The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that three death row inmates will have their sentences reduced to life in prison through the state’s now-defunct Racial Justice Act.

The 2009 law allowed death row inmates to go through an appeal process to receive life without parole if they could prove racial bias was a significant factor in their original death sentences. The law was repealed in 2013.

The American Civil Liberties Union represented Christina Walters, Tilmon Golphin and Quintel Augustine in the original hearings in Cumberland County.

Walters, who led a Fayetteville street gang, was convicted of the 1998 murders of 18-year-old Tracy Lambert and 21-year-old Susan Moore and the attempted murder of Debra Cheeseborough.

Augustine was convicted of killing Fayetteville police Officer Roy Turner Jr. in November 2001.

Golphin killed State Highway Patrol Trooper Ed Lowry and Cumberland County Deputy Sheriff David Hathcock during an I-95 traffic stop in September 1997.

Superior Court Judge Gregory Weeks, in 2012, cited a “wealth of evidence” of racially biased jury selection in all three cases.

Pictured: North Carolina Supreme Court

There are real moments of insight and clarity on late night TV if you will only look. Once upon a time, in a galaxy pretty close to ours, came such a moment of clarity. Heck, it was our very own Milky Way galaxy while I happened to be watching a rerun of “Highway Patrol.”

“Highway Patrol” was a 1950s show featuring Sgt. Dan Matthews. Sgt. Dan seldom took off his hat and usually killed a bad guy in the last five minutes of the program. Right after Dan killed the bad guy, a commercial came on selling gold-plated fake buffalo head nickels for only $9.99 each. Each household was strictly limited to being able to buy five fake nickels. What got me interested was the tag line: “AVOID DISAPPOINTMENTS AND FUTURE REGRETS. You must order now!” The low, low price could only be guaranteed for five days due to the ever-increasing cost of gold plating and unlimited suckers with credit cards.

I certainly wanted to avoid disappointments and future regrets. Who wouldn’t want to avoid disappointments and future regrets? If buying a fake gold-plated nickel is a vaccine against future regrets sign me up. If $50 worth of junk will avoid disappointment in the Year of Our Lord 2020, that is a small price to pay. I began pondering, was there a character in Greek mythology who had encountered disappointments and future regrets? Sure enough, consider the story of Paris, the instigator of the Trojan War. Instead of buying a fake gold-plated drachma, he had snatched Helen of Sparta winding up with the Trojan Horse at the gates of his city.

Paris had a colorful background. His baby daddy was King Priam of Troy and his momma was Hecuba. Right before giving birth to Paris, Hecuba had a bad dream that she was going to give birth to a burning torch. Yikes! The oracle cyphered this meant the new baby would end up destroying Troy. King Priam ordered his Flunky to kill the newborn Paris. The Flunky took Paris up to a hill but couldn’t kill a baby. He just left the baby on the hill hoping Paris would have the good sense to die.

Fortunately for Paris, a lactating Momma Bear lumbered along and nursed him back to health. The Flunky came back about a week later hoping to bring Paris’ body back to show the King. As Gomer would say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” Paris was still alive. The Flunky decided to adopt Paris. Then the troubles began. (Trigger warning to PETA fans) To prove to Priam that Paris was dead, the Flunky brought Priam a dog tongue claiming it was from Paris.

The gods decided to have a Miss Olympus Beauty pageant to decide who was the most beautiful goddess of them all. The three finalists were Hera, Aphrodite and Athena. Zeus the King of the gods, was asked by the bevy of beauties to decide who was the best looking. Zeus wasn’t King for nothing. He knew whomever he picked, that the other two would hate him. So he delegated the judging to Paris. Paris was no dummy either. He had each of the goddesses undress so he could decide who was the best looking. Miraculously they were all so beautiful he could not decide. Each goddess then tried to bribe him to choose her as Queen of the Hop. Ultimately Aphrodite’s bribe won when she offered Paris the most beautiful woman on Earth, Helen of Sparta.

Let me tell you, Helen was a doll baby. However, there was a catch. Helen was already married to King Menelaus of Sparta. Paris snuck into Menelaus’ palace and snatched up Helen. Then off he ran with her. Helen became smitten with Paris. They went back to Troy to live happily ever after. But there was another catch. Menelaus wanted her back pronto. He gathered up an army of angry Greeks and hightailed it to Troy. Paris refused to give up Helen, noting possession was 9/10s of the law. Menelaus replied to Paris, quoting Bugs Bunny saying “Of course you know, this means war!” Turned out it was the Trojan War.

A whole bunch of fighting, stabbing, dueling and slaying ensued between the Greek and Trojan armies. Lots of Greek heroes ended up dead including Achilles who got an arrow right slam into his ankle. His ankle was the only place he could be killed. When Achilles was a baby, his Momma dipped him into a magic stream that would protect him from all wounds. She held him by his ankle when she dunked him. Medically, this meant his ankle didn’t get wet resulting in an unprotected spot. As luck would have it, Paris’ arrow hit him right in the wrong ankle resulting in Achilles expiring. That is why you have Achilles tendons in your feet to this very day.

The Greeks hung around Troy for about 10 years doing siege stuff that didn’t work. Finally, the Greeks built a giant wooden horse to trick the Trojans into thinking the Greeks had given up. The Greeks filled up the horse with soldiers, leaving a note saying the horse was a gift and that they were going back to Greece. The Trojans saw the horse, read the note, and believed they had won. Counting their chickens before they were hatched, the Trojans hauled the horse into Troy to celebrate. Once inside the gates, the Greeks popped out of the horse and wiped out the city of Troy. Hence the old saying, beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

So, what have we learned today? Once again, not much. While you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, buying a fake buffalo head nickel might lead you to avoid disappointment and future regrets. Neither Steve Reeves or any dogs were harmed during the writing of this column.

The coronavirus pandemic has created many challenges for every part of our daily lives. If you’re a parent like me, you’re probably well aware of the difficulties with remote learning. Unfortunately, these difficulties have impacted some families more than others.

