12/24 Letters: The UNC Board is micromanaging, not leading. Reputation is at stake.

UNC Board politics

Regarding “Silent Sam deals need official review” (Dec. 18 Editorial), we must recognize that the UNC Board of Governors is a politically partisan entity fashioned by the state legislature.

Instead of UNC being known as a nationally leading university, the board wants it advertised as a leading Republican nationally known university. Further, the Board has chosen to micromanage UNC rather than simply lead. So unfortunately for us, the state legislature and Board are Republican entities that ham-handedly manage everything they address.

Mark Zimmerman, Durham

Monuments law

In all the heated rhetoric over Silent Sam, the main culprit in the whole mess has been insufficiently recognized: the absurd state law that made it impossible for the university simply to move the statue. The law forbids its permanent removal unless “a building inspector or similar official” has determined a threat to public safety. Let’s repeal that law before any more damage is done.

Wyndham Robertson, Chapel Hill

Gov. Martin’s op-ed

Regarding “The disturbing new frequency of impeachment,” (Dec. 18 Opinion):

With all due respect to former Gov. Jim Martin, President Clinton was not re-elected to a second term after his impeachment in 1998 as he was well into his second term at the time. We can never know if the shame inherent in his having been impeached would have dissuaded him from running again or if his impeachment would have deterred voters from casting ballots for a man so disgraced.

Donald Zepp, Smithfield

Such dishonesty

I laughed hysterically reading “NC man sought to poison roommate,“ (Dec. 18). So this citizen got caught attempting to poison his roommate and got 78 months in prison, even though the roommate is very much alive.

While President Trump, caught red-handed attempting to bribe a foreign government to interfere in our election, was said to have done nothing wrong because the act didn’t take place after Congress found out.

How can anyone who claims to be a believer in the Constitution and democracy look at him or herself in the mirror and proclaim that this president did nothing wrong? Such dishonesty!

Thu Ostrander, Raleigh

Republican support

The Republicans are standing strongly behind the president out of fear of his Twitter wrath and getting “primaried.” But you watch, once the primaries are over they’ll distance themselves from him. They’ll feign outrage at his behavior, pandering for votes to keep their seats of prestige and power. Only those who want to be fooled will be.

George Carter, Raleigh

Creating divisions

Recently President Trump extended Title VI civil rights protections to Jews to combat anti-Semitism. This order will divide and silence. Jews will be included, but not Muslims or any other religion.

In January a stolpersteine (stumbling stone) will be placed at my grandmother’s house. The stones are slightly raised to catch our attention and honor Holocaust victims like my grandmother. Stumbling stones are a reminder that defining people is the first step in creating us vs them. Soon we see others as different, inferior, taking what we deserve, even dangerous. They must be deported, their homes taken, or in my grandmother’s case murdered at Auschwitz.

As a Jew, Trump expects my gratitude and vote. I offer neither. Besides being Jewish, I am Christian, American, Italian and Canadian. I celebrate each part of who I am and don’t want Trump defining me. Picking one religion for special treatment is dangerous.

Marc Segre, Raleigh

The lies of war

Jay Ambrose is right to condemn lies of Pentagon and other U.S. officials that have kept us at war in Afghanistan for 18 years (Dec. 15 Opinion) But the original lie was that somehow attacking Afghanistan was a rational response to the 911 attack on the World Trade Center, and was combating terrorism.

The larger lie, that war can solve problems, is still widely believed. Wars in Korea, Vietnam, Central America, and the Middle East provide ample evidence to the contrary.

The only beneficiaries of war are weapons industries and companies, like Halliburton, that supply deployed forces.

Joe Burton, Raleigh

School food delivery

Regarding “Wake County sets new rules on food delivery to students,” (Dec. 21):

Who runs the Wake County public schools, the school board or the students? Students should not be allowed to order fast food to be delivered to school. They should pack a lunch, eat cafeteria food, or don’t eat at all. And, they should not be allowed to leave campus. This is a safety issue.

Jack Chrismon, Benson

Retired Johnston County educator