Posted: May 6th, 2012 Liz Bertrand

It seemed appropriate that Historian Karl Campbell (Appalachian State University, pictured top right) was the last of seven panelists to speak at “Moving Forward Together,” a public discussion on the implications of Amendment One presented by Foundation For The Carolinas* on May 2. He gave context to the upcoming May 8 vote – a constitutional amendment to define marriage between one man and one woman as the only legally recognized form of domestic union in North Carolina – by comparing it to other key democratic moments in North Carolina history that have pitted traditionalists versus modernists. While he expressed doubt that this vote would put an end to the debate on the issue, he urged both sides to fight hard, fight fair and not forget the humanness of this battle.

In fact, Wednesday night's discussion proved to be an excellent example of what a civil debate could look like, even when some participants have diametrically opposed viewpoints. Each panelist focused on a specific aspect of the proposed amendment – ranging from the legislative context of the amendment and its legal ramifications to its potential economic impact on local businesses.

While some speakers presented a neutral perspective, like Chief District Court Judge Lisa Bell, who concluded that it is impossible to say for sure what the legal ramifications of a passed amendment would be on domestic violence cases and child custody battles until such a time when the supreme court would have an opportunity to make a ruling, others were quite specific in their assessments.

"In a devilish stroke of irony -- this is impartial – ” said Russell Robinson, Esq., a caveat that drew laughter from the crowd of 100+ in McGlohon Theatre, “on its main purpose of protecting marriage,"  a passed amendment would expose it to an intense federal legal battle.

Dan Bishop, Esq., however, argued that there was no precedent that indicated that the proposed legislation would be more susceptible to federal legislation than in other states which have passed similar amendments.

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Posted: April 24th, 2012 Carla Hough

On April 11, in the wake of news that George Zimmerman was being arrested for the murder of Trayvon Martin, a diverse group gathered at Little Rock AME Zion Church to discuss the events leading up to it and its rippling affect on communities all around America.

Coordinated by The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee, Community Building Initiative and Mecklenburg Ministries, the topic for the night was "Can We Talk About Trayvon Martin: Why Is What Happened So Disturbing?"

Willie Ratchford, Executive Director of the Community Relations Committee, set the stage. He stated that what was needed was a "safe place to come together to have civil dialogue to discuss difficult situations."

Rick Thames, Editor of the Charlotte Observer, recounted the events, mostly taken from articles written by journalist Frances Robles for the Miami Herald. Trayvon, a 17-year-old high school student, was staying with his father and his father's fiancée in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. After returning from a store to purchase candy and a drink, Martin was followed by Zimmerman, a 28-year-old who volunteered with Neighborhood Watch, who according to the 911 phone call he made, felt Martin looked "suspicious." Zimmerman pursued Martin. And not long after, Trayvon was dead.

Moira Quinn, Senior Vice President of Charlotte City Partners, served as moderator and introduced the panel consisting of Brett Loftis, Executive Director of the Council for Children's Rights; Jelani Haskins, a student at Philip O. Berry Academy of Technology; Jose Hernandez-Paris, Diversity and Multicultural Education Specialist at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; Brian Heslin, an attorney with Moore & Van Allen; and Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning journalist.

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Posted: April 18th, 2012 Lee Howard

• N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue is urging voters to shoot down Amendment One, the proposal that would ban LGBT marriage and legal recognition for all unmarried couples and strip protections and benefits from families. Perdue, speaking at a women’s conference at UNC-Charlotte last week, announced her opposition to the May 8 referendum that would amend the state constitution. Perdue, a Democrat, is not running for re-election.
• Meanwhile, the City of Charlotte is considering offering benefits to same-sex partners of its employees, City Manager Curt Walton said during a budget meeting last week. Walton said the city is studying the issue, and expects it would cost $150,000 annually. The city spends about $40 million on health benefits a year. Mayor Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, said he’ll support the change.
• The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department says it needs to raise water and sewer rates by about 6 percent for the average customer to keep up with rising gas and electricity prices. Residential customers who use large amounts of water for irrigation will see a rate hike of 9 percent.  A CMUD official says revenues from rates aren't keeping up with costs.
• A record crowd turned out on the first day of “Rise Above,” the exhibit about the Tuskegee Airmen, which features a P-51 Mustang like the ones flown by the famed African-American World War II flying unit. More than 500 people attended the exhibition Wednesday, Carolinas Aviation Museum officials said. It was the largest one-day attendance for any exhibit in the museum’s history. The program ran through Saturday.
• Charlotte’s Mint Museum plans to launch a research center based on North Carolina pottery as part of a major renovation of its Randolph Road campus. With 2,200 objects, some dating to the 1700s, the Mint has the largest and most comprehensive collection of North Carolina pottery in the nation. Mint officials says the pottery research center would underscore the state’s already high profile in the world of ceramics.