Burr’s resignation allows McConnell to appoint a Trump sycophant to head Intelligence

Sen. Richard Burr

Once again, Sen. Richard Burr displays his cowardice before the mighty Donald Trump, and once again a civil servant’s career is shredded in service to his leader. Under investigation for stock sales linked to coronavirus, Burr rolled over and resigned his chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the one area where he has shown any backbone. Sen. Thom Tillis really hit the nail on the head when he said: “I felt like it was a decision between him and (McConnell).” Now Mitch McConnell gets to appoint another Trump sycophant to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Burr’s career is over, and Trump sits snugly in the Oval Office.

Laurie McDowell, Raleigh

Burr’s real failure

Forget the stock sales. I’m far more angry about the fact that Sen. Richard Burr had early information about the existence of the virus, its level of contagion and potential mortality and, rather than ringing alarm bells anywhere and everywhere, he chose to deem it important enough to disclose to only a small set of selected donors.

Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Austria have all demonstrated how an early and concerted response to COVID-19 saved lives. Whereas, we dithered. It’s hard enough to acknowledge that some subset of our 80,000 deaths is due to simple ignorance and incompetence at the highest levels, but to hear that some of that might have been deliberate suppression of information is truly disheartening.

John Marlow, Raleigh

Reopening churches

Regarding “Churchgoers rally in Raleigh to protest rules,” (May 15):

I am sympathetic to claims that people have a constitutional right to worship and gather together. But I ask them to acknowledge that by doing so they have a very high likelihood of acquiring or spreading COVID-19. And when they leave their gathering, they take that virus with them and share with their families and our entire community.

Just as you may have the right to gather, I have the right not to be unnecessarily exposed to a potentially deadly virus which I would then unknowingly spread to my wife, children, grandchildren, friends, and anyone I pass in the supermarket or on the street.

If you want to risk illness and death for a personal reason, do it privately, but don’t take me with you. Please self-quarantine after leaving church and get tested. God will still hear your prayers, even from your home.

Tom Clemmer, Raleigh

Sheriff Bizzell

Regarding “Johnston Co. sheriff won’t enforce indoor church rules,” (May 13):

I am a resident of Johnston County who is very interested in seeing that the pandemic effects are minimized and that the threat to public health is decreased as fast and as much as possible. As a senior citizen I am especially concerned with possible transmission of COVID-19 in gatherings such as indoor church services with more than 10 people.

Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said in his letter to the N&O that he would lay down his badge before enforcing the governor’s guidelines on church gatherings. So my suggestion is that he resign his position and allow the county to have a sheriff who is interested in public health and safety of its residents.

Larry Wolf, Garner

Wearing masks

What is the matter with restaurants that don’t have kitchen staff wearing masks? Do they not realize they can be asymptomatic virus carriers? These people are killing their own businesses by having photos of themselves without masks or photos of servers carrying food to tables or cars without masks.

Masks should be the first thing we look for before patronizing a restaurant these days. Every time I see ads or photos with no masks, I take note. I will not patronize that restaurant — and they have no one to blame but themselves.

The same goes for barber shops, salons and massage providers.

Michael Mazanek, Cary

In harm’s way

President Trump has proclaimed that we’re a nation at war. We’re being told that we must fight to save the “American way of life.” It seems this way of life is centered solely on restoring the economy. No one doubts this is an important goal, but it appears that those who will bear most of the burden are those who’ll gain the least. Since working from home is not an option for them, those who work in factories, health care, retail, restaurants and the service sector will be placed most directly in harm’s way. There are few politically connected plutocrats among the ranks of those on the front line of this war.

In war, people die. Will those who will pay the ultimate price in this battle be remembered as heroes? Will we build statues to them as we have to soldiers who fought for us in other wars? Or will these people be considered expendable and forgotten?

I suspect we all know the answer.

Ken Jones, Chapel Hill

Medical expertise

A quick note to people who don’t believe in medical expertise: The next time you are seriously ill, go see your auto mechanic.

Peter Aitken, Chapel Hill