United States Air Force People

"The legalization of recreational or medical marijuana is a complex and debated issue, and opinions vary. Some argue for its potential medical benefits, economic impact, and social justice considerations, while others express concerns about public health and safety. If North Carolina were to consider legalization, we would need to discuss regulations to address issues like age restrictions, licensing, and taxation to ensure responsible use. It's essential for any policy to strike a balance between individual freedoms and societal interests while addressing potential risks."

"I want to be clear — supporting Opportunity Scholarships doesn’t mean I’m against public schools. I’m in favor of both. I fully support the N.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, also known as school vouchers, because it gives families the freedom to choose the best educational environment for their children. What I prioritize is the student and their individual needs. Every child deserves the chance to succeed, whether in a public, private or charter school."

"I believe we can do better and I am committed to doing my part. I will continue to represent the needs of my entire district and our state, while working with anyone who’s willing to collaborate for the good of North Carolina, but never compromising my values. The challenges we face are too important for us to remain divided. We owe it to our state to work together to build a better future for all."

"It’s impossible to pick just one challenge as North Carolina’s biggest issue. Our state faces complex, interconnected problems — public education, healthcare, housing, economic growth, environment, clean water, voting rights, and more. Each issue is critical and our citizens deserve thoughtful solutions to address them all."

"However, an underlying issue that is most concerning is the extreme partisanship that’s preventing us from doing the real work North Carolinians deserve. As an Air Force veteran, I’ve seen firsthand what’s possible when people work together toward a common goal. But in the legislature, too often, bills and budgets are crafted behind closed doors, with little input from across the aisle. This undermines democracy by silencing the voices of those we represent. No one party has all of the best ideas; our citizens deserve our best collective efforts."

"I voted in support of Senate Bill 3, the NC Compassionate Care Act, I believe it is time North Carolina passes medical marijuana. My district is home to Fort Liberty, where many disabled veterans live and suffer from chronic pain due to their service. During my campaign, veterans repeatedly expressed the need for medical marijuana as an alternative treatment for pain management. As a disabled veteran myself, I understand firsthand the challenges of managing pain. This bill was an opportunity for the state to take meaningful action to support our veterans beyond words of gratitude. While the bill has not yet passed the NC House, I remain hopeful that it will in the next session. As for recreational marijuana, I don't foresee it becoming law in the near future, and it is not something I would support at this time. My priority is ensuring we address the immediate healthcare needs of those who need it most, particularly our veterans"

"The claim that N.C. Opportunity Scholarships are about "parental choice" is misleading. Yes, parents should have the ability to choose to send their children to private schools, but they should use private funds — not public tax dollars meant for our struggling public schools. In Cumberland County alone, these vouchers will divert over $25 million from our public schools, further starving a system that’s in crisis. This isn’t about choice — it’s about undermining public education."

"The Republican legislature is perpetuating a slow death for our public schools by systematically underfunding them while failing to meet the North Carolina Constitution’s requirement for a sound, basic education for every child. Their efforts align with Trump’s Project 2025, a national agenda aimed at dismantling public education. Our children deserve better — they deserve a world-class public education that equips them to compete globally, not one sacrificed to political agendas and the privileged few."

"I voted against Senate Bill 20, the so-called "Care for Women, Children and Families Act." The title is misleading because SB 20 demonstrates a deep disregard for women and their right to make their own healthcare decisions. This bill reduced the abortion limit from 20 weeks to 12 and in my opinion is just the beginning of attacks on women’s reproductive rights in North Carolina. To be clear, this is not about a woman's "ability to keep her skirt down," as some might suggest — it's about one of the most sensitive and deeply personal healthcare decisions a woman can face. I fully supported the 20-week limit, which allowed exceptions for rape, incest, and when a woman's life is in danger, based on her doctor’s advice"

"The biggest challenge facing North Carolina today is affordable housing. As our state experiences rapid growth, housing costs continue to rise, making it harder for working- and middle-class families to find affordable places to live. This issue directly impacts our workforce, local economies, and community stability."

