North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 05/01/1996

It's Wednesday May 1st. Tonight the importance of civic responsibility in North Carolina now. Hello everyone I'm reading it right. Thank you for tuning into this wind sanitation of North Carolina now on tonight's program we will have an interview with Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Vinroot. Also we'll explore the importance of you getting involved at the local level in politics and in your community. And now on to our first segment which also deals with

community involvement. The North Carolina and he is encouraging individuals youth groups churches schools businesses every organization or group in our state to observe this coming Monday May 6th as Non Violence Day. The goal of nonviolence day is to have one 24 hour period with no violent acts committed in our state. Earlier today I had the opportunity to speak with Mary Peeler the executive director of the North Carolina and ACP and I asked. Her how she hoped to achieve this lofty goal our goal is realistic in that we are not trying to force anyone into believing that we will achieve 24 hours with no valve that we need in that state. However we feel that if we make a conscious effort to reduce the number of violent acts in this state and make people aware of the negative and destructive impact that violence have on our community then we can work toward achieving the goal. No

violent ass committed in a state within a 24 hour period. How did the idea for nonviolence day come about. Well you may remember several years ago there was a serial killer in Charlotte. One of the victims of this serial killer was Shana and Seanez mother instead of taking her anger and her frustration and just holding it within. She talked I had to group called Mothers of murdered offspring. That group started working towards helping people to understand the destructive nature of violence. She presented to the North Carolina in double a three peat. The ad Dia doing on Valentine's Day and in our state convention in October 1994 delegates at our convention approved the resolution making nonviolence Day an annual project of the NWC P working in partnership with murder of mothers of murdered offspring. Now you have actually done more than just declaring this today there is actually some programs and some meetings planning that will be taking place tell me about some of those. We have asked

every branch high school college chapter of the inn WCP in North Carolina to host some type of nonviolence activities during this three day period at so various branches will be holding different activities. Some branches will be doing cattle vigils others may be doing balloon releases pig MIT public mass meetings for room to address followed different variety of activities during the three days. Now this is the second annual nonviolence day how did last year go last year when extremely well by I'm very pleased to say that we have gained additional support for the second annual non-valid day. We have now on the state level over 50 organizations agencies and individuals that have actually come out and endorse non-valid as a project for the entity of the whale. On a Saturday and Sunday preceding Monday May 6th you are asking that people wear purple ribbons. Tell me about that.

Purple Saturday and Sunday were designated to try to get churches and religious sector of our community involved in this initiative. So we're asking all churches Son of God what have you to talk about the destructive nature of violence all property shared in purple Sunday to encourage their congregations to wear the purple ribbons and also doing the sermons to talk about nonviolence. There might be some critics who will say well what is wearing a purple ribbon going to do to promote violence what would you answer to that. We have a lot of critics who say if it were proper river would not stop violence and we agree it would not. But if we are able to create an atmosphere that will foster nonviolence and we can prevent evil one dad one senseless through violence. Isn't it worth wearing a purple ribbon. I'd like to move on to another topic now just very quickly while I have you here. The National end of the convention is going to be taking place in Charlotte coming up in July and I'd like for you to tell us just a little bit about that how is the planning going

extremely well. We are hosting the National in Double-A CPA in North Carolina for the first time the committee will be held July the field through the 11 doing that convention as of variety of activity that will be gone o include the health summit a legal summit a military justice hearing focusing on the primitive skinhead activities but also will be focusing on our youth because you know youth are our future and doing this convention we hold our expo competitions which of the academical limpets with students in grades now through toil planning for this convention going extremely well. Last week we were in Charlotte for meetings about the convention and our national president CEO quite full May was there along with several national board members and we're just very pleased with the progress that we're seeing being made in the Charlotte area. How many people are expecting to bring to the Charlotte area. At least 25 to 30000 additional people. So in addition to a great benefit to the end it will have a huge economic impact on the city of Charlotte as well

a tremendous economic impact. Wonderful we're going to have you back hopefully to talk about that as it gets a little bit closer to the convention but in the meantime I want to thank you for being here tonight to speak to us about nonviolence day very popular. The executive director of the CPA. Thanks for being here tonight. Thank you so much. Coming up an interview with Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Vinroot. But before we get to that we're going to head over to Mitchell Lewis at the North Carolina now news desk for summary of today's statewide news