Last month, I heard from parents and school administrators in our community about their concerns that special needs children were not able to access caregiving services during remote learning. This was due to a loophole that restricts families with special needs children from having respite care during the school day. This is an appropriate safeguard during normal times when students are able to attend school. But in a pandemic when children may be kept at home, these safeguards would not allow the program's intended purposes to work to provide care for children and relief for parents.

As soon as I heard about this issue, I got to work. I immediately urged the Trump Administration to take action to rectify this situation and get support for special needs children in our community. After directly appealing to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, I am thrilled to report that last week, CMS granted a waiver for North Carolina to provide home and community-based services for these at-risk children.

This would not have happened without parents reaching out to my office and is just part of my job to work on behalf of everyone in our community to solve problems. While the COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges, families with special needs children deserve the peace-of-mind that they can continue to access caregiving services during this time. As we continue to address the coronavirus, I am committed to getting our community the resources we need so that ALL children can succeed.

In addition to supporting students at this time, I also remain focused on rebuilding our economy.

Also last week, I was proud to announce a $13.1 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway.

I have had the pleasure of touring the ACWR rail operations based in Montgomery County. A lifeline throughout our entire region, the ACWR is critical to transporting goods and supporting jobs across the 8th District and our state.

Last week’s announced grant will enable many growth opportunities, particularly in rural areas, between Moore, Montgomery, Stanly, Cabarrus and Mecklenburg Counties. The funding will greatly improve ACWR's infrastructure and freight operations and will attract new industry and jobs into this service area.

It was a thrill to call ACWR Railway President Julie White to tell her the grant was awarded. Julie told me this grant was a “game changer” that will allow critical improvements to the rail line that will benefit farms and other businesses throughout our region. I am also excited about the impact this will have on bringing new jobs to our community.

As your Congressman, I will continue to fight for common sense solutions to rebuild our economy, renew the American dream for all Americans and restore our way of life. You can count on me to keep coming to work every day on your behalf, staying focused on public health, and doing whatever it takes to emerge from this time stronger than ever.

Picture: A loophole prevented families with special needs students from accessing caregiver services during remote learning. After appealing to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, North Carolina was granted a waiver.

Senior Army leaders say they have seen a 30% increase in active duty suicides so far this year.

Army officials said discussions in Defense Department briefings indicate there has been a 20% jump in overall military suicides this year. The numbers vary by service. The Army’s 30% spike, from 88 last year to 114 this year pushes the total up because it’s the largest service. Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division has endured 10 suicides so far this year, a number that stood at four during the corresponding period last year.

In 2018, six paratroopers in the division took their own lives; four did so in 2017. Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who assumed command of the 82nd in July, believes forced periods of isolation and other stressors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been major factors.

“There is absolutely a stigma that’s out there,” Donahue said. “And if we don’t acknowledge that, we’re lying.”

The increase has pushed Donahue to make suicide prevention a priority and a frequent topic of conversation within his ranks. James Helis, director of the Army’s resilience programs, said virus-related isolation, financial disruptions and loss of childcare all happening at the same time has strained troops and their families.

“We know that the measures we took to mitigate and prevent the spread of COVID could amplify some of the factors that could lead to suicide,” said Helis. Army leaders also said troops have been under pressure for nearly two decades of war and that deployments compounded by the virus have taken a toll.

COVID-19 is having a significant impact on commercial real estate. The pandemic directly affects the demand for office space through quarantines, shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, employment loss and a shattering of consumer confidence, according to real estate research experts who spoke with Development magazine. “One investor told me that he cannot close on a building because he cannot get an appraiser to go out and look at it,” said Emil Malizia,” a research professor at the University of North Carolina. “What does that do to occupancy, particularly office buildings?”

“Similar to Fayetteville, office tenants across the country are pausing new office leases as officials re-evaluate how they use their offices and how many employees businesses will have due to financial harm from COVID-19,” said Jordan Jones, manager of the PCH expansion projects in downtown Fayetteville.

“We have to recognize that this is not a financial crisis,” said Timothy H. Savage of NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. “It’s a natural disaster in which it is not the physical capital that is being affected — it is the human capital … that directly impacts the economy.”

PCH developers have proposed building a seven-story office building and a five-story Hyatt Hotel atop the recently completed five-story parking garage on Hay Street. The city of Fayetteville agreed to purchase the garage and did so at a cost of nearly $18 million. The structure will provide parking for the new hotel, the office building, Prince Charles apartment tenants and to a limited extent, the public. The projects were initially slated for completion next year. “We are unable to provide an updated timeline on the projects moving forward,” Jones said. “We remain committed to executing phase two above the parking garage and continue to actively move these projects forward.”

The $40 million Segra baseball stadium to the rear of the parking deck and PCH’s acquisition of the Festival Park Plaza building were also elements of a $120 million economic development undertaking in mid-town. What about the planned hotel? “On the hospitality side, the industry's occupancy across the country (including Fayetteville) has seen a significant decline,” Jones noted.

“Without occupancy, a hotel is not financially feasible.” But a firm with expertise in the hotel industry has concluded that Hyatt is the hotel chain that has instituted the best customer-friendly and customer-safe policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. NerdWallet analyzed and graded the policies of eight hotel companies and found that Hyatt's face mask requirement and staff training procedures set it apart from the others.

The chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation is optimistic about the new normal. “I think there is clear evidence that there will be a robust return to travel even without a vaccine as long as you have a really rigorous, committed and vigilant approach to managing the virus,” Mark Hoplamazian said. “The more practice we all have in being vigilant, being compliant, making it a part of our lives, the better off we’re going to be. That’s my aspiration and my hope for the near future.”

Pictured:The PCH expansion projects in downtown — to include an office building, hotel and parking garage — were slated for completion next year, but have been delayed due to the COVID-19 impact.

Registered voters may cast absentee ballots in person during the early voting period. In North Carolina, this period is sometimes called “one-stop early voting.”

This year the in-person early voting period begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and ends Saturday, Oct. 31.

During early voting, Fayetteville area voters may cast ballots at any early voting site in Cumberland County. This is different from Election Day, when registered voters must vote at their assigned precincts.

Find early voting sites and schedules at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/ossite/.

Voting sites and schedules change for each election and are only available through the search tool once finalized.

