Public schools, Lumbee tribe, UNCP unite to stop the bullying To The Editor,
I want to thank the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the Public Schools of Robeson County for their outstanding collaboration on Oct. 12, 2011 called “Unity Day.” This day was set aside nationally to send “an orange message” that loudly said “stop bullying now.”
The great people at each one of these institutions of our community rose up energetically to support this effort whe...
Dog owner says shelter was too quick to adopt out her pet To the Editor,
I am writing about my recent experience with the Robeson County Animal Shelter. On the night of Oct. 3, one of my dogs got out of our fenced-in yard. She went a half-mile up the road, where another dog is and both dogs are female and spayed. By 9:20 a.m. Oct. 4, she and the other dog were picked up by the shelter.
On Oct. 6 when I return home from work there was a message on my machine from the shelter that they had my dog,...
No room for compromise when it comes to Obamacare To the Editor,
Recently, Eighth District Congressman Larry Kissell misrepresented policy disputes with Republicans as mindless “partisan bickering.” This mischaracterization retards rather than moves forward honest debate over serious and important policy differences.
Many policy conflicts are disputes based on deep ideological principles. With these issues, compromise is virtually impossible. Because the future of the country is at sta...
Former town official says Pembroke poised for growth To the Editor,
I want to take this opportunity to publicly express my appreciation and gratitude to the Pembroke Town Council, the mayor, the staff, and its many citizens during my two and one half years employment with the town of Pembroke. The municipal experience that I gained through the town was one of the most educational and professionally rewarding of my career.
Last fiscal year the town secured over $2.5 million in grant funding ...
Palin gets rich riding a bus, not by running for president To the Editor,
Sarah Palin is not running for president. She is a “wacky” lady that Sen. McCain owed a big favor.
That’s why she is where she is. She likes to see herself on TV. That is why she rides a bus around the country for no good reason except to make money. She has made millions off of poor Americans by writing books and riding around America on a big bus and signing her autograph. Never proclaiming to be a candidate for anything....
YouTube video offer tribal members chance to reflect on their history To the Editor,
As October arrives, our community faces a disappointment in not having a Fall 2011 Pow Wow as annually sponsored by the Lumbee Regional Development Association). Leaders have made a decision that unfortunately had to be made because of the economy and the LRDA wallet. The economy, however, doesn’t have to have the last word on the spirit of our people!
Morgan Hunt Wariax and Ron Jacobs are to be credited with leading me to ...
Hunt’s dual role is absolutely at odds with tribe’s constitution To the Editor,
I want to voice my opinion on the article in The Robesonian on Sept. 9 that was titled “Hunt Keeping District 2 seat.” Why do we even need a Lumbee Supreme Court if they are going to make a ruling and the tribal chairperson is not going to abide by it? Ms. Hunt states that “after much deliberation and in order to abide by the Lumbee Constitution and the Supreme Court of the Lumbee Tribe, I will become inactive and will modify...
Schools shouldn’t ban female students from wearing leggings To the Editor,
According to the Public Schools of Robeson County, “students shall be expected to dress in a manner which is neat, clean and proper for a learning environment. They shall not wear clothing or hairstyles which distract other students or which interfere with the classroom participation of other students or which presents a health or safety hazard.”
You’ve seen them everywhere, in the mall, grocery stores and television. Leggi...
Councilman says pay raise wasn’t due to town manager To the Editor,
On Sept. 7, The Robesonian reported that the Pembroke Town Council had voted to give McDuffie Cummings, town manager, a $1,500 bi-monthly raise until his retirement in December of this year. The news indicated that the Town Council approved this raise; however, it did not say that I voted against the motion and Mayor Milton Hunt did not vote to the lack of a tie.
This amounts to $3,000 per month for September, October, Nove...
Medicare belongs to seniors, not to lawmakers to balance budget To the Editor,
I am writing to express my deep concern about House Republicans’ vote to end Medicare and cut benefits that hard-working seniors have earned.
This reckless privatization scheme is an insult to every hard-working America who has paid into Medicare. Especially in these challenging times when retired Americans rely on their Medicare benefits, Congress must do whatever it takes to protect this critical safety net.
Medicare be...
Address the root causes to close revolving door at the jail To the Editor,
Crime is not an industry; however, our propensity to incarcerate is. To characterize crime as an industry to me shows a level of desensitization that perpetuates this prison industrial complex that’s socially and fiscally irresponsible.
There is what is called cause and effect and we as society must evolve in direct proportion. How can a county continually use punitive measures to address crime when it’s only proven to be c...
Man can’t walk with God unless he honors Sabbath Day To the Editor,
I an writing to respond to the letter about the churches in Robeson County. The reason no one sees God in the county is because we are not keeping God’s Sabbath Day holy. Christians should keep all of God’s commandments.
The Fourth Commandment says “to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” If all Christians would take a stand like Peter and the Apostles and obey God rather than man, they would see more blessings in the...
Payback for GOP Conventional wisdom would dictate that two of a good thing is better than one.
But don’t try to sell that to U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, who is miffed that his home county of Robeson has been hacked in half by Republicans drawing new district maps for the U.S. House, which would double the number of House representatives for this county, but imperil McIntyre’s bid for a ninth term in 2012.
The maps, as currently drawn, remove from McIntyre’s...
How to win with gaming The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians wants to go all-in with its casino in western North Carolina.
In an action that flew for a while under the radar, the Cherokee tribe has asked the state to allow table games — such as blackjack, poker and craps — at the casino, which now only offers gambling through machines. The request will mobilize social conservatives who will argue that if allowed, gambling would spread across the state, separating ...
Why is $18.5 million building needed to give away tax dollars? To the Editor, Over the last number of months I have watched with disbelief the building of the new offices for the Department of Social Services. Would someone please explain the need for a glass palace to house an agency geared to help the needy? That was $18.5 million in taxpayer dollars used to build a show place to distribute more taxpayer dollars. There is great need in Robeson County during these hard economic times, but there is al...
Tribal Council needs more than one line to help with enrollment To the Editor,
I would like to voice my opinion on the Tribal Council’s lack of thinking on the open enrollment. The enrollment books have been closed for over five years. Thus, children born during those fives years, along with countless others who had postponed their enrollment, need to get their Lumbee cards.
The problem is the Tribal Council only has one phone line to take all the calls. Not only that, there is only one employee tak...