match. Thanks Maria. Good evening everyone. Governor Jim Hunt will propose two key tax cuts when he submits his budget recommendation to the legislature next week. The governor's budget will call for reducing North Carolina's food tax from 4 percent to 3 percent. Hunt's plan would also reduce the corporate tax rate from seven point seventy five percent to 7.5 percent. If lawmakers approve the reductions they would go into effect January 1st of 1997. The State Board of Elections is reporting that for the first time in North Carolina history the number of people registered to vote has exceeded four million of the newly registered voters 40 percent signed up with the Republican Party 28 percent registered with the Democratic Party and nearly a third of new voters or 32 percent chose not to affiliate with either major political party. They'll be able to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primaries next Tuesday. Unaffiliated voters now account for ten point seven percent of all registered voters in North Carolina. A lawmaker says groups working at the state level to prevent

teenage pregnancies must have the federal government's help to do so. Democratic U.S. representative Eva Clayton told the House Human Resources Committee subcommittee rather that a range of programs is necessary to help solve the problem. For example abstinence says Clayton should reduce sexual activity but the fact that many teens are already sexually active means contraception should also be taught. The subcommittee is studying how to restore the pregnancy prevention programs which were part of a welfare reform bill vetoed by President Clinton. Renewed efforts are underway to fund a dredging project for the constantly shifting sands of Oregon Inlet State Commerce Department officials are negotiating to hire a consultant on issues involving the end it it would mark the first time in at least five years North Carolina has named somebody to work full time to keep the inlet open to navigation. Oregon Inlet is the only outlet to the Atlantic Ocean for the 140 miles between Cape Henry Virginia and Hatteras Village. A Southport fisherman hopes his shrimp

harvesting invention may be heads and tails above the rest. Bill Hickman has developed a new type of fish excluder a device which frees young fish while trapping marketable shrimp. Four years ago North Carolina began requiring shrimpers to use exclude hers to protect the fish population. Current designs of the device release about 50 percent of the fish as well as valuable shrimp. Hickman says his device will release 90 percent of baby fish while trapping nearly all the shrimp and soluble adult fish. State and federal regulators plan to begin testing Hickman's invention next month. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather. If you like today you'll love tomorrow temperatures climb into the high 70s from Wilmington over to Greensboro and on down to Charlotte the mountains will see temps in the mid to high 60s sunny conditions will continue across much of the state with variable cloudiness in the mountains and over Elizabeth City a slight chance of rain in the mountains. But everywhere else will be dry and business news today the sale of Cape Fear Memorial Hospital has been delayed holding up the proposed 55 million dollar

sale is how much care the new owner should donate to the poor. The state attorney general's office is asking Columbia HCA the nation's largest for profit hospital chain to maintain such services at the level currently being provided. But the company is refusing to sign the documents. Both sides say they still expect the deal to go through. And now here's a look at what happened on Wall Street today. At the start of the

political season former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot appeared to have an easy road to the Republican nomination for governor. Since then he has found himself in a tough fight with State Representative Robin Hayes political correspondent Robin Miniato spoke with Brit this afternoon and asked him if he had underestimated the strength of his campaign. I don't think so and I think we're going to win this nomination. I feel very good about it. Our polls are very strong and I'm most encouraged but any time you want to get somebody who has as much family wealth as Robin Hayes does much the same as Steve Forbes on the national level did and certainly made a run at the presidency in the nomination Republican Party. You're dealing with a person who can manage a serious campaign and I knew that from the very beginning. His has certainly over the course of the campaign season challenge to your conservative credentials. Do you believe that's an accurate shot. Well I tell you that's interesting from a guy who's been a Democrat virtually all of his life and only became a Republican after he lost a campaign to become a Democratic county commissioner. To have someone like that accuse me of not being

