Who has ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome?’

Regarding “Trump’s diagnosis for critics: ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’” (July 18): In the past 4 days, Trump has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin behind closed doors, and the Republican leadership refuses to find out what they talked about or even condemn Trump by name; taken Putin’s word over his own national security team, then walked it back, then walked it forward again; seriously considered delivering Americans to Russia for interrogation; and his Interior Department is proposing vast changes to gut the Endangered Species Act in favor of more roads and development.

And undocumented children are still being held in cells, sometimes on concrete floors with filthy toilets and no basic necessities; some were forced to appear in courts before judges by themselves.

And I’m the one with ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome?’

Vaccines ‘critical’

As our adolescents prepare to return to school, it’s important that we remember that while buying new school supplies and signing up for afterschool activities, we also need to make sure our kids’ immunizations are current.

So often we feel that something could never happen to us or our family. But with some illnesses like influenza, the reality is quite different. Last flu season, nearly 400 Carolinians died from the illness. Nationwide, among children who died from flu, the large majority had not received a flu vaccine.

Vaccines are critical for protecting our teens from serious and sometimes deadly diseases. North Carolina has seen its share of even rarer diseases that have had epidemic waves in our schools. Pertussis – commonly known as whooping cough – has had several outbreaks in North Carolina schools over the last five years. Its potency can also have deadly effects, especially for babies too young to be immunized who are exposed to whooping cough.

The NC Academy of Family Physicians is proud to partner with the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the NC Pediatric Society to support Adolescent Immunization Month. So as you get your adolescents ready to return to school, take a moment to talk with your teen’s primary care physician. Keeping your children vaccinated could very well save their lives.

‘Careless act’

How is it possible that the president of America is allowed to have a meeting with a foreign president – in this case, Russian President Vladimir Putin – with no security, or any witnesses to what is said?

Unfortunately, I have a problem of trust with Trump. The truth has been stretched in so many directions that I feel that I can no longer believe what is said.

Who will tell America the truth? How can our government let this careless act take place with no supervision?

Football opinion

Regarding “Fedora says football under an ‘attack’ that could hurt country” (July 19): Coach Fedora’s opinion that football is becoming softer, which will make our country’s military weaker, is probably an opinion shared by many football coaches.

His contention was partially based on one U.S. Army general stating that most soldiers have grown up playing football and learned lessons that made for strong, disciplined and courageous men.

The Israeli Army is considered one of the strongest bravest, and most disciplined armies in the world. Yet these soldiers have almost certainly never played football. However, Israel has one of the highest per-capita rates of chess players in the world. Could it be that playing chess makes for strong warriors?

What about the increasing number of women in the U.S. Army? They have not played football. Are they making our nation weaker?

Perhaps Fedora will consider reducing his salary to equal that of a four-star general and donating the difference to programs aimed at fostering strength, valor and discipline among the vast majority of UNC students who don’t play football.