. I don't believe in "defunding" the police. I think that is a misnomer. We need to "repurpose" the police and fund the ancillary services necessary that would allow us NOT to dispatch a gun-totting Rambo to every traffic stop or family squabble.

Policing in America needs to be fixed.  It needs to be fixed now! The debate about what to call it is asinine. Police who have little care for the black and brown bodies they patrol must be ferreted out of the force. Those officers who really do wish to "protect and serve," should receive adequate training and appropriate funding to do their jobs. Our police forces need to be demilitarized. They should be peacekeepers, not warriors. Until that is accomplished, none of us are safe...not even peaceful, 69-year-old black women. 

You Can Defeat Voter Suppression

 By Mildred Robertson

Many citizens across this nation are gearing up for the 2022 primary election. They will make their way to the polls this summer to narrow the field and choose who will represent their respective parties in the November general election. As the most consequential election in the life of our democracy rapidly approaches, I wonder just how many voters are prepared to do the work necessary to maintain our freedom.

Although America touts itself as the world’s premier democracy, you might be surprised to learn that there are many democracies around the world with a higher percentage of registered voters than the U.S.  According to a 2021 report by the leadership Conference on Human Rights, only 64 percent of the U.S. voting-age population is registered to vote. That compared to 90 percent of the voting-age population in the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, and Slovakia.

Low voter participation in the United States is no accident. Even at its inception, only landed white men were allowed the privilege to vote. The evolution of voting rights eventually extended to most U.S. citizens, but the process remains cumbersome and controlled by states which institute their own voting regulations. This decentralized process puts an undue amount of stress on individual voters, as they must maintain their status from state to state and municipality to municipality. In addition to being confusing, this process allows states the flexibility to manipulate voting rules and regulations to maintain the status quo.

It seems, with the browning of America that is exactly what is happening.  Many White Americans fear losing control of a nation built on the backs of black and brown people who were shipped in as slaves, or who crossed the Southwestern border. While the labor provided by these voluntary and involuntary immigrants helped to build the foundation of this great nation, many wish to deny these individuals the benefit of full citizenship offered to Europeans who came here looking for a better life.

There is no better illustration of the threat perceived by conservatives than to examine the 2020 election. Joe Biden won the election by building a majority coalition of progressives that included Blacks, Latinos, and other minorities. This coalition ensured Biden’s win and narrowly empowered Democrats in the House and Senate. This victory caused a backlash across the nation as conservative Republican-led legislatures around the country began to plot ways to disenfranchise minorities and hold on to political power.

All efforts to make voting universally accessible to qualified voters seem to be under attack. Tactics range from gerrymandering, eliminating mail-in voting and drop-boxes, voter purges, and restrictive voter identification laws, to reducing the number of voting sites and limiting early voting. These tactics are targeted to negatively impact minority voters. 

However, these tactics can’t work if U.S. citizens determine that the right to vote is more powerful than the obstacles that stand between them and the ballot box. It is a path our ancestors took; estimating the number of Jelly Beans in a jar, paying poll taxes, and withstanding physical violence. Can we do any less?

While the all-out attack on minority voting this election cycle is substantial, voters don’t have to fall prey to the attacks. Despite the conservative effort to deny the vote to every citizen, if each of us takes personal responsibility, it is an obstacle we can overcome. We must prepare to ensure that we cast our ballot in both the primary and general elections.

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS

If you are registered, check your status to ensure that your name has not been purged from the voter registration rolls.

• If you are not registered, log on to your local county board of elections website to find out how, when, and where you can register.
• Know the dates and registration deadlines for the 2022 primary and general elections.
• Request a sample ballot from your county board of elections so you are familiar with candidates running in your precinct.
• Research candidates and ballot issues so you can make an informed decision.
• Vote on all municipal candidates…they are the ones that affect your day-to-day life.        
• Identify your polling place, drop-box, or early voting sites.
• Have a plan for in-person voting; i.e., comfortable clothes, seating if necessary, water & snacks.
• Plan to stay, no matter how long it takes.

If we fail to meet the challenge in 2022, we may never have the opportunity again. Democracy as we know it may well become extinct in America. So I urge every citizen to pledge to be committed to casting a vote that will count in 2022. It may be your last opportunity to participate in a free and fair election.

