Wake sheriff should not have suspended pistol permit applications amid coronavirus

Pistol permits

Regarding “Wake County sheriff suspends pistol, concealed-carry permit applications as demand surges,” (March 24):

During a crisis there should be no doubt about our ability to protect and defend ourselves and our loved ones, yet Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker has taken action that could leave law-abiding citizens defenseless.

His office announced it will not issue new pistol purchase permits until at least April 30.

While he may be justifiably concerned about the spread of coronavirus, there are laws to prevent state and local officials from using the exercise of their “emergency powers” as a pretext to infringe on the right to keep and bear arms. North Carolina law requires sheriffs to approve or reject a pistol permit with 14 days. Even in the absence of such laws, the Second Amendment still applies by its own force.

Cathy Wright, Chapel Hill

Virus relief bill

President Trump had said he would be “the oversight” for the $500 billion coronavirus relief bill. There is no one in government less qualified for this position. Thankfully, in final negotiations White House officials agreed to allow an independent inspector general and an oversight board to scrutinize lending decisions related to the bill.

Trump is responsible for six corporate bankruptcies and 24 failed businesses. New York has banned him from ever again running a charity while fining him $2 million for misuse of funds. He settled a fraud lawsuit against Trump University for $25 million. Is this the person we want managing our money?

To truly benefit the American people and restore the economy the slush fund must be managed by an independent bipartisan panel of financial experts..

Jane Kraemer, HIgh Point

Speaker Pelosi

It was bad enough that Speaker Nancy Pelosi would do anything to overturn a national presidential election, but to hold the American people hostage to push her partisan agenda is astounding. People were suffering and some may have died while she played her political games. Unfortunately, I am beginning to lose respect for my friends and neighbors who are Democrats and who are willing support a party that is all to willing to damage our country.

Robert C. Jensen, Holly Springs

President Trump

The announcement of the new coronavirus was made in early January of 2020. Our intelligence agencies were aware of the virus and notified President Trump and the CDC of the possible results. Trump, never relying on our intelligence agencies, considered it a hoax for two months.

He was more concerned with the stock market and his re-election than the functioning of our government. He has turned briefings into a campaign rally, continually telling lies, showing his expert conning of Americans.

Thankfully many of our governors have stepped up to fill the vacuum of Trump’s ineptitude, but they can’t activate the response from industry to fulfill their needs to protect the caregivers and the patients.

Thomas Oriel, Garner

Sen. Richard Burr

Sen. Richard Burr requested an ethics investigation, but only because he is confident he can rationalize his stock sales by claiming he acted on public information. But he can’t rationalize his far more serious violation of public trust. As he privately gave dire, public health warnings to a group of wealthy donors, he never offered the same warnings to the people of North Carolina.

This is just more evidence showing the Republican version of “draining the swamp” to be a giant con being perpetrated on the American public.

Don’t expect Burr to resign. That would require a moral compass and his actions show that he has none. He no longer needs votes. He retires from the Senate in 2022, at which point he will most likely become a highly paid lobbyist within the swamp that has nurtured him for years.

Andrew Levin, Chapel Hill

Hospital space

There has been talk in the U.S. and around the world of much needed hospital beds.However, no one seems to be looking a what is available. In North Carolina there are 16 universities in the UNC system, not to mention the other universities and colleges around the state. All of these schools have one thing in common, currently unused dorms.

Why not use dorm rooms as makeshift hospital rooms? Each has two beds shelves etc. Every campus has medical services and food services - for patients and medical staff. With the abundance of housing on campus, medical staff such as military corpsmen can be stationed on campuses to assist.

The dorms can be cleaned and disinfected for student use once the emergency has passed. This would save the state and nation valuable time and money over building new structures, even temporary ones.

Michael Allen, Goldsboro