"I recognize the concerns that some have about how this program might affect public schools. As senator, I will work to close any gaps within the Opportunity Scholarship program, because I know it’s not a perfect system. I believe we can support both public and private education, and I’m committed to finding solutions that improve the program while ensuring our public schools remain strong. This doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Competition can drive improvement, and at the end of the day, it’s about making sure every child — no matter their background — has access to a quality education."

"Women have fought too hard and come too far to have their rights stripped away. Women, not politicians, should make decisions about their own healthcare. I stand firmly in defense of a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions"

"These scholarships are distributed based on household income, ensuring that low- and middle-income families benefit the most. As the program stands today, higher-income households are unlikely to qualify for a voucher, making it a targeted solution for those who need financial support. This gives families who couldn’t otherwise afford private school tuition the ability to make the best choice for their children based on academic needs, safety concerns or other factors."

"We live in an amazing country. America really is the greatest country on earth. Whether we are born to affluent parents who can provide every advantage in education and resources or reared in an inner-city or rural area with poor living conditions and substandard schools, in America, either can achieve their dreams of prosperity and success. That doesn't mean there will not be obstacles to overcome, but with persistence, hard work, and determination, in America we can in fact achieve anything."

"I know people from all walks of life who were born into less-than-ideal situations but don't want to put in the work. Rather, they blame "the system," and they blame others for their status in life. Trust me, I know the professional playing field is not level, and every American should recognize that fact and work to correct the imbalance. But in my view, the best way to make things better is to work your way into a position of authority so you can assure fairness within your sphere of influence. My gruff grandfather once told me, "Life is not fair; get over it." Coleman Cox said, "I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have." I think both quotes are sound advice."

"Failure is not inevitable and success is not guaranteed. But if we don't try, we certainly will not succeed."

"In this tough and oftentimes unfriendly world we live in, I believe we should offer acts of kindness as often as we can. Over the years, I have owned five different 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. My first purchase was in 1975. For reasons I cannot explain, several years later I made the decision to trade that car in for a much smaller used compact car. That car was too small for our family and started to fail a few months after purchase. While driving the car home from work one day, the fan blade literally fell off the engine and the car came to an abrupt stop. There were no cell phones in those days, so I picked up the fan off the highway and stood by the car with no idea what to do next. Seemingly out of nowhere, a gentleman pulled his car up behind me, got out, and asked to look under my hood. As it turned out, my water pump was shot and apparently had not been properly installed. There was an auto parts store nearby, so the gentleman drove over to the store, purchased a new water pump, and reinstalled my fan blade, all on the side of the highway. When he completed his work, he suggested I consider purchasing another make and model car, and then went on his way. I thanked him profusely and only remembered later that I neither knew his name nor paid him for the new water pump. This act of kindness and compassion is something I will never forget."

"Service in the military is a way of life. Every day, the people you work with and for all have a common bond: we took a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. At its core, we swore to give our lives if necessary to defend the country. There is no higher calling."

"My other biggest challenge at the academy revolved around the honor system. Honor, to me, is a simple do or don't. USAFA had gone through some recent cheating scandals, which threw a sharp focus on the system of dealing with honor violations and demoralized the wing. At the academy our honor system seemed bogged down by specifics and nuances of meaning. It was treated like a court of law, which shocked me. At the Point, honor was simple; it wasn't thought over, it wasn't discussed, it wasn't codified, analyzed, beaten to the ground, or weakened by myriad interpretations. We just lived with it, accepted it; we didn't lie, didn't cheat, and didn't steal. Not lying meant you didn't make falsehoods, known falsehoods, deliberate falsehoods, or little white falsehoods. You didn't cheat on exams or in the classroom. You didn't steal. That just meant you didn't steal. Period."

"SAC had been established by belligerent old General Curt LeMay and General Tommy Power, both pronuclear nutcases. Under their rules, if a wing commander messed up even a little bit he was canned and gone forever, so SAC fostered attitudes about how tough they were. What they really did was made a bunch of liars out of many wing commanders, DMs, and DOs. Guys at wing level were scared people. They would lie, cheat, steal, and deny- anything to make themselves look good."

