ADAMS OPPOSES, BUT
TRUMP
BACKS ARMING TEACHERS
By Cash Michaels
12th
District Congresswoman Alma Adams is four-square against arming teachers in the
classroom.
“As
an educator of over forty years, I know that a ‘well-armed teacher” should have
new text books, a decent salary, and access to technology for every student in
the classroom, not a weapon,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Democrat said recently.
“Arming
teachers increases the likelihood of fatal accidents in classrooms and more
loss of life during crisis situations.”
Adam’s
North Carolina congressional colleague, Rep. G. K. Butterfield, has called for
congressional hearings on gun violence, and definite action from a GOP-led
Congress..
“The refusal of the Republican
majority to act on gun violence prevention legislation is disturbing,” Butterfield
said.
However, the Trump White House
isn’t listening to either Rep. Butterfield or Adams.
On
Sunday it was reported that the Trump Administration released a plan that “…vowed
to help provide ‘rigorous firearms training’ to some schoolteachers…,” reported
The Washington Post. “…[S]pecially
qualified” teachers and staff were later indicated in the proposal. This in response to last month’s high
school gun massacre in Parkland, Fla. that saw 17 killed by a gunman with an
AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
Arming
teachers was among “…a series of policy proposals that focus largely on mental
health and school safety,” The Post
report continued. Thus far, the National Education Association, among other
teachers groups, has opposed the Trump
The
report also indicated that Pres. Trump is establishing a Federal Commission of
School Safety, chaired by Betsy deVos, secretary of the U.S. Dept. of
Education.
Reportedly,
the zeal behind the president’s wish to arm teachers, among other measures, is
to “harden our schools against attack,” according to the plan.
According
to NBC News, 18 states currently allow teachers to carry weapons on school
property.
Here
in North Carolina, state House Speaker Tim Moore recently announced that he was
forming a new legislative study committee to recommend how to improve safety in
North Carolina schools. Moore confirmed that arming NC teachers may be one of
the proposals on the table for consideration.
“We want to hear
what the local school districts want to do on that,” Moore said during a Feb.
20th press conference. “What does law enforcement believe is
appropriate on that because right now it’s the law enforcement officers who are
stationed in schools right now who are the front line of defense…”
Various
polls have been taken across the state of citizens, and teachers in particular,
and in every case, the majority hs leaned against arming teachers.
But
at least one conservative Republican lawmaker is all for arming teachers. In
fact, he feels that it’s long past due.
“We have to get
over this useless hysteria about guns and allow school personnel to have a
chance to defend their lives and those of their students,” Rep. Larry Pittman
[R-Cabarrus], told the Joint Legislative Emergency Management Oversight
Committee recently.
Congresswoman Adams, however,
believes differently.
“As lawmakers, we must seek greater
protections for our students and commit to passing real commonsense gun reform,
not absurd propaganda from politicians more concerned about campaign
contributions than public safety.”
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On Friday, Ms. Coleman, a former NC House member and chair of the Wake County Commissioners, who lost the 2016 race of lt. governor by a slim margin, held a press conference to make clear that her campaign has already been in touch with the FBI, State Board of Elections and the NC Attorney General’s Office.
COLEMAN CAMPAIGN
ALLEGES
RUSSIANS INVOLVED IN
LT. GOV. RACE
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
First
there was evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election in
North Carolina, when a Russian-backed “black” group attempted to exploit a
fatal police shooting in Charlotte to suppress the black youth vote.
Now,
the “Linda Coleman for Congress” campaign for the Second Congressional
District, is alleging that there was Russian meddling again, this time
targeting her 2016 campaign for lieutenant governor.
“…[S]taffers
for the Linda Coleman for Congress campaign discovered that the domain name for
Ms. Coleman’s Lieutenant Governor campaign website, LindaforNC.com, was
recently purchased by a Russian citizen,” the campaign said in a March 7 press
release. “We believe that this serves as further evidence that there is
significant efforts by foreign entities to significantly influence our
electoral processes and interfere with our democracy.”On Friday, Ms. Coleman, a former NC House member and chair of the Wake County Commissioners, who lost the 2016 race of lt. governor by a slim margin, held a press conference to make clear that her campaign has already been in touch with the FBI, State Board of Elections and the NC Attorney General’s Office.
"Underhanded
and deceptive strategies like this one only thrive when people choose not to
speak out about what they see before them," she said.
The
NC Democratic Party says it’s not aware of any other campaign in the state that
may have been affected by alleged Russian meddling.
Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of
the NC Republican Party, was markedly dismissive about Coleman’s claim, telling
a local Raleigh television station, "Seems like they should direct these
questions to the Clinton Campaign and the DNC, since they were conspiring with
the Russians."
Ms. Coleman is vying to become the third
African-American to represent North Carolina in Congress, hoping to join Rep.
G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1), and Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12) if she’s victorious
during the upcoming 2018 midterm elections.
In the Democratic primary, Coleman faces
Gregory Chesser, Kenneth Romley, Japeth Matemu, and Wendy May.
The winner of that primary will face
Republican incumbent George Holding in November.
Last month, Derrick Johnson, president/CEO of
the national NAACP, in a Feb. 20th statement, called for “…a
complete investigation” into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016
presidential elections.
“As important, we also call for a
thorough assessment of our election system to determine any potential
weaknesses that could allow for the suppression or interference of votes during
the upcoming midterm elections.”
Johnson
continued, “The midterm elections have the potential to shift the entire
balance of power in Congress, and it remains critical that the integrity of the
voting process cannot be questioned,” later adding, ““It is clear that the
Black vote has been targeted by both internal and external forces and the NAACP
is committed to challenging any attempt to reduce or diminish the political
power of the African-American community, communities of color and the nation as
a whole.”
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TWO BLACK CHURCHES
VANDALIZED IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY
BELVILLE
– Two African-American churches were vandalized over the weekend, Brunswick
County authorities say, but there was no sign of entry, and nothing reported
stolen. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Dept. says the vandalism – smashed glass
windows and doors – was done between 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. Sunday
morning. The churches – Blackwell Chapel AME Zion Church and Providence
Missionary Baptist Church – are at least a half-mile apart from each other,
leading investigators to believe that the vandalism is the work of the same
person. Authorities are still investigating.
FORMER ASHEVILLE
POLICE OFFIOCER CHARGED IN JAYWALKING BEATING
[ASHEVILLE]
The white former police officer seen in a controversial video beating a black
man who was accused of jaywalking, has been charged with assault by
strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury and communicating threats.
Christopher Hickman, the former officer, is seen in the August 24, 2017
stopping, and then chasing and finally beating Johnnie Rush, an
African-American, primarily across the head and face.
The Asheville City Council issued the following statement
upon release of the police bodycam footage:
"Like you, we are angry. We are angry that a black man walking home
from a long day at work was stopped for jaywalking —
something most of us do regularly without consequence," the
statement reads. "We are angry that Johnnie Rush was attacked, beaten,
choked and tased by a white police officer in violation of city
policy and common decency."
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