Page 6 - The Fayetteville Press Newspaper March 27, 2026 Edition

Page 6a
Editorial / Opinion
The Fayetteville Press Newspaper welcomes letters from its readers. All letters must be signed and must include a home address and a daytime phone number.
Mail or E-mail your letters to: The Fayetteville Press Newspaper, P.O. Box 9166, Fayetteville NC 28311
Taking our vote for granted!
Midterm elections will be held on
November 3rd, 2026. That seems like
a long time away; but time passes
quickly. Before you know it, it will be
time to cast a ballot.
The late congressman John Lewis
said “Your vote is precious, almost sa-
cred. It is the most powerful nonvio-
lent tool we have to create a more per-
fect union…” The question is, why
are so many people failing to use this
most effective tool?
The act of voting can be compared
to being a member of a team. Team
members have a common goal: to win.
They support each other. Even when
they don’t agree they still show up,
work through their differences and
commit to their ultimate goal. A team
member would never consider practic-
ing with her colleagues and then choos-
ing not to play on the day of the game.
If a team shows up with insufficient
members, or if team members choose
not to play, the team loses or forfeits.
The other team wins.
That’s essentially what happens
when an eligible voter fails to exercise
his/her right to vote. As a team (or
community) we jointly live with failed
policies, higher prices, acts of dis-
crimination, poorly funded schools,
etc. All too frequently, however, when
the team really needs to come together
to walk the last mile of the way…. some
members don’t show up! When we fail
to vote, we forfeit the game to the op-
posing team.
A coach knows the way to win a
game is not just strategy but building a
team that has a strong relationship with
the other players and coaches, so they
become a community. It is not one
player on the field, but a team, so each
one looks out for one another. When
Dr. Shanessa Fenner, Principal
The Fayetteville Press March 27, 2026 Edition
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E-mail: fayepress@aol.com
and state legislators who will ensure
funding for the public schools is ad- The Fayetteville Press
equate. Newspaper
We need not become complacent “Your Community Newspaper”
with the status quo. Complacency P.O. Box 9166
allows for distractors to sow misin- Fayetteville * NC 28311
formation.
(910) 323-3120 - Office
When we are not informed about www.fayettevillepress.com
the candidates, we may be inclined E-mail:
to just vote for the same people. Do fayepress@aol.com
the same people really have our best
interest at heart??? That may then *Publisher - JJ Jones
lead to a comment such as “No need
to vote because my vote doesn’t *General Manager
Chrystal M. Thomas
By James E. Buxton, Jr. President count, “or “I don’t do politics.”
910-824-7504 - Fayetteville NAACP Rest assured, if you don’t do poli- *Sales Manager
did we remove community from that equa- tics, politics will do you. Without Dwight Brown
tion of success? knowing, you are just watching what *Editor - Jae McKrae
There is a line in the Black National An- happens to our community instead
them, “Drunk with the wine of the world, lest of being an active participant. We Staff Writer
we forget thee…” In many instances it ap- need to continue the fight for jus- Shelia Mclaughlin
pears that some have become “drunk” with tice and maintain our right to vote.
the noise that is coming from so many dif- We cannot allow the fire for freedom *Photgrapher
ferent angles. to be extinguished. Bruce Carpenter
If sports athletes do not follow team *Account Executives
rules, their coach often suspends them from Consequences of not voting Dr. Don Reid
playing. The reasons may vary from drink-
ing while being under aged, taking gifts from We’ve all seen or heard the *Distribution
a company or recruiter, displaying poor ac- phrase, “Your vote is your voice,” Michael Dykes
tions on campus, etc. These players were but far too often our voices are be- Nero B. Coleman
“drunk with wind of the world,” and not fo- ing surrendered to apathy, disen- * Graphic Designed By
cused on the present. chantment, weariness. Joe McGee
For voters, we must focus on the present.
Bringing good jobs to the county relies on When we don’t vote: *Staff Chaplain
having city council and county commission- Bishop
ers who are able to prepare the municipality We relinquish our voice Larry O. Wright, Jr.
and county for growth as well as attract busi- E-Mail:
nesses that will bring good paying jobs with- ?We’re taken for granted fayepress@aol.com
out negatively impacting the environment. we allow others to make major Web-Site
That only happens if we vote. For voters, decisions about our lives for us. www.fayettevillepress.com
we must fight for an educational system that In a democracy, each of us gets
believes all children are able to learn. That one vote. If we stop and think For
means we must vote for the local school about it, that is one of the few mo- Ads & Subscriptions
board officials who also believe passionately ments that we are all truly on equal Call
footing. Let us fight on …. (910) 323-3120
in our children., and county commissioners
Child Abuse: Protecting Our Children
By Dr. Shanessa Fenner, Principal
I remember my first year as an elementary teacher. I decided that I wanted to sit all of my babies in a circle on
the carpet and have a discussion about appropriate and inappropriate touching. They sat there and looked at me
while listening attentively to every word I stated. After the conversation one of my girls walked up to me and grabbed
my hand. She told me she had something to tell me. She told me that someone had inappropriately touched her. I
told my teacher assistant to watch the babies and we ran to the front office. I was so upset. Of course the authorities
were contacted but I remember thinking I am going to talk to my babies on a consistent basis about this. I have to
protect them.
April is National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. The Centers for Disease Control reports that
1 in 7 children experienced child abuse and neglect in the last year. The Department of Health and Human Services
report that 80% of the abusers are a parent of the child. Reports in early 2026 indicate that over 7.8 million children
are reported to Child Services annually.
Some of the signs of sexual abuse include difficulty walking or sitting, sleeping with clothes on, age inappro-
priate bedwetting, runs away, not wanting to go to the bathroom, and sexual behavior or knowledge inappropriate for
a child. Signs of neglect entail being dirty or has a body odor, frequent absences from school, begs or steals food,
developmentally delayed, and not having the right clothes for the weather. General symptoms of abuse include low
grades in school, mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem, unusual interaction with
parent, and slower than normal development.
The impact of child abuse does not end when the abuse stops. These children may experience depression,
anxiety disorders, poor self-esteem, aggressive behavior, suicide attempts, alcohol and drug abuse, post-traumatic
stress, and other difficulties.
Some states require all adults to report suspicions of child abuse or neglect. It is not your job to investigate,
just report what you suspect. If you suspect a child is being abused call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1 (800)
422-4453.