"When LeMay scared the hell out of his people, he made something out of them that I don't think was their true nature. He made them cringe and hide the truth. He made them say, "Yes, sir, yes, sir," becoming chronic liars protecting their own skins. Whom were these guys going to promote? Whom were they going to favor in their OER (Officer Effectiveness Report) system? It wouldn't be somebody better, or even someone similar to them. A man like that has to have somebody working for him that he can dominate, and he is inevitably going to pick a lesser individual. After about twenty years of this system the incest destroys the force. I had a bunch of really great friends in SAC, but a big group of guys were developed into people who were afraid to think for themselves. They damn near destroyed the air force in the process."

"My statue at Ole Miss is a false idol. And it wasn't put there for my benefit. It was put there for Ole Miss and Mississippi...Ole Miss kicked my butt and they're still celebrating. Because every black that's gone there since me has been insulted, humiliated, and they can't even tell their story. Everybody has to tell James Meredith's story — which is a lie. The powers that be in Mississippi understand this very clearly. See, I've been telling them for fifty years how insulting it is to me to suggest that I had to be courageous to confront some ignorant white folks. And recently, they told me they really understand, but they're gonna keep doing it. I can't figure a way to make 'em stop. They're gonna keep on doin' it because it makes it impossible for the blacks there now to say anything about what's happened to them. Because the comparison is with the idol."

"Western civilization has worked like this: They marched in armor and took over. Almost all of the wealth comes from developing land. England never paid a dime for a single acre. But now there's no more land to take. They've tried in space for fifty years and they haven't found no place out there. So we're gonna have to learn to do what the Native Americans knew how to do: live the good life on the land that's there."

"there are nine people who control the Southern Baptists, who control America, and America controls the world. I don't know how many people control the media, but there aren't a whole lot more than that."

"my real focus is on producing citizens without any identification. Don't call me African American; I am a citizen of the United States of America. That's the designation that I want everybody to reach."

"I knew the only way to beat Mississippi was with the United States military. I had not just the United States Army fighting my war against Mississippi, but President Kennedy sent in the best of the United States Army."

"There's nothing more powerful than someone that everyone can say is crazy, but everybody knows they're are not. Fear is a two-way street, Most people only think it's a one-way street. Nothing is more powerful than a person being in a situation where everyone thinks they ought to be fearful, and they do not show any fear. What that situation does is scare the life out of everybody else. Know it's a fact: When (then-Lt. Gov.) Paul Johnson stopped us in the middle of the street (in 1962) ... he was shaking so bad that he couldn't hold his hand straight. Back then, the football players that couldn't make it to the pros got automatic positions on the state police. So you had all those 300-pound state troopers backing up against the wall, and every one of them was shaking like a leaf on a tree."

"To get people to see beyond themselves is the most difficult thing of all."

"My great-grandfather was the last ruler of the Choctaw Nation...When I was growing up, we saw ourselves as Native Americans. I was really shielded. I knew literally nothing about blacks. The first time I was called "nigger" to my face was the first day I went to Ole Miss...Everybody else was dealing with the black-white war. Tell you the truth, I was still fighting the European-Indian war."

"What I did at Ole Miss had nothing to do with going to classes. My objective was to destroy the system of white supremacy."

"Now I'm going to use all my energy to do what I think God sent me here to do. ("What is that?") To make the Christian world, particularly, know what the biblical and Jesus' own command is for them to do for the poor. And the only thing I'm connecting myself to with this debate at Oxford is this March Against AIDS. Not because it's that, but the AIDS problem is what it is because of the condition of the poor, and the responsibility (the rich shirk) to give to the poor. When they give anything, they think it's a gift. You understand? But that absolutely ain't the way Christ meant it. It was an absolute responsibility. That's the message God called me to deliver; and that's what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. To tell you the truth, the last 10, 15 years, I've spent trying to figure out why in the world God let me stay in (my life)."

"(Have you ever known anyone who seemed to you great?) JB: James Meredith. He's a very tough and loving little man"

"Do you know what the words "African American" really imply? That the person doesn't have the natural right to be there, so that whatever right they have has to be given to them. John Kennedy's daddy spent his whole life and a whole lot of money trying to keep from becoming (called) half Native American. For blacks to get control of the set-asides, the black elite deliberately set up this African American thing. Jesse Jackson called a meeting a long time ago of elite blacks, determined to use this term. The majority of blacks hated this term with a passion, but the media is pushing it down their throats."