Expand the Supreme Court and Preserve Democracy

 By Mildred Robertson

Many Americans watched in disbelief as former president Donald J. Trump broke almost every rule established to define the boundaries of presidential power. While Democrats attempted to hold Trump accountable for his myriad infractions, on two occasions the Republican-led Congress failed to discipline the twice impeached president. Trump’s blatant disregard for the Constitution resulted in norm-busting practices which, if left to stand, may signal a failed democracy.  While both the executive and legislative branches of our government were obviously faltering, Americans maintained hope as the judicial branch continued to safeguard our democracy by ruling in favor of constitutional norms. Many courts across the country continue to stand on the watchtower to protect our freedoms…but not all.

 

As chaos overtakes every part of the American political system, the Supreme Court is the final leg of our government to buckle under the weight of partisan politics. The nation’s foundation has been shaken by this week’s revelation that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas may have based his judicial decision on the release of records to the January 6^th Committee on the involvement of his wife in the planning and execution of the January 6^th insurrection.  During a Capitol news conference on March 31, 2020, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, called for a code of ethics for the Supreme Court stating, "If your wife is an admitted and proud contributor to a coup of our country, maybe you should weigh that in your ethical standards."

 

The Founders constructed our constitution with a series of checks and balances designed to ensure that one flawed branch of government would not be able to undermine our democracy. In theory, each branch is endowed with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. In 2022, that theory seems to be failing the test. It appears our U.S. Supreme Court may be the latest casualty of partisan politics to foreshadow our nation’s possible demise.

 

The Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, is the final arbiter of constitutional issues with which this country must grapple. While bills passed by Congress must be signed by the president, Congress still has the power to override a presidential veto, resulting in a balance of power. However, there is no power above the Supreme Court to call its actions into question. Justices have a lifetime appointment meant to insulate them from partisan influence. However, they can also become insular, making decisions to please themselves rather than to protect the constitution.  

 

The Court has, in the past, been made up of individuals who leaned either left or right, but who could be persuaded by the facts of a particular case based on the constitution. These swing votes provided for a more fair hearing of controversial issues that came before the court. However, then-Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has manipulated Court appointments by denying both President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden the opportunity to fill Supreme Court vacancies. In 2016 he refused to bring Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland to a vote, even though there remained 8 months in his presidency. Likewise, he rushed through the nomination of Amy Coney Barret only weeks before Biden’s election in order to deny him the opportunity to fill the seat of Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed on September 18, 2020. These ideologues carry the banner for far-right issues such as anti-abortion and other conservative standards. In addition to a Court packed with rightwing enthusiasts, we now have a justice who seems to overlook rules of ethics in his decision-making.

 

Whether Clarence Thomas recuses himself from cases surrounding January 6^th, at this point, is left up to no one but him. However, there is something that can be done to restore the balance of power on the highest court in the land.  Congress has the power under Article III of the Constitution to add seats to the Supreme Court. This is not an unprecedented move. The size of the Court has changed 7 times in American history. There should also be an effort to depoliticize the Supreme Court by creating term limits. This would give each president the opportunity to appoint justices each term, thereby making it more representative. Finally, the Court should be held accountable by instituting a binding code of ethics that requires recusal in cases of proven conflicts of interest.

 

In a blog post written in 2019, I said: “America stands at a crossroads. As the President of the United States engages in an all-out attack on this nation’s constitution, it occurs to me that the boundaries of our constitution are being challenged. We are about to witness whether our constitution, as framed by our Founding Fathers, can withstand the onslaught of a lawless president.” Little did I know at that time that those challenges would lay as well at the feet of our legislature and our Supreme Court!  Unprecedented challenges to all three branches of our government threaten the very democracy that makes us unique among nations.  We must fight to maintain our democracy. We must fight to ensure our government works in the manner the Founders intended. To that end, we must expand the Supreme Court to restore balance, and preserve our nation.

Opposition to First Black Female Supreme Court Nominee

By Mildred Robertson

It seems that defending the public is viewed as a strike against Supreme Court Judge Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.  At least if you are a republican. As the first Black, female nominee to the nation’s highest court, Judge Jackson has come under fierce scrutiny by Republican legislators, who among other things, said her background as a public defender may mean she is soft on crime. This outcry comes after many Republican legislators, even some who had supported her in the past, faced blowback when they unsuccessfully attempted to label Biden’s nomination as an “affirmative action” choice.

