Will Wade told us exactly where he fell short at NC State | Opinion

In reference to your coverage of Will Wade’s departure from N.C. State, I won’t dwell on personality or press conference style, though both often raised eyebrows. What stood out most to me was his own assessment following the Duke game on March 2.

In that moment, he openly admired the culture, discipline, and systems of the Blue Devils while acknowledging that the Wolfpack lacked those same qualities.

Culture is not something that can be bought or acquired through a transfer portal. It is the responsibility of the head coach to build, reinforce, and sustain it every day. When a coach publicly points to its absence, he is, in effect, acknowledging a failure of leadership.

At this level of college basketball, talent matters. But culture matters more. And that responsibility rests squarely with the head coach.

Chasing money does not produce championships. Neither does failing to establish the foundation required to compete at the highest level.

Richard Averitte, Raleigh

TSA funding

Every airline ticket in America includes a mandatory September 11 Security Fee of $5.60 per one-way trip. At 17 million passengers a week, that generates enough money to pay every TSA officer a solid middle-class income — without a single additional dollar from taxpayers.

So why are TSA workers still vulnerable to government shutdowns? Why are they used as bargaining chips in budget fights? The money exists. The public willingness is already built into every ticket sold. What is missing is a Congress willing to pass one simple law: money collected for airport security goes to airport security.

Until they do, I have a suggestion. Stop at the bank before your next flight. Get a $2 bill. Leave it in the bin for the officer on the other side. It will not fix the system. But it will say something Washington needs to hear: we see you, we value what you do, and we are not waiting for Congress to figure out what we already know.

Stand up. Put your buck down. That is what Americans do.

Ernie Patterson, Sanford

UNC wrong to fire Davis

Firing Coach Davis was a catastrophic failure in decision making. UNC administration has been behind the curve on adapting to the changing landscape in college athletics. My father played for Coach McGuire and Coach Smith. I played football for Coach Brown. I believe in the Carolina way that Coach Smith created. Big money is chipping away at the sound of Tar Heel voices. I support everything about Coach Davis, how he represented the university and how successful he has been on the court with limited/late support from his ousters. Good luck at finding the next Coach Smith or Coach Williams. The Carolina way is no more.

Glenn Holland, Beaufort

Counting votes

Phil Berger is the same man who remarked while counting continued after the 2024 NC Supreme Court Justice race that Democrats, in change of all 100 county and State Board of Elections, would continue counting until they got a result they wanted. Oh how ironic now a Republican majority on the NC BOE didn’t allow a hand recount of all ballots.

I’ve served 15 years as a precinct election official and been ballot box monitor many times. As long as voters follow the instructions on the ballot the count will be accurate as the optical character reader inside it can read their choices correctly.

Mark G Rodin, Durham

A reminder on ICE

“I hope to God You will not ask me to go to any other country except my own.”

The quoted words are those of Barboncito, Navajo Chief, May 1868, as the status of Navajo people was being discussed. That says what is happening to too many people in the U.S. as they are rounded up, detained, denied rights and uprooted from home, family, jobs and friends — i.e., sent off to a reservation. Can’t we do better with fellow human beings than having them rounded up by other Americans, ICE agents, and detained? What have we not learned about unalienable rights and due process? Yes, we can and should do better.

Jim H. McKinney, Sanford

Raleigh bus station

I was delighted to read Josh Shaffer’s piece on the real issues behind proposals to move GoRaleigh’s bus station out of Moore Square. As a professor who commuted on the bus from my home near Olde Raleigh to the NC State campus at 5AM, I saw firsthand what Mr. Shaffer described: The first buses of the morning were populated almost exclusively by unhoused people who clearly had mental and physical health issues. Although some of my fellow passengers had movements and vocalizations that some might find disturbing, I never once felt unsafe. Never.

Rather than move the bus station so that we can further insulate rich white folks (like me) from ever coming in contact with people who look and act differently, we should all be taking the bus. Buses aren’t only good for the environment and reducing congestion—they are one of the last remaining spaces that are truly public, where citizens of all stripes sit side by side. Don’t believe me? Try it. You just might discover that, rather than succumbing to fear and isolation, love and empathy are civic virtues shared across racial, economic, and even mental health barriers. Pass it on.

Jeff Braden, Raleigh

This story was originally published March 29, 2026 at 5:00 AM.