"White supremacy is worldwide; the whole war against Hitler was about white supremacy. It's not just an issue in America. I found out last time I was in Europe. I went to Eastern Europe; that's when I found out that white supremacy is just as powerful there as the worst days in Mississippi."

"I thought I couldn't die. And I really believed it. I know better now. But I'm glad I didn't know better then."

"Bear Bryant had a quota of five blacks on his team. In NFL, until 15 or 20 years ago, everyone said a black couldn't be quarterback. Now if he can win, he can be the quarterback. It's not an issue any more. Even Tiger Woods: When he first came on scene it was an issue. Today nobody anywhere in the world wants to have a golf tournament if Tiger Woods ain't on the team."

"What we need is to shift the focus from race and color to rich and poor."

"There's a fourth (branch of government): the media, which is a thousand times more powerful than all the others put together. You see, you all are always blaming the Klan, the Ku Klux Klan. They ain't the ones making the policy; (the Klan) do what other powers allow them to do. Dealing with the black/white issue in America, that's been the Southern Baptists, and the most powerful are the Mississippi Southern Baptists. All other states have deferred to Mississippi and follow their lead on what policies can be agreed to. ... [Y]ou hear people talking about the "Bubba faction." The white, poor working class faction: That exists because the media, for 40 years, went on a program of making all whites feel like they were descended from the slave-holding class. There was nothing further from truth ... (White supremacy) wasn't about the (poor white) people who were always blamed; it was the powers-that-be."

"Understand: The greatest supporters of white supremacy are blacks who have "made it." They are the last people who want substantial change because they don't know where they will fit after change. You understand? But that's secondary. The main issue in America today is the whites who lived all their life on this promise of getting something better than nonwhites, are now being cut off, they think."

"The big fight among evangelicals is whether you interpret the Bible through metaphors or you literally believe that what is said in the Bible: that the rich should help the poor. It literally says in the Bible that the rich should help the poor, that farmers could not harvest all the crops."

"You don't win elections just by having people on the roads who are on your side. You understand: Any good politicians knows if you can keep the right people away from the polls, it will make all the difference. Like this Florida thing: The whites sent out letters telling blacks they're going to be arrested (if they got a record when they vote). That's for real. I know there are more ways to keep people from doing something than to get them to do something. I guarantee you that the Republicans know more tricks than I do."

"The use of this race thing was to keep the poor whites poor but happy, because they could still feel they were better than the blacks. That's where you are now with groups saying, "Let the past stay in the past." That's not really what they're about. It's still all about "Us" and "Them," and they have never considered "Them" anymore "Us" than they consider me."

"Democracy has some good points, but it ain't hardly what most Americans think it is."

"Meredith had come to prominence by being the first Black student to attend the all-white University of Mississippi. White supremacists rioted in protest at his admission, burning cars, destroying property and attacking federal agents and US troops with rocks, bricks and gunfire. After the violence subsided, many white students reportedly shunned and harassed him."

"What any human being can do in life depends upon the foundation laid between birth and age five."

"The biggest untold story in American history is what happened to the Native Americans east of the Mississippi River."

"("Isn't it easy to take a stance on fighting AIDS?") No, it's not easy. ... The media has decided they are not going to deal with AIDS in America."

"I think Ole Miss is the most progressive of any major school in the nation when it comes to race issues...For the first 35 years after I went there, you would have found nothing at Ole Miss that made you know that James Meredith had ever been there. Almost since the time of present administration (Chancellor Robert Khayat), they made what I am sure, although they never told me, was a conscious decision to change. I think the decision was to educate Mississippians, not to keep the nation off their back, but they genuinely went out looking for blacks to educate. For the first 35 years, you couldn't have read nothing (done by Ole Miss) to know I was there."

"I think the future of the United States of America will be determined by two groups of people: well-to-do white women over 70, and professional or well-to-do white males under 40. What most people don't know is that it was the rich white females that defeated the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment)."

"I've always bragged about getting my principles from my father, but it was my momma who showed me how."