To see the voting equipment Cumberland County uses for one-stop early voting, go to https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voting-equipment, and check the map for “One-Stop Early Voting Equipment, by County.”

In the days following her death, we have all been reminded of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legal legacy — championing of women’s rights in all areas of American life. By the time she arrived on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993, she had already wiped more than 200 discriminatory laws — many gender-based — off the books, and she authored some of the most powerful dissenting opinions in American judicial history. She even wore a special collar on her robe when one of those dissents was coming.

Very personally for millions of American women, we now hold credit cards in our own names only because Ginsburg sued to remove formerly mandatory names of husbands and fathers. Born during the Great Depression and living well into the 21st century, it is more than fair to say Ginsburg’s steadfast and brilliant legal work changed the lives of women and families across our nation. She was an intellectual prize fighter disguised in the body of a tiny woman.

Historians will debate her legal legacy for generations, but it is important to understand that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a working wife and mother, and later grandmother, facing and knocking down the same challenges as other women of her generation. Even as a graduate of an Ivy League law school, she could not find work as an attorney because she had a young child. She was helped more than many of her contemporaries by a strong and supportive husband and enjoyed and happy 56-year marriage and remained close to her children and grandchildren until her death. In her later years, she unexpectedly became a pop icon, the notorious RBG, nicknamed after a rap singer, and she used her status to speak to generations of younger Americans.

Pundits are writing about RBG nonstop in the days since her death, but the Justice herself spoke about her life and career. It cannot be said that she did not understand exactly what she was doing and why.

On her career, Ginsburg made these observations.

“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

“Don’t be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. They just zap energy and waste time.”

“I don’t say women’s rights — I say the constitutional principle of the equal citizenship stature of men and women.”

“I am sometimes asked ‘When will there be enough (women on the Supreme Court)? and my answer is ‘When there are nine.’ People are shocked. But there have been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.”

“I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she has to do her work to the very best of her ability.”

On life in general and her life in particular, Ginsburg commented. “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.”

“Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”

“I remember envying the boys long before I even knew the word feminism, because I liked shop better than cooking or sewing.”

“Every now and then it helps to be a little deaf. … That advice has stood me in good stead. Not simply in dealing with marriage, but in dealing with my colleagues.”

“If you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it. I had a life partner who thought my work was as important as his, and I think that made all the difference for me.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent her life, both public and private, making sure that “we, the people” includes all of us, men and women of all colors, backgrounds, and experiences.

Hers was a life very well lived.

The Fayetteville Fire Department has been awarded a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The grant will fund all salary and benefit costs for 18 additional firefighters for three years, after which the city will be responsible for funding the employees. “We currently staff a minimum of three fire fighters on all fire engines and ladder trucks,” Fire Chief Mike Hill said. Five of the department’s 15 fire stations house single units — stations 2, 12, 16, 15 and 19. The new positions will be assigned to these stations so they will have a minimum of four firefighters on their respective engines. “This ensures that we provide a minimum of four firefighters on the initial arriving response force,” Hill said.

“This is much safer for the firefighters and more efficient as they initiate critical tasking elements” prior to the arrival of additional engines. Hill told Up & Coming Weekly he hopes to have the new positions on board for training in December and available for assignment by July 2021.

Methodist University’s David McCune Art Gallery is showcasing the “Rembrandt: The Sign and the Light" exhibition through Nov. 18. The exhibition displays a series of 59 etchings by the well-known Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn and is a part of the gallery’s 10-year anniversary celebration.

“One of the things that’s very attractive about this show is Rembrandt's way of storytelling,” Silvana Foti, Art Director and Curator of McCune Gallery said. “The way he captures human quality, almost seems like his subject matter was staged, they're extremely theatrical.”

Rembrandt was a 17th-century Dutch artist who established himself as one of the greatest storytellers in art history through his ability to render people in his work. Rembrandt’s work is known to approach "real life" through theatrical transposition.

Foti described the etchings to have a psychological emotional drama that's connected between the images when looking at them.

The etchings on display offer a variety of subjects, including religious figures, scenes, portraits, figure studies and famous beggars from Rembrandt’s 35-year career. The name of the exhibit is derived from the technique used by Rembrandt in the etchings that are on display.

“There will be some etchings that are very dark, and when you begin to examine them there will be sparks or light that will just illuminate,” Foti said. “A kind of technique used by Rembrandt known as Chiaroscuro, creating a strong contrast between light and dark.”

Each visitor is provided with a magnifier to witness the details in Rembrandt's etchings.

Most people think of Rembrandt as a painter and are surprised by his etchings that profoundly changed the course of art history, Foti said.

“It would be an awful shame to not be able to see this exhibition in person, this is a once in a lifetime for many people,” she said.

The David McCune Art Gallery is known to host two shows per year, a regional show and an international show. Shows are planned a year or two in advance. The different exhibits are selected based on things like familiarity with the artists' names, different time periods, different styles and likes, Foti said.

"The Sign and the Light" exhibition is a part of the gallery’s 10-year anniversary celebration. The gallery has brought some well-renowned names like Picasso, Rodin and Chagall, among others, to exhibitions in the past.

“I think we have been a pretty big gem here in Fayetteville, offering art not just to the university but community,” Foti said.

The gallery has attracted many art lovers from across different states like New York, Georgia, Virginia and more who are surprised to see such shows come to a small university like Methodist University, she said.
Senior graphic design major Tom Gore said that it was amazing for him to see these great pieces of art, right here at Methodist University, without having to travel to New York.

“Methodist sets itself apart from other universities in many ways, but for a university to bring in master artist exhibits such as Picasso, Rodin, Chagall and Rembrandt year after year is just unheard of,” said Bradley Johnson, director of Marketing & Communications at Methodist University.

He said he toured the exhibit with his wife last Friday, and there were visitors in the gallery from Nebraska.

“With Methodist allowing in guests to see original, 17th-century works from Rembrandt at no charge, it is truly a gift to the Fayetteville community and beyond," Johnson said.

The museum has attracted fewer visitors due to the pandemic. The ticketing and limitation rules in place may be the issue since people are usually more impromptu and didn’t have to commit to a time and date in the past, she said.

Foti emphasized the importance of witnessing the exhibit in person and not just virtually to experience and understand the talent, details and technique of Rembrandt’s etchings.

