Gary Pearce’s column published Wednesday, “Tracking North Carolina’s ‘blue shift,'” gives a lot to think about.

I am more concerned about the need to maintain and nourish a living democracy. N.C. and the entire U.S. has never voted in sufficient numbers to shout from the heights about our democracy. Indeed, other democracies shame the U.S. in the voting category. And the U.S. has just survived a failed coup attempt on Jan. 6 in which domestic terrorists attempted to overthrow a free and fair election to install a would-be dictatorship.

No significant voter fraud was found, yet the big lie is still alive that the election was stolen. In far too many “red” states, too many laws are being enacted to more severely suppress the vote and put the U.S. back into the “Jim Crow” era.

Democracy is a fragile thing, and the U.S. continues to be in a precarious position to protect and support the U.S. democratic republic. Will the “blue” overcome or will the “red” continue to dismantle democracy?

— Pat Bullard
China Grove