a good Republican when I've been a Republican all my life worked for Barry Goldwater worked for every gubernatorial and presidential candidate the Republican Party has put up. I really reject that that's a little bit a little bit disingenuous It seems to me from somebody who worked I think for Terry Sanford who worked in his family have supported Jim Hunt. And if supported I guess every Democrat has come down the pike until somehow Robin saw the light few years ago after he lost an election as a Democrat. So I'm not too concerned about that kind of criticism from that particular source. Do you believe that there is more than one conservative voice in this state are you up against the moderate conservatives and maybe more radical conservatives. I don't know about that Republican party is conservative and I'm certainly supported by conservatives like Governor Jim Martin. Conservatives like former Governor Jim Holshouser conservatives like former U.S. senator Jim Broyhill. Conservatives like Tom Ellis the chairman of the National Congressional club. Conservatives like Jim Gardner our nominee in the last election. Conservatives like Tom Fetzer

the mayor of Raleigh. I've got awfully good conservative credentials an awfully good conservative supporters so I think I pretty much covered the waterfront as far as conservatives are concerned. I'm not at all squeamish about saying I am a conservative. I have always been consider myself a good one and have supported the conservative candidates our party has put forward for 30 some years now since I've been old enough to vote. There has been considerable controversy during this campaign season over your stand on abortion and your support of Planned Parenthood. Can I ask you to clarify how you feel about abortion. Yeah I oppose it. I've been a Sunday school teacher in my own church now for 25 years taught my own children that life begins at conception I believe and therefore what God starts. We shouldn't start we shouldn't stop. I'm one who opposes any sort of public funding of abortion support parental and informed consent laws that were passed this past summer. And the only exceptions I would make to public funding would be for rape incest and the mother's life. My wife and I did support Planned Parenthood for

several years modestly and they had a ribbon cutting as mayor in 1993 in 1993. We received a lot of information about Planned Parenthood for the first time in my life. And realized and was told they were an abortion clinic. My wife and I then stop supporting that organization. Interestingly enough for people to say what you didn't know you should have known Governor Jim Martin is a friend of mine. He also didn't know they were performing abortions we had a conversation about this several weeks ago. So to the extent I didn't know I was in pretty good company it seems to me for somebody who didn't know something that I now know and don't support however Planned Parenthood for decades has been a vocal and ardent and very public supporter of abortion rights and I'm one who actually supports the idea of not interrupting at least the right of people to make that decision. I would like for example to remove that to a first trimester decision. But I don't support the criminalization of that decision. And I've always felt that way do now sold my Told my own children in Sunday school.

I'll strongly tell you what I believe in what my religious beliefs are on the subject. But you'll have to make that decision yourself. So you would support legal abortion in the first trimester. I do. Let me ask you about something else you said recently at a campaign prayer breakfast you said that you would support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools. Do you feel like there's an issue there with the separation between church and state I really don't and if you heard the preacher that I heard talk about that you think you feel the same way to realize this. The Ten Commandments comes out of the Old Testament. I'm a Christian so certainly I'm in support of that Jews who support the Old Testament. I don't certainly object to that. The Qur'an which is the Islamic Bible or in essence the Bible of the Muslim faith has rules and they are much the same as our Ten Commandments. And we were in fact told and I didn't realize this even in Russia a communist country not a God fearing nation. They've got rules on the board in schools that essentially parrot our Ten Commandments. Who could object to those as great family values Thou shalt not kill the sorts of things we ought to be telling each other about how to live among each other. I don't understand how anybody can argue that

is perpetuating God. It's perpetuating good rules for a life that in my case happened to relate to my God. So you know some think that violates the legalized separation between church I really don't and I'd like to have somebody explain to me how it does. And I'd like to have anybody tell me why that something that violates our constitution on our own coins we say In God We Trust. Is that a violation of our Constitution. I don't think so in our own U.S. Senate. We begin the meetings with a prayer from the chaplain of the Senate. Is that a violation of our constitutional rights I don't think so. How can we object to putting something as good as the Ten Commandments in classrooms to tell children how to live their lives and how to live among each other in a peaceful way. That seems to be a very good idea. We have a very brief time left but I would like to ask you Governor Hunt has. Some of the highest popularity ratings of any governor in the country. How do you overcome that. Well you say that and yet I saw a poll recently called a long marketing poll some 2000 business and opinion leaders in North Carolina that put me ahead of hot