“The main thing is you’re going to be surprised by the etchings, the amount of detail and the way that Rembrandt has the ability to capture your human quality and the world around him,” Foti said.

The exhibit is free to the public but with reserved days, times and face covering requirements due to COVID-19 restrictions. Visitors can go to https://davidmccunegallery.com to reserve a date and time and to access the free ticket.

The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 4 p.m. The gallery will be closed Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.

For more information about the gallery, exhibit and to access the free tickets, visit https://davidmccunegallery.com

Pictured: (Left) Aurie and Edward Parker of Wake Forest visit the Rembrandt exhibit at Methodist University's David McCune Art Gallery. (Right) Debbie Stewart of Fayetteville views an etching by Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn.

I owe a tremendous debt to the military. I am the proud daughter of a veteran, an Army 82nd Airborne Ranger, who was twice deployed to Vietnam. Early on in life, I learned the value of service and honor because I saw it up close in my father, who instilled those values in me. The military also became a support system that cared for my family after my father passed away and provided me with opportunities that changed the trajectory of my life. It’s because of this debt that I’ve dedicated my life to public service, giving back to my community here in Cumberland County, and why I’m running to represent North Carolina’s 8th Congressional district.

It is not fair for our country to ask for the kind of sacrifices required of our service members and their families, and then fail to uphold our promises to them. Time and time again, our leaders in Washington have failed to deliver on their promise, but I will put our military community’s needs at the forefront of my agenda.

The Veterans Affairs Department, an organization that my father depended on, currently has about 50,000 personnel vacancies. These staffing shortages make delivering quality, timely services to veterans more difficult during regular times, and has crippled the institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of late-September 2020, there were more than 3,000 active COVID-19 cases in the VA, with more than 3,300 deaths (including 56 employee deaths). It is absolutely unacceptable that the brave men and women who’ve risked their lives abroad are now dying at home because of failed leadership that’s kept their health care system understaffed and undersupplied.

But it’s not enough to just care for our veterans and active duty service members. Growing up with a father who was twice deployed to Vietnam, and with a mother who served as the primary caregiver, I know that when a service member serves, their family serves with them. Far too often, I meet military families who are struggling with the stress and challenges of having an active duty service member while also juggling the challenges of work responsibilities and child care needs brought on by the pandemic. Military families from all over Cumberland County need leaders who understand their struggles.

The voters of Cumberland County have my commitment that I will champion a well-staffed and well-funded Veterans Affairs department that: expands mental health services, addresses the alarming rates of suicide among our veterans, and receives COVID-19 funding that is specific to its needs. I will also always fight to make sure that our military families have access to high-quality healthcare, and that the educators of military children are well-equipped and well-trained to understand the unique experiences these children face.

It doesn’t stop there. Our veterans and military families will need a partner in the White House that respects and honors them, someone that knows from personal experience what it means to have a member of your family be deployed. We need a Commander-in-Chief that recognizes the heroism of those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, not one that calls them “losers” and “suckers.” Joe Biden is the right person for the job, for this moment.

This year has been tough on everyone, but it’s been especially tough for the thousands of families in Cumberland County who have been left behind and disrespected by leaders who simply don’t care to understand their reality. I grew up right here in Cumberland County, and I know the struggles and the resilience of this community. It’s time to bring change to Washington, and for our county to be represented by leaders who keep their promises.

Pat Timmons-Goodson is a former associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and served on the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She is now running for Congress for North Carolina's 8th Congressional District.

Pictured: Patricia Timmons-Goodson

I recently added a new table to the WCLN studios. Nothing fancy. It was crafted from rough and flawed pieces of walnut boards I picked up somewhere. I decided to leave many flaws untouched and even finish it with raw steel hairpin legs as a nod to my oldest son — an artist whose chosen media was metal, before passing not long ago. Seeing the table each day has caused to me think about what craftsmanship means to me in the first place.

Like many people I know, my life is busy. My calendar would be full of gatherings of all shape and form if I dared to keep one. In fact, not acting surprised when I'm reminded of a birthday, anniversary, dance recital or social gathering I should have remembered is something I've developed into almost an art form. And as much as my wife and I are able to participate, we do. But I love to retreat, too.

More often than not, a retreat for me doesn't mean a getaway to the beach or the beautiful North Carolina mountains. Instead, it's more likely to involve an invitation for the family dog to join me on the short walk to the workshop behind our house.

In that calm respite from the busyness of daily life, I create things. Sometimes I work in the quiet with just my thoughts, and other times, I'll turn the music up to drown them out. I work with a number of materials, but wood is easily my favorite medium. The wood in my shop is comprised largely of castoffs. From exotic hardwoods to common lumber, I gather small or otherwise insignificant pieces from industries that see no need for them. To others they are scraps — one step away from firewood — but to me, each piece is a treasure.

More than a hobby, woodworking has become a reflection of the life I've been given to live. Occasionally, I'll make something on commission, but I rarely sell what I create. The whole idea changes the game. Woodworking is about seeing the individual beauty and usefulness of each piece of wood — large or small — and starting a process of preserving, preparing and giving that piece a new purpose. In short, it's about redemption.

Without the grace and redemption I found in Jesus Christ, my life would be nothing. I was probably considered a castoff by many when Jesus found me, but he saw something useful and has been preparing and preserving me since 1981, and even in the times when I feel I have nothing to offer, He assures me there is a greater purpose for my life. For every life.

Diabetic state employees soon won’t have to swallow the rising cost of insulin.

State Treasurer Dale Folwell waived co-pays on insulin prescriptions for members of the State Health Plan, starting Jan. 1, 2021. Folwell hopes to save members $5 million.

Insulin has become a flashpoint in the debate over drug pricing.

The cost of the drug has nearly tripled since 2002, forcing patients to start rationing their insulin. Some have died. Others have gone blind.

More than a million North Carolinians suffer from diabetes. Some 12,000 state employees use insulin, and they’re paying an average $467 out of pocket each year for brand insulin. But that price tag can rise as high as $1,000.

The State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted to nix insulin cost sharing earlier this year.

