‘We’re all in this together’? Sure doesn’t feel like it to African-Americans like me

Help my community

My community, the African-American community, has always had to deal with pandemics, mainly financial, with no rescue. COVID-19 is just another destroyer.

We have the highest rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, unmet basic needs, poverty and eviction. Crumbs and Band-Aid offerings have cured nothing. How quickly $2.2 trillion appears to rescue small businesses, along with a bunch of talk that “we’re all in this together.”

When were “we” ever together through 350 years of racism and slavery?

We’re told “America will get back to normal,” but whose normal will my community return to? Longstanding racism is causing my community to die from this virus at almost twice the rate of whites. Does 350 years of withheld reparations and health care have anything to do with that?

Let’s get to the root causes! I am waiting for psychologists and spiritual leaders to get spines and vocally name the racist root causes of what was and continues to destroy my community.

Wilma Liverpool, Durham

Voting by mail

N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger is concerned that Gov. Roy Cooper and the state Board of Elections will rig the November election by expanding mail-in voting. (April 10 Editorial) But the N&O has previously reported there is evidence that Republicans benefit the most from vote-by-mail. (March 31)Is Berger concerned because he no longer recalls that some people are honest and have integrity? Is he projecting onto Cooper and the Board behavior he’d exhibit were he in their place? Perhaps, he simply agrees with President Trump, who recently fretted that if the U.S. shifted to all-mail voting, “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”

We must preserve our democracy by enabling, rather than oppressing, the vote. Recent events in Wisconsin, where the Republican legislature forced residents to choose between sitting out an election and jeopardizing their health, show us exactly what is at stake.

Helen Wolfson, Durham

Virus response

Here we go again as President Trump continues to boast about his handling of the COVID-19 virus while placing blame for his documented late response elsewhere.

His response to the financial aspects of the virus has been positive, but delivery of that relief is extremely late and extremely flawed. Ask anyone who has tried to apply for unemployment.

We’ve been doing a good job despite the lack of leadership and resources from the White House. Hopefully our efforts won’t be derailed by a rush to return to normalcy when it is not warranted.

David Pesapane, Durham

Not all Trump’s fault

Nobody seems to be happy with the handling of the pandemic. The federal government is responsible for what’s best for states as a group. Each state is responsible for what’s best for it, which may be different for each state.

If the feds are not acting quickly enough for a state’s particular situation, the state should act, not complain and wait for instructions. It’s the state’s responsibility.

If you don’t think President Trump acted quickly enough, ask yourself whether Gov. Roy Cooper did. It is his job and responsibility to protect North Carolina. Both could have done better.

Mike McClain, Wake Forest

Dare County lawsuit

Regarding “Outer Banks rental property owners sue over travel ban,” (April 9):

Perhaps the nonresident homeowners filing this lawsuit could consider the rights of the permanent residents. Their focus on themselves disregards the severity of the health crisis the nation is in and the transmission risk everyone takes when traveling.

If you were to come into North Carolina and Dare County from your distant homes, what dangers might you bring to our community?

A successful outcome from this disease is contingent on the critical foundation of community cooperation between every citizen. Just plain common sense dictates that the common good has priority over any notion of individuals claiming their personal desires supersede the common good.

We North Carolinians are community-minded and take care of our own. We expect visitors to respect that.

Terry Krauss, Carrboro

A plan to re-open

What’s the plan for re-opening the country? Obviously we can’t wait for a COVID-19 vaccine. We must have a logical, gradual easing of isolation, and a systematic and speedy way of dealing with hot-spots. It has to be sensitive to local conditions; Raleigh is not New York. And it needs to be based on science, not on someone’s “intuition.”

Bottom line: I want to know who is creating this plan at the national and state level and when it will be ready.

Robert Hogan, Chapel Hill

This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 2:53 PM.