None of the rights the current amendments propose to protect are in any way threatened. Why not have an amendment that protects my right to drive, or own a pet, or go to church? Because these rights are not threatened, no amendment is needed. We should not add unnecessary fluff to the foundation of state law, nor should we spend dollars on useless bureaucracy that could instead go to rebuilding infrastructure, fighting the opioid crisis, providing mental health services, cleaning up the environment, funding education, and hundreds of other issues that consistently have funding problems.

One of the proposed amendments, under the guise of protecting a right, is actually another attempt at voter suppression. No reputable research has ever shown voter fraud to be a significant problem. On the other hand, attempts at voter suppression target a basic right and have been a recurrent problem in North Carolina.

Some of the proposed amendments are aimed at tinkering with the balance of power between the three branches of government, a very dangerous thing to do. The state constitution carefully distributed power among the legislative, the executive and the judicial branches. Any tweaking of this balance seems unnecessary after all this time, and because these powers are so interconnected, it is impossible to adjust any one of them without affecting the whole.

Ask yourself why the amendments are not numbered. 

Consider whether or not there is an attempt to manipulate you into approving unnecessary and/or detrimental amendments by putting a harmless but unneeded “feel good” amendment first on the ballot.

Please think through each amendment carefully before you cast your vote.  I hope you will join me in voting No on all of them. 

Joanne Strop 

Waynesville