It hopes to prevent patients from rationing insulin and putting themselves at risk for expensive and potentially life-threatening complications.

“This is a good investment by the State Health Plan,” Folwell told Carolina Journal. “Insulin adherence saves lives and saves money. We all don’t want the cost of insulin to be a barrier.”

Insulin was prohibitively expensive for some families, says Ardis Watkins, executive director of the State Employees Association of N.C. She has talked to patients who rationed their insulin, saying that their diabetes hurt family finances.

“It’s a huge deal, what just happened,” Watkins told CJ. “Insulin can mean life or death. It’s immoral for those medications to make the difference of the family’s budget every month.”

Folwell has long railed against the rising cost of health care. The Republican treasurer forged an unlikely alliance with SEANC after he started a war with hospitals over medical billing transparency.

The State Health Plan risks going broke within four years. It faces some $35 billion in unfunded liabilities.

Folwell wants to save the plan by linking prices to Medicare payments. The plan now faces a significant risk of overpaying or wasting tens of millions of dollars, based on a report by the state auditor. Folwell has described the current system as a blank check.

Folwell hoped to usher providers into the Clear Pricing Project — his plan to drive down costs with billing transparency. But the plan sparked a feud with local hospital systems, who refused reforms.

But enrollment has reopened for providers. Folwell seems to be focusing on recruiting independent providers to join the plan. They can’t charge patients as many fees as hospitals do.

“We’re having fantastic negotiations, especially with independent providers of health care that are excited for the first time that someone recognizes that they exist,” Folwell said.
“We want independent, profitable, accessible, high-quality health care providers.”

During its regular board meeting on Sept. 21, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners amended an economic development incentives agreement with Campbell Soup Supply Company and approved contracts for Workforce Development Services and Sheriff’s Office uniforms.

Commissioners approved extending the deadline by one year to Dec. 31, 2020, for the company to add at least 100 new employees. The company requested the extension because construction on its new distribution facility in the Cedar Creek Business Center was significantly delayed by hurricanes. The company projects it will have hired 112 employees by the deadline. The board also approved an associated budget amendment for $248,000 for the economic incentive payment due in March 2021 based on the contract terms of reimbursing the company 75% of the county tax.

The board also approved contracts for workforce development services for fiscal year 2021. Two Hawk Workforce Services, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company headquartered in Lumberton, was selected by the Workforce Development Board to be the provider of both program delivery and one stop operator services. Each of these contracts commences October 1, 2020, for a term ending June 30, 2021, with an option for two one-year extensions.

The N.C. Department of Transportation is seeking public feedback on plans to widen a 9-mile section of Interstate 95 in Robeson County. DOT proposes to increase the number of travel lanes to four in each direction from Exit 13 to just south of Exit 22 in Lumberton. Three interchanges (Exits 17, 19 and 20) will be significantly upgraded, and bridges that cross the Lumber River and CSX rail line will be replaced. A presentation of what the improvements should look like was given during a recent virtual meeting. People will find videos and other project information on DOT’s project webpage.

Questions or comments on the project may be submitted by Oct. 15. The project has an estimated $418 million construction cost, and the department is scheduled to award a design-build contract next summer.

School districts can allow elementary grade students to return to the classroom next month, Gov. Roy Cooper announced during a Sept. 17 news conference, but middle and high school students won’t have the same opportunity.

The announcement — allowing local school districts to provide in-person instruction full-time to younger students — comes a day after Republican leaders urged the governor to offer that option at all levels statewide and let parents decide.

The move is a step in the right direction, Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said in a Thursday news release, but the governor should have gone further with his decision.

“His new plan ignores the needs of low-income and exceptional students in middle and high schools for in-person instruction,” Berger said.

On Sept. 16, Berger, along with Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and Catherine Truitt, the Republican candidate for state superintendent, called for schools to fully reopen. A handful of parents took part in the news conference to share their desperation with the remote instruction plans.

Cooper said the move wasn’t connected to Wednesday’s news conference at the General Assembly.

Over the summer, the state told school districts to create three reopening plans, from most to least restrictive. Plan A had the fewest restrictions, allowing in-person instruction with minimal social distancing of students and staff. Plan B required more stringent social distancing and fewer people in the school building. Under Plan C, schools could use only remote learning.

On July 14, Cooper announced school districts could either use Plan B or Plan C. No school district was allowed to offer Plan A, regardless of the COVID-19 metrics in the area.

But now, starting on Oct. 5, school districts can switch to plan A for kindergarten through fifth grade, but older grade levels must stay on either plan B or C.

“We are able to open this option because most North Carolinians have doubled down on our safety and prevention measures and stabilized our numbers,” Cooper said.

Face masks and social distancing are still required under Plan A, but unlike Plan B, schools won’t have to reduce the number of students allowed in the building at the same time.

Neither Cooper, nor Mandy Cohen, the secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, gave a timeline for when middle and high schools grades can return to classrooms full-time.

Local actors are returning to the stage to deliver the fun and creative performances we’ve been missing since the pandemic closed curtains and theater doors in March.

This month, the Gilbert Theater brings “Barefoot in the Park” to stage Oct. 2-18 with limited seating and social distancing in effect. There will only be 25 seats sold per performance, in order to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines for public gatherings.

“‘Barefoot in the Park’ is a classic Neil Simon comedy,” said Larry Carlisle, the show’s director and the Artistic Director for the Gilbert. “It’s about two newlyweds who move into a tiny apartment in New York City and deal with being newlyweds, weird neighbors and mothers.”

Simon, who died in 2018, was a playwright, screenwriter and author. In his lifetime, he received more combined Oscar and Tony award nominations than any other writer. Widely considered to be a Broadway icon, Simon wrote more than 30 plays, including “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Biloxi Blues” and “The Odd Couple.” Simon won the Pulitzer Prize for “Lost in Yonkers.”

The “Barefoot in the Park” cast includes Tanisha Johnson and Gage Long as newlyweds Corie and Paul; Deannah Robinson as Corie’s mother; Gabe Terry as neighbor Mr. Velasco; and James Merkle as the telephone repairman. Carlisle will also have a small role as a deliveryman.

Despite performing to a quarter of the theater’s capacity, Carlisle and the cast agree that producing the show is worth the effort.

