Governor Cooper moved too quickly to reopen bars, ease NC COVID restrictions
Reopening NC
Perhaps it is too soon to increase the number of people permitted to go to restaurants, bars and other places.
Other countries have done this and had to revert to going out only for essentials.
With the Easter and Passover holidays approaching, college students traveling to Florida for spring break, and COVID-19 variants surfacing, wouldn’t it have been a wiser decision to have kept the old restrictions and curfews a bit longer?
One step forward with the possibility of two steps back is not the safest way for progress against the virus.
Lorraine Stark, Matthews
Trump’s second act
Regarding “Trump’s GOP” (March 2 Forum):
When Donald Trump was inaugurated, Republicans controlled all three branches of government. By the time he left office, the Democrats controlled all three.
A plethora of lies, conspiracy theories, negligence and incompetence stemming from the Oval Office produced those inevitable consequences.
Trump lost the popular vote twice, in 2016 and 2020, by almost 10 million votes combined. Inciting the Capitol riot is not likely to improve any future prospects for expanding his base.
So if Trump is not a convicted felon by the time 2024 rolls around, then by all means let him run for president again. Trump has shown us who he is, and outside of his cult-like base the American people will not grant him a second act.
Barry Jordan, Charlotte
Stimulus bill
It sure would be nice if the Democrats had put together a better stimulus bill to help people in need. Instead, they put together a pork-filled bill that bails out incompetent leaders and contains things that have nothing to do with the true needs of the people they are supposed to represent.
Cliff Passons, Charlotte
Trump statue
At CPAC the conservatives were in thrall of Trump and his golden statue. One wonders if they, and in particular the evangelicals, recall what happened to the Israelites when Moses came down from Mount Sinai. Maybe the Republicans will end up wandering in the desert for 40 years.
Kent Rhodes, Charlotte
Stop the lies
If you thought the insurrection was bad, it will most likely get worse. Maybe not right away, but in the months and years ahead. This is the result of “fake news” — from all sides.
It’s time to revisit the Fairness in Broadcasting Act of 1987. It would have allowed the FCC “to ensure that they provide coverage of controversial issues and a reasonable opportunity for the airing of contrasting viewpoints on those issues.”
President Reagan supported it — until he vetoed it. The political divide has only grown since the veto.
This act must be revisited, for the sake of this country. Loud, false-tongued individuals need to be counterpointed whenever and wherever possible to minimize future outbreaks of violence. Stop the Lie.
Michael Shinder, Charlotte
State of our union
So many tenets of our society have been disavowed and replaced by self-appointed sanctimonious judges of truth and speech. Each is suffering from inflamed righteousness, which is a terrible thing when conscientious fools enforce it.
Feckless politicians, egocentric and pusillanimous, become acceptable. Promises are made, but few are kept. Robust debate in the public square is rare. Babel ensues and government actions become quixotic and unpredictable.
In summary, our union is suffering from an acute case of atrophy, compounded by lingering schizophrenia.
Chuck Newton, Charlotte
SNL sketch
Regarding “The inside story of the ‘SNL’ sketch about Charlotte and LaMelo Ball that went viral,” (March 2):
“Gateway to Gastonia” was first uttered years ago. I remember the late John Denver opened his concert at the old Charlotte Coliseum with that moniker. It must have been in 1974 or 1975. Being a Gastonian, I well remember the laughter — and the sting.
Anne M. Elam, Kings Mountain