and put me considerably ahead of Hayes. But if you joined the two percentages for Hayes and me puts me considerably ahead of Governor Hunt governor Hunt's only 16 points ahead of me right now in a statewide poll done about a month or two ago in which he has a hundred percent name I.D. and I have only 50 percent name I.D. and the one part of the state where I'm equally well known that poll has me beating her by more than 11 points at the same time back in 84 Jim Martin was thirty eight points behind then very well known and popular Rufus Edmiston. I really believe that when we get our message out I win this primary I'm as well known as how it is I'm going to beat him in one thousand ninety six in November and be the next governor of the state. Mr. Van Britt thank you very much for joining us this evening we appreciate your time. Thank you Rob enjoy being part of it. Thanks for asking. We will have an interview with the other Republican gubernatorial candidate Robin Hayes on Friday's program. And North Carolina now also hopes to bring you interviews with the two Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate.

Charlie Sanders and Harvey Gantt. Many people get involved in political activity during an election year but some make it a lifelong commitment in one way or another we are all activists every day are individual decisions and actions impact our communities the environment and the social fabric of the world around us. Photojournalist Derek Long spoke with Beverly Jones the director of North Carolina Central community service program. Maya curse co-founder of the Prism and alternative community newspaper and Peter McDowell of the North Carolina Alliance for Democracy about the role of activism and the social responsibilities we all share. We are living in a society that if we do not bring about the question of voluntourism and support we're going to be living in a society that's dying. An activist is a person who is three things.

First of all they know enough to know what the problem is. They read. They get informed. Just know what's going on and figure out what's right and what's wrong and then do act on it and not just sit back if at all possible. So each of us in our own way have to look at what scale it is that we can learn to bear and that sense of those skills can help in terms of transforming society. Secondly they care they relate to other people. They see themselves in other people they have empathy. I couldn't live in a world that oppressed certain people so others could benefit from that and a world that just didn't afford everybody an opportunity to live a decent life. And any time we do is provide to someone support or help that individual give direction or go in schools and give to work in the soup kitchen or writing a letter to the editor or whatever that's a form of activism.

And I think we need to do much more promoting it and recognizing it. The third thing is they feel that at least with other people they can get something done. What model for our children. And I certainly want to be a model for mine and so I try to very consciously make choices that will be obvious to the child that this is the right way to do things at good citizenship volved us living out our values at all levels. And that means the kind of models we are to our kids and the kids next door. That means what we volunteer for that means the kind of sacrifices we make to serve rather than just benefit from the society. We can deal with poverty in society. We can deal with the issues of homelessness. We can deal with the issues of making sure that there would not be a generation of students coming out that are truly illiterate.

We can do that by using human capital. People got a directly addressed the problems of their city and that they do everything from dealing with credit help set up a dialogue on racial problems to dealing with recycling and pollution and or doing the volunteer and kids programs and thats very important. Writing a letter or spending time in a school in tutoring and mentoring or providing for the elderly or just going to the library and doing the reading circles are helping a neighbor out. All of that is service and we do it and we never think of it as being service how do you stay active when you have a full schedule you have a job you have to pay the mortgage you have to take care of the kids. It can be overwhelming. But I think the struggle begins every morning. But the struggle is just not one person struggle. You can't carry all of that on

your shoulders. You have to sort of create a Qadri of individuals. It's kind of like a big tug of war in Iraq since the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution we have the flag to abolish slavery we had to fight for women's suffrage with the fight for civil rights with labor rights we've had the fight for the environment. Even if you can only tug a little bit if enough people talk a little bit it's going to make a difference one half hour a week is no time to read the papers call up your representatives. One half hour a week. That's a good place to start. If we had half the population doing that this would be a whole new set. So we have to call upon individuals who are willing to give time and support to transform a society that is a society of volunteers a society of service. I truly believe that service is the richer faith of it. With

a lot to think about there. In the words of Margaret Mead never doubt that a small highly committed group of individuals can change the world indeed it is the only thing that ever has. One of the most basic things that you can do to get involved is to plan to go to the polls and vote in Tuesday's primary. Well that's our program for tonight. Thanks for tuning and don't forget to continue to watch for the remainder of the week as we continue our interviews with the candidates four key offices. And on tomorrow's program Bob Garner follows the money he explores how high profile campaigns are funded and who is donating the money. And to give you a break a bit from the politics will take you to the school of the Arts which is currently presenting a production of Brigadoon. Have a great evening everyone will see you back your tomorrow night good night.