“Everyone’s gotten stir crazy,” Terry said about closures due to the pandemic. “The show’s a lot of fun to do.”

Providing live entertainment is something the performers enjoy, no matter the crowd size, Carlisle said. With COVID-19 restrictions, the cast and crew have been able to explore some interesting ways to adapt their performances.

“I’m just excited to get back to stage,” Robinson said. “Granted, it will be limited capacity.”

Safety precautions in place will include masks for theater attendants, hand sanitizer stations, no-contact concessions, temperature checks upon entry and cleaning between performances.

“For all the performances we’re asking all patrons to wear a mask and practice social distancing,” Carlisle said.

Preparing for the masked performances has been a fun challenge for the cast.

“It is interesting because there’s so much (in the story) that involves intimacy,” Terry said.

Robinson added, “We’re working around it, having fun with it, even with the mask.”

The team at the Gilbert is optimistic that the audience will attend and enjoy the show, if only for a short respite from the daily headlines.

“It’s two hours to take your mind off your trouble, don’t worry about everything going on outside,” Carlisle said. “It’s a light breezy sitcom-esque
comedy.”

Johnson added, “Come out and laugh, have a good time.”

Recognizing that some patrons might not be comfortable even with all those precautions, Carlisle said there will be two performances where the actors will also wear masks. Those shows are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The Gilbert Theater is located at 116 Green St. in downtown Fayetteville. There are several discounts available including student, military and first responder. Contact the box office for more info on the show or to purchase tickets at boxoffice@gilberttheater.com.

An internationally celebrated exhibit of 25, 6-foot tall, pivoting prisms will be staged in some outdoor areas of downtown Fayetteville as a part of an effort to draw visitors downtown to play, shop and dine. The unusual displays will be posted during October. The Cool Spring Downtown District is partnering with Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission to present "Prismatica."

The Toronto-based, architectural firm RAW Design is responsible for the conception and execution of this art project, in collaboration with ATOMIC3. Prismatica made its debut in 2014 at the Place des Festivals in Montreal, where 50 pivoting prisms transformed the outdoor space into a giant kaleidoscope. Since then, "Prismatica" has been on a world tour, lighting up 26 cities in five countries, to include Fayetteville, Houston, Jerusalem, Israel, London, Lugano and New York City.

His Outreach Worldwide Ministry will host a BBQ Fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 3, to support the construction of a school building in Tamu, Myanmar. The barbecue will be held at the ministry's "log cabin," located at 2770 Breezewood Ave., from 1-5 p.m., for takeout or a picnic on the grounds. The food will be priced at $10 per plate.

“We are praying we will have a huge turn out, we need at least $5,000 for the school, and it has to be finished by January,” said Lynne O’Quinn, president of H.O.W. “We are really needing this funding now and needing it quickly.”

The barbecue will benefit over 100 children in the Tamu area attending His Outreach Worldwide School, the only government-licensed English-teaching school in the area.

The event will offer great food by Hopkins Barbeque and great music on the patio by Currie Wayne Clayton Jr., O’Quinn said.

The ministry is excited to have the accomplished musician Currie Wayne, who has played with the rock band Molly Hatchet in the past and has won many musical championships.

O’Quinn said she believes the fundraiser will be a great event that will be outdoors, and a lot of people are looking forward to it, especially since the pandemic.

“We'd love for people to come that day, purchase tickets, enjoy the entertainment and just have a great day,” she said.

H.O.W., a Christian ministry, was founded in 2008 in Fayetteville by O’Quinn and supports several activities around the world, including providing funds, food, clothes and more. The faith-based organization is founded on prayer and God’s word.

“In a nutshell, God woke me up one morning and wrote a book through me sharing Jesus to children around the world,” O’Quinn said. “That one little book is what founded this worldwide
ministry.”

The barbecue is one of its many fundraising events, including an annual 5K, which was cancelled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

"We are praying for a great sunny, fall day and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs to comply with social distancing and have a picnic on the grounds," O'Quinn said.

“Bring your own chair, grab a plate of barbecue, sit here and have great entertainment and fellowship,” she added.

For more information about H.O.W. or the BBQ, visit http://hisoutreachworldwide.org/

Pictured: His Outreach Worldwide Ministry President Lynne O'Quinn entertains children at a H.O.W. project at a day camp in Brno, Czech Republic.

Sustainable Sandhills will host its second annual "Drive Electric" event Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum.

The event, which is a part of the National Drive Electric Week, will feature various opportunities for drivers to learn about electric vehicle options in the region.

“The goal is to provide awareness to the community about electric vehicles and the benefits they have — like improving air quality, reducing our dependence on foreign petroleum, and just showing people that ‘EV’ can be very fun to drive,” said Joenelle Kimbrough, executive director of Sustainable Sandhills.

There will be multiple Teslas available at the event for the public to test-drive. Visitors can sign up online for 15 minute test-drive slots and register at https://sustainablesandhills.org/driveelectric2020/.

If anyone owns an electric vehicle, they are welcome to bring it to the car show and talk to people about the experience of driving an electric vehicle and the value of its ownership, Kimbrough said.

The family-friendly event will see food trucks and activities for children like a "build your own car" craft and a book signing by local children’s book author Alison Paul Klakowicz, author of "Mommy’s Big Red Monster Truck."

The "Drive Electric" show will comply with COVID-19 health precautions. The cars will be wiped and sanitized between each user, there will be mostly touch-free activities and children will each get their own set of crayons.

“We would love to have you come out and learn about electric vehicles and benefits they offer our community — see how fun they are to drive,” Kimbrough said.

The event will host community partners involved with "EV" infrastructure, incluuding the Fayetteville Public Works Commission, The Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Central Electric Membership Corporation, which will inform the attendees on where to find chargers for their electric cars, and of new technologies regarding "EV" that are out on the horizon, she said.

All of these organizations have charging stations throughout the area or they have electric vehicles in their fleets.

Kimbrough said the two-fold motivation behind the event was that Sustainable Sandhills is the “air quality program manager” for the region and the second being the national drive electric week.

“Electric vehicles are important to air quality because they don't use gasoline; they help cut out on emissions which can help improve the area's air quality,” she said.

