Some governors are getting too dictatorial with COVID-19 mandates
Virus mandates
City and state officials are handing down mandates that have terrible financial consequences. Those trying to make a living and pay employees are constantly frustrated and angry.
I propose that any official who limits one’s business or locks it down should face a 25-50% decrease in their salary for as long as the mandate is in place.
This saying “we are all in this together” is absolutely false. None of the city, state or federal officials who make these decrees are affected financially to any extent.
Let people be responsible for themselves. If they do not want to be exposed, then stay at home.
Some governors are getting too dictatorial. Even their law enforcement departments say they will not enforce some of these official mandates.
Don Roberson, Matthews
Dangerous advice
Where are our guiding medical and legal institutions when we need them?
We have a physician, Dr. Scott Atlas, giving guidance to our executive branch about COVID-19. He essentially suggests herd immunity as the way to get past this pandemic and says wearing a mask is the wrong approach. This would needlessly kill hundreds of thousands of additional Americans when we’re close to a vaccine.
This violates the oath physicians take to “do no harm.” Atlas has lost all credibility and should lose his license.
Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell have advised ridiculous lawsuits to overturn an election they know full well their client lost. They are seeding doubt into the process the constitution upholds, all for political and financial gain at the expense of the American people.
They should be disbarred and banned from practicing law.
Phil Solomon, Charlotte
Mail-in ballots
President Trump has stated that allowing mail-in ballots will be the end of the GOP. The reason is that voter suppression is most effective with in-person voting. Examples are fewer voting days, fewer voting locations, last minute voting location changes. long lines, voter ID, etc. Few of these work with mail-in ballots. It took a pandemic to demonstrate this. And, yes, it was the truth.
Gerald Mele, Stanley
The long game
It hit me like a ton of bricks as I read another article about the lame attempts by the current administration to overturn the presidential election results. The current administration is not interested in overturning the 2020 election results. They are playing the long game and looking forward to 2024.
They believe if they can leave the country in such disarray and full of discord, that the incoming administration won’t be able to right the ship in four years. Then, the current president can ride in like a white night and “save the day.”
Our only hope is that we see through their plan and work together to make this country whole again.
Ken Lawler, Charlotte
Give Joe a chance
Well, here we are three weeks from Election Day. While the results were not really that close, some on one side refuse to accept that they lost. Losing when you were so sure you’d win is hard.
To all of those who voted for President Trump, and there are 73 million of you, I’m sorry. Joe Biden is going to be your president.
While I can’t believe all Trump voters were totally on board with everything he did, there was something they liked. All I ask is that they open their hearts and minds going forward and give Biden a chance. I truly believe he wants to bring us back together and will with your help and support.
Jack Matthews, Charlotte
Political parties
Regarding “A new GOP,” (Nov. 22 Forum):
We do need a counterbalance of at least two political parties to keep things on an even keel.
Better yet, we can have more than two major parties, as most European countries do. Having more than two parties would decrease the ability of any one party from establishing an unwholesome power leverage over the other.
However, this is unlikely to happen as we Americans operate contrary, in so many ways, to other civilized countries. A list includes number of guns, number of death sentences, high rate of drug use, and recidivism, and number of lawyers per capita.
This is but a partial list of our many differences from most European countries. Are we so much smarter or simply obstinate?
Richard A. Quadrini, Charlotte
Lung cancer
The writer heads Atrium Health Pulmonary Care’s lung cancer screening program.
Last week, the American Lung Association released its third annual “State of Lung Cancer” report, which examines the toll of lung cancer in North Carolina and outlines steps to protect residents from lung cancer.
The report revealed promising news – more people than ever are surviving lung cancer. In North Carolina, the lung cancer survival rate aligns with the national average at 22%. But the report also showed that people of color diagnosed with lung cancer face worse outcomes compared to white Americans.
We are making progress against lung cancer, but too many people are being left behind. We must do more to address lung cancer for all communities. I encourage N.C. residents to talk to their doctor about lung cancer screening and programs to help them stop smoking.
Dr. John Doty, Charlotte
