President George H.W. Bush was a good man
President Bush was above all else a good man. Courageous in WW II, he was also a Yale first baseman who played at N.C. State in the late 1940s.
When he was vice president resident in the mid ‘80s, his lawyer C. Boyden Gray approached me about introducing Bush to certain Democratic politicians, as he was planning on running for president.
In the early ‘90s he invited me and my family to dinner at the White House where he was announcing his famous “Thousand Points of Light.” Two rows of disadvantaged children were sitting ahead of me on the aisle. After the announcement he stepped down to greet several of the kids and then grabbed my hand to say “I’m so pleased to have you here tonight.” My startled response was simply, “Mr. President, I assure you the pleasure is all mine,” while my 12-year-old daughter just gaped.
He was a good and honorable man who is sorely missed.
Robert P. Kennel
Holly Springs
Broken commandments
The baffled letter writer concerned about how conservative Christians can support Trump (“Baffling support,” Dec. 1) points out that Trump has “broken most of the Ten Commandments.” My question to this comment is, “Who hasn’t?”
These commandments were handed down to the Israelites when they left Egypt to give them a social framework for their new nation. After having been enslaved for 400 years they needed some guidance as they had no laws or government of their own.
Getting back to supporting Trump, just like the rest of us he’s not perfect, but he’s better than the alternatives. At least he’s not trying to take religion out of everything like the liberals and their media cohorts.
Stan Cardwell
Raleigh
Helper candles
Rabbi Eric Solomon states “Raise your voice” in “After the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, the World is Coming to Help” (Dec. 2). He correctly states that every minority group is a target for criticism and violence today. The climate in our government promotes violence, with all the bigoted words spoken by our leader. Our country is changing, and violence and bigotry are becoming the order of the day.
It is important that we band together as a community, and ultimately, as a country to be “helper candles” to help the oppressed and threatened groups. Especially now in this season of giving and loving, let us come and help prevent further violence and bigotry.
Nat Shaw
Raleigh
Ban short-term
Regarding the Dec. 2 article (“Raleigh is considering list of rules for Airbnb rentals”) about Airbnb rentals in Raleigh: I take issue with the attitude that banning short-term rentals will “perpetuate the stereotype that Southern cities aren’t welcoming to all people” and that not having Airbnb is “going to make Raleigh just look bad.” The woman interviewed also believes that Raleigh will have trouble attracting people to fill tech jobs if Airbnbs are not allowed.
Hotels and motels have been providing lodging to travelers for generations, and places like a Residence Inn have larger rooms with kitchenettes for longer stays. And they have parking lots, so patrons’ cars don’t become nuisances to neighbors.
Homeowners have spent large amounts of money and pay taxes to move into neighborhoods to avoid the traffic and noise found in commercial areas. Airbnb rentals turn private properties into commercial establishments that can generate both of these problems.
Cheryl Mensch
Southern Pines
Clean house
As a fan of ECU, I remember the days when ECU’s Schools of Business, Accounting, Art and Music received praise and awards. Sadly, when our football program became a mess, all of ECU’s reputation is at risk. This is sad, but it is the reality of today’s dependence on university athletic programs. Coach Montgomery is well-liked, but he walked into a losing battle.
Not only do we need new coaches, but also the removal of Chancellor Cecil Staton and probably most of the Board of Trustees. Just clean house, so we can begin repairing all the damage. ECU needs new management.
William Bowling
Durham
Absentee fraud
My grandmother taught me an old Southern saying: “Strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.” It describes our General Assembly perfectly. All their effort on voter IDs.
Meanwhile, results from the 9th Congressional District demonstrate that absentee ballots offer a tremendous potential for voter fraud. The General Assembly should concentrate on absentee ballot fraud.
Marvin Maddox
Cary
This story was originally published December 3, 2018 at 11:35 AM.