UNC trustees’ decision on Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Republican attempt to cancel

UNC trustees

Regarding “UNC decision not to grant tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones was a breath of fresh air,” (May 25 Forum):

All previous Knight professors have been appointed with tenure, so why should the trustees deprive Nikole Hannah-Jones? Because she’s not an academic? All Knight chairs are not academics. The position was created so students can interact with the best journalists in the country.

Because the trustees are against tenure? If so, why wait to make this point until a Black woman is nominated to a tenured position?

Because Hannah-Jones’ 1619 Project is not good journalism or good history? The Pulitzer Prize committee, which gives out the most sought-after award in journalism, thought it measured up. Journalism school faculty also thought she measured up when they put her forward for tenure.

Why are the trustees substituting their judgment for that of the journalism school faculty, the UNC-wide tenure committee, and the provost? I’ll take a wild guess...

Could it be that key Republicans are exercising their influence over the trustees to cancel Hannah-Jones, faculty rights, and freedom of thought?

David Kiel, Chapel Hill

Tenure

Perhaps this current debate over tenure for Nikole Hannah-Jones could prompt some review of the basic idea of tenure at our public institutions. Few places of employment offer that level of guarantee. This “lock-in” of employment may be a concept that has become outdated. Our work places are highly competitive which keeps all at the top of their game.

Deborah Brogden, Raleigh

Burr and Tillis

I see that U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis have jumped on the bandwagon of the “let’s deprive people of unemployment benefits so they’ll go back to work“ movement. Not only does this strike me as stingy and disrespectful of the poor who have lost jobs, but also as further evidence that these two are working more for business interests and donors than for the people of this state who deserve these federally funded benefits. It smacks of a lack of humanitarian values.

Ellen Canavan, Cary

NC jobs plan

I shook my head when I read that Republican legislators in North Carolina want to pay people $1,500 in taxpayer money to go to work.

This effort is being led by state Sen. Chuck Edwards who owns several McDonald’s restaurants and likely doesn’t have enough workers.

If businessmen like Edwards would pay people a living wage, they would not have a problem getting enough workers. I find it quite unethical for a legislator to try to get taxpayers to help his business. Same goes for the other GOP legislators who support this crazy idea.

Nick Gervase, Holly Springs

Jan. 6 commission

Regarding “House voted to approve Jan. 6 commission; all Republicans in NC delegation opposed,” (May 22):

It is very difficult to understand how a political party that worships at the feet of a former president who touts law and order as a core tenet could not support legislation to investigate the unlawful acts of Jan. 6, 2021. Hypocritical and self-interest are two explanations that seem to make sense.

Robert Grove, Raleigh

Mass shootings

A new day, another mass shooting, this time in California.

Life for the rest of us goes on as usual. Police swarm the scene. The shooter is down. The casualties will be totaled and reported. The talking heads will debate about gun laws. A study will be done — yet again — and then, absolutely nothing will change.

We are numb. We are desensitized. We are pathetic, as a country.

Pro gun people will say it’s not the guns, it’s mental health. Others will say if mentally ill people didn’t have easy access to guns then shootings would be less frequent. Again, nothing will change because our some of our lawmakers want the huge donations that NRA makes to their campaigns.

I urge my representatives, Sens. Richard Burr, Thom Tillis and Rep. David Rouzer, to do something. Let us not be pathetic.

Laura Biegel, Clayton

Pedestrian deaths

Regarding “More NC pedestrians died in the first half of 2020, even with fewer cars on the road,” (May 20):

Black residents are disproportionately the victims of traffic violence. While about 22% of our state’s population identify as Black, from 2010 through 2019 they accounted for 33% of the 1,959 people killed while walking in North Carolina.

This is because a higher share of Black households do not own cars live in neighborhoods where there have not been investments in sidewalks and safe streets.

Fortunately, we already know many of the changes that need to be made. We need local, state, and federal governments to fund and build complete sidewalk and bicycling networks and safely designed crossings that work for people of all ages and abilities.

We need to redesign our streets for slower and safer vehicle speeds. And we need to prioritize these safety improvements and investments in low-income neighborhoods where many households do not own cars and people are especially vulnerable to traffic violence.

John Tallmadge

Executive Director of Bike Durham