Former Congressman: President Trump’s policies are hurting rural NC, its farmers

Trump and rural NC

President Trump’s agenda for rural America has been terrible, from a disastrous trade war that hurt farmers to failed leadership on the opioid crisis. Unfortunately, coronavirus has severely exacerbated the inequities rural N.C. was facing.

COVID-19 has hit counties with prisons and meatpacking plants particularly hard, along with majority-black rural counties across the South. To make matters worse, Trump’s administration launched a war on access to health care. While 1 in 4 rural hospitals remain in jeopardy, especially in states like North Carolina that have refused to expand Medicaid, Trump is challenging the Affordable Care Act in court, potentially kicking 20 million Americans off of their health care and forcing more rural hospitals to shut their doors.

We desperately need to put a stop to Trump’s harmful policies and bring new, steady leadership back to our nation.

Bob Etheridge, Lillington

Former U.S. Rep.

Reopen gyms now

The fitness industry provides thousands of jobs for the people of North Carolina while contributing millions of dollars to its economy. It also helps people improve their physical and mental health through exercise while strengthening their immune systems.

In recent weeks gyms throughout North Carolina have published detailed plans on how they’ll minimize risks for their members when they reopen. They take COVID-19 seriously and have prepared accordingly. With this in mind, if restaurants, hair salons and tattoo parlors can reopen at 50% capacity, why can’t health clubs?

Making people wait another four to six weeks to realize the benefits of their chosen fitness facilities is misguided at best. Now is the time to re-open gyms in North Carolina!

Paul Dolan, Wake Forest

Phase Two freedoms

Regarding “NC gets its COVID-19 freedom,” (May 21 Editorial):

I agree with the premise of this editorial and with Gov. Roy Cooper’s cautious approach. However, I think it minimize the important responsibility of citizens/customers to respect and abide by measures and precautions businesses put in place.

Any reputable business is going to follow hygiene, distancing and masking recommendations — they want to protect their reputations and revenue. However, devil-may-care customers who flout those guidelines or worse, react violently to them (as we’ve all too sadly seen), endanger the rest of us.

With freedom comes responsibility. Yes, North Carolinians are getting more of the freedoms they’ve been clamoring for. It’s our responsibility now to protect that freedom, and our life and health, by abiding by the measures that businesses have put in place.

Terri Ring, Cary

Retailers and masks

Last week, while N.C. was still under Phase One, the starting battery in my hybrid vehicle died. To get my car going again, I interacted with AAA road service, two auto parts stores, and a car dealership parts department. None of these employees were wearing masks (I was). The message was clear. We can’t depend upon retail establishments to help keep us safe. I regret it for the economy and the business owners, but I will continue to remain at home as much possible, and wear a mask if I must enter a store.

Susan Montgomery, Raleigh

Absentee voting

It is important that North Carolina voters are able to vote in November using absentee ballots sent to each voter. We may have a fall resurgence of coronavirus. We should not have to chose between voting and staying safe. We should not be forced to go to voting stations and stand in long lines.

Most citizens are in favor of absentee voting. President Trump states this may not be fair voting, but he seems not to approve of anything unless it gives him an unfair re-election advantage.

Those who will make this decision must show N.C. citizens that this is still an honorable country.

Val Jones, Raleigh

Compassion

What shines through in the fearful COVID-19 pandemic is the remarkable compassion inherent in health care workers and so greatly valued by those in need of care.

So why does such an outpouring of compassion need a pandemic to be broadly manifest? It is because the underlying health care system has not been designed to enable, let alone encourage, compassion. Pressures of productivity, lack of time, and crushing bureaucracy expunge compassion from all but the heartiest of health care workers in normal times.

I firmly believe in the inherent compassion within all individuals. One great lesson we can learn from this pandemic is that as we emerge from it we must focus on enabling the good in people to be more easily manifest.

In health care, we must refocus our attention on the need and value of compassion and redesign our approach to care to enable its expression to blossom. This can be done and the result will be valued not only by those needing and giving care, but the outcomes will be far more cost effective.

Dr. Ralph Snyderman,

Chancellor emeritus, Duke University. Former Duke University Health System CEO.