TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM 1998 15 YEARS the Triangle 2013 N.C
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WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM 1998 15 YEARS The Triangle 2013 N.C. self-defense law By Amanda Raymond immune from civil or criminal liabil- [email protected] to Florida’sity if they believe someone is unlaw- North Carolina has its own “Stand fully entering or already entered the Your Ground” law: the Castle home, workplace or vehicle, or a per- Doctrine. son is attempting to kidnap some- RIBUNE The Castle Doctrine was signed into one. TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE law by then-Gov. Bev Perdue in 2011. Adelman said, in his opinion, a self- It originally applied to homes and was defense case like the George extended to include the workplace Zimmerman case that took place in Florida can happen anywhere. VOLUME 15 NO. 22 WEEK OF JULY 21, 2013 $1.00 and motor vehicles. It states that a lawful occupant in Zimmerman, 29, was acquitted in the his or her home, workplace or motor 2012 shooting death of Trayvon vehicle does not have to retreat from Martin, 17, in Sanford, Fla. The case an intruder if the occupant reason- has sparked national debate over self- ably believes their life is threatened defense law and racial profiling. Battle of the or in danger of serious bodily harm. Zimmerman is Hispanic; Martin, who “Generally speaking, before you can was unarmed, was black. Badges honors resort to deadly force, you have to re- “In my take of it, this was a self-de- treat, if you can retreat safely,” said fense case,” Adelman said. “And the Wake County Charlotte School of Law visiting as- prosecution has to disprove self-de- sociate professor Stan Adelman said. fense. The jury didn’t find that the deputy “And the Castle Doctrine is an excep- prosecution had disproved self-de- tion to that.” fense beyond a reasonable doubt. So, An occupant can use anything up to and including deadly force and is See N.C./2A 950 Raeford Will tax employees in overhaul laborBy Sarah limbo Ovaska THE POLICY WATCH become Oscar Squalls doesn’t know what’s in store for him with only two weeks of work left of his job preparing turkey for slaugh- ter at the House of Raeford turkey process- reform? ing plant. The jury’s out Squalls and more than 950 of his col- leagues are expected to lose their jobs by on new N.C. the end of the month, with the Hoke County plant slated for closure after years legislation of declining interest from the American By Gary Robertson public in serving turkey for meals other THE ASSOCIATED PRESS than Thanksgiving. “I’ve given a lot of myself,” said Squalls, RALEIGH – Republican leg- 41, about the four years he’s worked in islative leaders and GOP Gov. the plant to support his four children. Pat McCrory pledged to work He spoke on a recent afternoon as he toward modernizing and sim- smoked a cigarette on break, his work plifying North Carolina’s tax clothing splattered with feathers and body code this year, largely by cut- parts from the live turkeys he readies for ting tax rates and eliminating slaughter. tax exemptions that critics call loopholes. The House of Raeford closure will be one PHOTO/KIMBERLY HARRINGTON of the larger plant shutdowns the state has After several competing seen in recent years, and the first large- North Carolina NAACP President Rev. William Barber addresses protesters at a Moral Mondayplans ral- surfaced — some scale test of new unemployment rules that ly in Raleigh. Moral Mondays have sparked a wave of grassroots activism across the state andamended and others shelved reduced how much people can collect and attracted national media attention on North Carolina’s political turn toward conservatism. — and weeks of unfruitful ne- for how long. gotiations, the momentum to- The company is processing orders for ward a tax overhaul increased this year’s Thanksgiving season and has late last week as lawmakers not set a final closure date, expected to be seek to wrap up the legislative by the end of the month. session this month. Other at- There’s little optimism from those in the Moral Mondays spark tempts at “tax reform” over the area that there will be available jobs for past two decades have failed. the soon-to-be displaced workers in this “The House and Senate are southeastern part of the state that already closer than they’ve been in months to being able to an- has unemployment rates higher than the self what was the point of “Interest groups matter,” he 8.9 percent statewide rate. NAACP’sBy Latisha Catchatoorian resurgence nounce a truly historic tax protesting; it wouldn’t really said. “They can influence voting. “It was like I got punched in the gut,” [email