Based in Fayetteville, Sustainable Sandhills started about 15 years ago with the mission of creating resilient environmental, economic and social resources. The organization has a nine-county reach, serving about 1 million people.

“Our goal is to connect with people and help them understand how natural resources affect their lives and vice versa,” Kimbrough said. “We just want people to understand that we need to be responsible with our resource use now in order to have what we need for the future generations.”

The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is located at 325 Franklin St. in downtown Fayetteville. For more information about Sustainable Sandhills and the event, visit https://sustainablesandhills.org

You’re probably aware this is an election year. During the next several weeks, the candidates will discuss issues that should greatly interest you as a citizen. But as an investor, how concerned should you be with the results of the presidential and congressional elections?

Maybe not as much as you might think. At different times, the financial markets have performed well and poorly under different administrations and when different parties have controlled Congress. And after all the votes are counted, outcomes in the investment markets can be unpredictable.

Consequently, you’ll be helping yourself greatly by not making big moves in your portfolio in anticipation of new legislation or political moves down the line.

Of course, that’s not to say that nothing emerging from Washington could ever have an impact on your investment decisions.

For example, if a future president and Congress decide to change the capital gains tax rate, it could affect some of your choices, such as which stocks and stock-based mutual funds you should buy, and how long you should hold them.

Overall, though, your investment results will ultimately depend on actions you can take, including these:

• Making changes for the right reasons — While the results of an election may not be a good reason to make changes in your investment portfolio, other factors can certainly lead you to take steps in this direction. For one thing, as you get closer to retirement, you may want to shift some — though certainly not all — of your investment dollars from more growth-oriented vehicles to more conservative ones.
Conversely, if you decide, well in advance, that you might want to retire earlier than you originally thought, you may need to invest more aggressively, being aware of the increased risk involved.

• Following a long-term strategy — In pretty much all walks of life, there are no shortcuts to success — and the same is true with investing. You need to follow a long-term strategy based on your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon, and you need the patience and perseverance to keep investing in all markets — up, down and sideways.

• Avoiding mistakes — Many people think of an investment mistake as failing to “get in on the ground floor” of some company that ultimately grew to huge proportions. But it’s pretty hard to become an early investor in companies like these, many of which start out as privately held businesses without any stockholders.

Furthermore, companies with shorter track records can be much more unpredictable investments. However, you do want to avoid some real mistakes, such as chasing “hot” stocks. By the time you hear about them, they may already be cooling off, and they might not even be appropriate for your needs. Another mistake: failing to diversify your portfolio. If you only own one type of asset, such as growth stocks, you could take a big hit during a market downturn. Spreading your dollars over a wide range of investments can help lower your risk exposure. However, diversification by itself can’t guarantee a profit or protect against all losses.

After Election Day, regardless of the outcome, you can help keep your portfolio on track by not playing politics with it.

What is more interesting than the debates between candidates for major political offices?

Of course, it is the debate about the debates.

Some friends, well-informed and experienced in political activities, say the importance of such debates is vastly overrated. For instance, one said the recent first debate between North Carolina U.S. Senate candidates Republican Thom Tillis and Democrat Cal Cunningham was meaningless because nobody was watching.

They reminded me about the 1992 U.S. Senate televised debate between Terry Sanford and Lauch Faircloth. Most viewers agreed that Sanford won the debate with sharp authoritative responses to questions while Faircloth fumbled. But Faircloth came out on top when it counted.

Republican campaign consultant Carter Wrenn strongly disagrees. He thinks debates are critically important. Undecided voters are the key to winning elections.

To win their votes, they have to see a difference between the candidates on an issue that is important to them or on a difference in the way they handle themselves under pressure.

Wrenn is a legendary expert on developing hard-hitting campaign materials such as the ones Jesse Helms used to defeat Jim Hunt in the 1984 U.S. Senate race.

In a recent radio interview with Wrenn, I agreed with him about the importance of televised debates. Citing the 1960 presidential debates between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon, I argued that demeanor of the candidates is a key factor.

Kennedy looked calm, cool, and collected, while Nixon was nervous, sweating, and fidgety.

A candidate who appears authoritative, courteous and nice has the edge, I said.

But Wrenn does not go along with my reasoning.

He says a debate is the place to take advantage of your opponent, to show the differences on matters important to potential supporters, to set traps and jump on the opponent who falls into one.

It is a battle, not a beauty contest, he said.

In their first debate, Tillis turned the tables on Cunningham and tried to trap him for saying that he would be hesitant taking a coronavirus vaccine if one were available by the end of the year.

Tillis called that irresponsible.

“We just heard a candidate for the U.S. Senate look into the camera and tell 10 million North Carolinians he would be hesitant to take a vaccine. I think that that’s irresponsible.”

In the next two debates Cunningham will have the opportunity to push back on the issue of irresponsibility of the Republican president’s campaign organizing coronavirus-spreading rallies in North Carolina.

These Cunningham-Tillis events are a warm-up for the presidential debates, beginning Tuesday, Sep. 29.

Wrenn took me back to his work in the Hunt-Helms race in which Helms overcame a 25% early lead by the popular Hunt. Wrenn remembers discovering inconsistencies in Hunt’s views on controversial issues. Then the campaign developed ads and debate themes in which Helms set out his positions on the then-current issues such as the Martin Luther King holiday, busing, school prayer and the Panama Canal "give away." Then Helms would ask, “Where do you stand, Jim?”

Wrenn said again that debates give candidates the opportunity to tell voters where they differ from their opponents.

Carter Wrenn and I do not agree on lots of things, but I think he wins the debate with my friends who say candidate debates do not matter.
Debates are gold mines and minefields for candidates and important for voters searching for candidates whose views and character are worthy of their support.

“I don’t consider myself to be a Black leader. I consider myself to be a leader in N.C. who just happens to be black.”

That’s how Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Mark Robinson introduced himself at a debate hosted by the N.C. Institute of Political Leadership and Spectrum News.

The two candidates running to become North Carolina’s first African-American lieutenant governor have dramatically different views on race, law enforcement, education, economic policy and the role of government.