Republicans, searching for ways to oppose this stellar nominee, have flailed about attempting to reconcile past bipartisan support for Jackson with current efforts to derail her nomination. Justice Jackson, who attended Harvard University for college and law school, began her legal career with three clerkships, including one with U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer. She currently serves as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It was April 19, 2021, when President Joe Biden nominated Judge Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 14, 2021, by a vote of 53-44. Yet less than a year later, many of these same legislators want to question her credentials.

A deeper review of her qualifications indicates that her credentials surpass several sitting justices. Judge Jackson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University where she was editor of the Harvard Law Review. She logged six years of service as a District, Appellate, and Supreme Court judge; serving two years in each role.  She has 8 years of private service experience and 5 years working for the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Top that off with 3 years of public service and 8 years as a District Judge. Her 32 years of service far exceed that of the last two Supreme Court Justices approved by the Senate; Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

As Republicans try to paint Jackson as a far-right liberal, her record has shown her to be a moderate Justice. Further, Jackson’s life experiences have prepared her to face decisions impartially from both sides of the spectrum. Jackson has familial connections in law enforcement, as well as family members who have had run-ins with the law. “You may have read that I have one uncle who got caught up in the drug trade and received a life sentence,” said Jackson. “That is true, but law enforcement also runs in my family. In addition to my brother, I had two uncles who served decades as police officers, one of whom became the police chief in my hometown of Miami, Florida.”

To that end, a major police chief’s organization is throwing its support behind Judge Jackson. In a letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, the International Association of Chiefs of Police urged senators to confirm Judge Jackson to the high court.

President Biden has clearly made an excellent choice in nominating Judge Jackson for the open seat on the Supreme Court. She is a highly qualified jurist whose record indicates that she can view issues from all sides. The record will not allow her detractors to paint her as unqualified. Her moderate record will debunk the false narrative that she will bring undue bias to the Court.  They are left with no argument other than the fact that she is a black female to oppose her appointment. It is an argument that they likely will make, nonetheless.

REDISTRICTING VICTORY FOR NC DEMS

By Mildred Robertson

North Carolinians can expect more equitable maps as they head to the polls on May 17. On Monday, March 7, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal by GOP lawmakers to reinstate their gerrymandered political districts for North Carolina’s congressional elections. That means the voters will cast ballots in districts drawn by outside experts for the state’s 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives as prescribed by NC state courts in a redistricting lawsuit brought to achieve more fair maps.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s denial ends the GOP lawmaker’s emergency appeal to block the redrawn redistricting maps to replace their gerrymandered maps. The NC State Supreme Court let a nonpartisan panel of experts draw the new map after concluding the Republican state legislature’s map violated the state Constitution by heavily favoring Republican voters.

North Carolina is a purple state that is fairly evenly divided between Democrat and Republican voters. Approximately 36% of North Carolinians are registered Democrats, while 30% are Republicans. Unaffiliated voters account for 33% of the North Carolina voting population. The congressional maps drawn by the outside experts will produce primary and general elections more favorable to Democrats than previous maps Republicans passed in November and February where they were drawn to guarantee a Republican victory in up to 10 of the 14 districts.

While Democrats can take a victory lap for more equitable maps in 2022, the fight is not over. Several of the Supreme Court Justices wanted to take the case. In a 6-3 decision, the Court rejected the GOP redistricting case, stating that it was too close to the election to force states to redraw maps. However, several of the justices stated that the Court will eventually have to address whether a state court has the authority to reject rules adopted by a state legislature for conducting federal elections.

While not viewed as ideal by many on the left, the new maps are expected to benefit Democrats more than those proposed by the Republican-controlled state legislature. Based upon the new voting map, the GOP is expected to win seven congressional seats, while the Democrats will likely win six. A new Raleigh-area congressional seat is a probable toss-up. The U.S. House map approved by a panel of judges will only be used in the 2022 election cycle.

If Republicans retake the state Supreme Court by winning at least one of two state Supreme Court races this year and GOP lawmakers retain their legislative majorities, the party could potentially enact more partisan maps that benefit them. So it is extremely important that everyone who wants to maintain fair maps register and vote in this primary and general election.

Mail-in voting begins on March 28. The civilian voter registration deadline is April 22. One-stop, in-person early voting begins April 28 and ends at 3 p.m. May 14.