Without enforcement, North Carolina’s mask mandate is a farce. Issue fines.

Mask fines

Without enforcement, the mandatory wearing of masks is a farce and experience has borne that out.

What is needed is the simple ability to cite those who are not complying with the mandate.

Police don’t have to arrest hundreds of people gathered for some reason or another, many without masks. They simply have to start citing a few with meaningful fines and people will get the message and begin complying. It can and should be done. It is a matter of live and death and these people have no right to risk other people’s lives.

Hugh Giblin, Durham

ReopenNC, masks

According to its Facebook page, ReopenNC consists of “mostly business owners and employees that are losing our income and denied our right to provide for our families.” However, ReopenNC is paradoxically opposed to wearing masks that would protect others from COVID, presumably their employees and customers.

How can ReopenNC members think not wearing masks will help reopen the economy? I and others who consistently wear face coverings in public will avoid brick-and-mortar businesses where we see employees and customers not doing the same.

The Pew Research Center found that almost 70% of Americans consistently wear masks in retail establishments. This majority may not be as vocal as anti-mask-wearers, but our actions — to buy or not buy — will much more significantly affect business owners’ income and providing for their families than ReopenNC’s anti-mask stance.

Debra Aycock, Chapel Hill

Lt. Gov. Forest

In this time of national health crisis it is unsettling to see partisan politics trump concern for the welfare of N.C. citizens. It is unconscionable that Lt. Gov. Dan Forest will sue our governor for doing a good job protecting N.C. citizens in a pandemic. Forest has his sights set on the November gubernatorial election and is apparently willing to risk N.C. lives to get there. Not what I look for in a governor! We should all be supporting Gov. Cooper’s successful efforts to protect the health and lives of North Carolinians.

Peter Mamuzic, Pinehurst

Aid for businesses

A recent Forum writer asked the governor to ”acknowledge the costs” of his actions to control the pandemic. The governor has acknowledged those costs in words, but what I believe the writer really wants is action. However, he’s asking the wrong party.

The governor can issue orders to protect the public health, as he has done to his credit. But he cannot create and fund programs to rescue and support businesses suffering because of the shutdowns. That requires action and money appropriated by the legislature. and it requires the federal administration to provide emergency aid.

Unfortunately, the GOP leadership, in the legislature and the federal government, seems concerned more with protecting the rich and powerful than with helping small businesses in peril. The writer’s distress should be directed at them, not at our governor, who is doing the best he can with his limited resources.

Lawrence Evans, Durham

LGBTQ rights

On June 16, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that presented one of the biggest milestones in the fight for LGBTQ equality: LGBTQ people can no longer be fired from their jobs based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

As an openly LGBTQ legislator in the N.C. House, this ruling is highly personal for me.

While we celebrate this monumental win, it’s also important for us to keep sight of the bigger picture: We still have massive gaps in our nondiscrimination laws for LGBTQ folks when it comes to housing, public places, federal programs and more. And, of course, in N.C. we still have HB 142, which broadly solidifies discrimination by forbidding cities from passing any non-discrimination ordinances until at least December 2020.

I’m proud of North Carolina but we must keep working to ensure that our communities can live fully and authentically within every part of their lives.

Rep. Allison Dahle

NC House, 11th Dist.

Bicycle safety

One positive result of this pandemic is the increase of bicycle riders in Raleigh. The city’s aggressive bike program has paid off with dedicated lanes, bike racks on buses, and citizen input on route connectivity.

What a joy to see entire families pedaling together. Now is the time to educate citizens on proper bike etiquette to insure the health, safety, and welfare of bikers, pedestrians and drivers. It is legal to ride bikes on Raleigh sidewalks, but rules apply. Bike riders always yield to pedestrians. It is the same on greenways. A kindly shout-out of “Passing on your left” is always good so as not to startle walkers.

With school out, warm weather, and long days we can “Ride Raleigh Ride” and thank the city for its continued support of bicycles.

Beverly Norwood, Raleigh