The election pits Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley, D-Wake, a liberal, against conservative gun-rights activist Robinson. Both stand to make history. Both are unapologetic about their views. Both highlight contrasting visions of race in America and what it means to be an American.

If Robinson wins in November, he will become the first Black Republican elected to any major statewide office since the 1800s. He describes himself as a successful businessman who grew up as the ninth of 10 children in a poor family.

Robinson says he doesn’t believe in systemic racism. For him, many problems afflicting Black communities result from lawlessness, and police are part of the solution. Defunding the police, he said, is “a ridiculous idea.”

“Systemic racism is not the problem,” Robinson said. “We have far too many communities that are ruled by lawlessness. We need to take a good long look at that, stop putting the police under the microscope, and start putting the criminals under the microscope.”

Holley disagreed.

“We need to start protecting people, as opposed to policing them,” Holley said. “We have other ways we can do things that are less restrictive and less bullying than going in all the time with a gun and the only resource is to arrest and physically restrain and harm people.”

But the two clashed at a more fundamental level. Holley sees a world riddled with “rampant” systemic racism. Robinson doesn’t. He eschews “so-called race relations.” Where Holley decries differences, he promotes similarities.

“Every day, someone reminds me that I’m Black,” Holley said. “We’ve come a long way. But what is happening now is systemic racism that has kept us from economic development, kept Black and brown people from safety on the streets. We’re in fear of our lives from just getting a traffic stop.”

But Robinson harks back to the idea of America as a melting pot — ditching the more modern metaphor of the American salad bowl, where distinct cultural and racial identities co-exist. When identified as a Black leader, he bristled.

“The best thing we can do for racial relations in this nation is stop calling ourselves by different races,” Robinson said. “We’re all one race, the human race, and one nation, America. We start calling ourselves human, American, and I think we’ll see a lot of those issues go away.”

Robinson flipped the normal dynamic of these debates.

While conservatives often find themselves defending the past, Robinson stood for the future. He aggressively reframed questions into optimistic quips. Fear became courage, the minimum wage became “maximum talent” — always with a heavy emphasis on progress.

“North Carolinians aren’t afraid. They’re courageous, and they’re ready to move on in this state under some real progress,” Robinson said. “They’re ready to get past these issues, ready to work through this [corona]virus, and ready to see violence in the street ended.”

Holley found herself holding up the burden of history. She was a child of the civil rights era, one of the first African-American students to desegregate Raleigh’s Enloe High School. She argues that she has the experience of the past and the will to create a better future.

That vision of a better future differs dramatically from Robinson’s.

Holley supports stricter gun-control laws, including red-flag laws tagging people thought to be possible threats, higher taxes on corporations, more taxpayer subsidies to the poor, and Medicaid expansion. She opposes the Opportunity Scholarship Program, though she praised charter schools as an alternative for parents. And she rejects any voter ID requirements.

The Holley-Robinson debate was the first of this election’s IOPL Hometown Debate Series. It took place Sept. 20 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The series continues Oct. 4 with a labor commissioner debate featuring Democrat Jessica

Holmes and Republican state Rep. Josh Dobson. The final debate is scheduled for Oct. 11, with incumbent State Treasurer Dale Folwell, a Republican, facing his Democratic opponent Ronnie Chatterji.

None will have studio audiences, because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Publisher Bill Bowman yields his space this week to former Up & Coming Weekly contributor Karl Merritt. This article first appeared at www.karlmerrit.com.

I am watching with sadness, but with a higher level of hope, as the wheels of government churn to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. My sadness regarding the general state of our country is not new, but this higher level of hope for America is a rare experience for me in the context of the past few years.

I suppose my hope comes from the fact that Republicans in the Senate have apparently awakened to the truth of something former President Obama said to a group of them years ago.

In a meeting with Republican Congressional leaders during 2009, then President Barack Obama said to them, “Elections have consequences and at the end of the day, I won.”

This was a time when Democrats had a majority in the House and Senate.

Then came 2016 and a Supreme Court vacancy during the last year of Obama’s second and final term. Republicans held the majority in the Senate. President Obama nominated Merrick Garland. Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader (Rep), said there would not be a vote on a nominee until the next president was in office. Democrats were outraged. Trump won the 2016 presidential election, nominated Neil Gorsuch, and he was confirmed by the Senate that still had a Republican majority.

Now comes the current vacancy and McConnell says when President Trump submits a nominee, there will be a vote prior to the 2021 inauguration. Democrats are outraged again because they say this is hypocrisy on the part of Republicans.

As of 25 September, it appears Republicans have the votes to confirm a person nominated by Trump.

Democrats are making all kinds of threats as to what they will do if this nomination goes forward. These threats are being made even though Trump has a constitutional right and responsibility to put forth a nominee. One threat is to impeach Trump again and, by so doing, slow the confirmation of a justice. Beyond that, they are threatening to, if they win the presidency, House and Senate, add seats to the Supreme Court (making it more political); ending the filibuster (requires 60 votes to stop debate on some issues) in the Senate; making the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico states because they are very heavily Democratic areas.

As I finish this post, several Democrats are backing away from some items in this threat package and moving to talking about how health care and some other issues, by Democratic priorities, would be adversely impacted by a Trump nominated justice.

In the face of these threats, I would expect Republicans to “roll-over” and do as the Democrats say.

Apparently, enough Senate Republicans recognize that elections have consequences and they won. Beyond that, they understand that if Trump loses and Biden gets to nominate the Ginsburg replacement, it will be a liberal who believes he or she gets to make laws according to their views rather than simply interpreting the Constitution and laws legitimately passed by legislative bodies.

Forthrightly examining the facts and adjusting course is not hypocrisy. In this case, that means looking at the destruction brought on America by liberal justices making laws instead of interpreting laws that have been, by proper procedure, put in place.

Be advised, there are at least two Republican senators who apparently do not understand this argument that says there are times when one must stand up and do what is right for the country. They are Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. These two senators hold that the next president should make the nomination. Under pressure from Democrats, I expected this kind of response from more Republican Senators. So far, surprise-surprise.

Here is a closing question: Who out there believes that if Democrats were faced with the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice under the conditions now faced by Republicans, that Democrats would leave the selection to the next president?