protected] overhaul,” Rep. David Lewis, change anything. Through her A strong organization can keep R-Harnett, the House’s point said Don Porter, Raeford and Hoke RALEIGH – The N.C. NAACP is attendance at Moral Mondays, an eye on electing officials.” man on taxes, said before en- County’s economic development director back on the civil rights map with she said she has learned a lot Clark goes on to say that even tering a weekend of negotia- about the May email he received from the Moral Mondays. about N.C. politics and steps she though things have changed in tions. House of Raeford owner about the closure. In North Carolina, Moral can take in contacting her legis- the past four decades, they Any final product that clears He’s grateful the company will keep a cook Mondays have shined a white- lature while becoming connect- haven’t changed “that much.” He the legislature and gets signed plant, where chicken and turkey are hot spotlight on state NAACP ed with a local political move- said if you look at levels of pover- by McCrory will be scrutinized, President William J. Barber and ment. ty or blacks not having equal ac- particularly on whether it de- See 950/2A the organization. For the past few “The further you go back in cess to the ballot, “the fight still serves to be called true “tax re- months, the NAACP has piloted time, the more active the organ- exists.” form,” or just a series of tax re- groups of citizens to protest bills ization is in the public mind,” African-Americans are suffer- ductions that shifts the bur- and Republican policies they feel said N.C. Rep. Kelly Alexander Jr., ing in similar and different ways den of who funds state gov- negatively affect North a Charlotte Democrat and former than they were more than 50 ernment. Carolinians. N.C. NAACP president. “The years ago. And they aren’t the The distinction is important Sarah Kowitt, 23, a Ph.D. stu- prominence of the NAACP is not only group of people. The NAACP among economists, advocates dent at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School as great as it has been in the recognizes that suffering has no of tax modernization and leg- of Public Health, has attended six 1930s or ‘40s, but we are enter- ethnic criteria for its victims. islators who said North Moral Monday protests. She was ing a period in North Carolina Latinos, Native Americans, Asians Carolina’s tax system is out- interested in the experience. where President Barber has cre- and, yes, even whites have long dated, originating from a “No Medicaid expansion in ated a multiracial organization. histories of persecution in the 1930s economy of textiles and North Carolina was my initial rea- He has helped heighten aware- United States. furniture. Today’s economy re- son since I’m interested in ness in the public eye.” “Unfortunately, the resurgence lies more on the service and health,” she said. “But, unfortu- Christopher Clark, an associate [of the NAACP] has come at the technology sectors. nately, I feel like the legislature professor of political science at expense of the masses,” said Kojo People across the political keeps giving me more and more UNC, said interests groups such Nantambu, president of the map disagree on whether any Turkeys arrive at Raeford plant for pro- reason to go.” as the NAACP create a greater lev- cessing. Kowitt said she used to ask her- el of knowledge and efficacy. See MORAL/2A Please seeTAX/ 3A Charm schoolAcademy, this sparked seeks her to inspire Raleigh’s at-risk girls By Latisha Catchatoorian "I started Amazing Grace you're going to do with [email protected] interest. Etiquette in 2004," your plan." "The greatest thing I've Executive Director Donna Speaker Pamela Williams, RALEIGH – Amazing Grace learned so far is how to Corbett said. "The Raleigh creator and owner of Think Etiquette hosted a career walk and talk with confi- Police Department is really Smart Outreach Center day Tuesday at Wake Tech dence," she said. "I've im- focused on helping these Inc., a nonprofit that helps Community College for its proved so much on my girls be better than they kids go to college, likened 12 charm school students. public speaking. Also, I've were yesterday." herself unto the girls. Career day is set aside for learned that being selfish Career Day welcomed Williams said she was a speakers in respective pro- is good, because I have to professionals from the cor- troublemaker in school, fessions the girls are inter- live my life the way I want porate world, small busi- was suspended multiple ested in to come and talk to live it because no one ness owners, nonprofit times and that school to with them about future ca- else is going to accomplish owners and teachers to her was a place to social- reers.