Trump downplayed the virus, and now he’s downplaying that he lied about it

COVID lies

The Bob Woodward book and 18 recorded interviews with President Trump provide incontrovertible proof that Trump knew of the severity of the coronavirus for months and never disclosed that knowledge to the American people, even though he knew the virus was airborne and might be five times more deadly than the flu that kills 30,000 people each year.

Trump admittedly downplayed the virus, claiming it was a Democrat hoax. Now he claims he didn’t disclose the truth because he did not want to cause a panic. That is tantamount to the captain of the Titanic telling passengers not to worry because there is no damage to the ship.

So he played down the coronavirus, and now he’s playing down that he intentionally lied to the American people about the deadly coronavirus.

Barton Bloom, Clayton

Trump enablers

Let us not rush to assign blame or responsibility for outcomes to Bob Woodward for his “lack of action.” This ethical dilemma will be one that has likely eaten away at Woodward daily and will be one he will face until he no longer has to change ink cartridges in his printer.

For today, my energies and wrath are focused on those surrounding President Trump throughout this long crisis who’ve clearly enabled his behavior and could have responsibly affected national policy and action. It is their ethical and moral dilemma that greatly troubles me.

Thus, I distinguish between reporting and enabling.

Jerry DeWitt, Holly Springs

A cheerleader?

President Trump misled Americans on COVID-19’s threat, explaining “The fact is I’m a cheerleader for this country.” We need a smart quarterback, instead.

Marsh Hardy, Raleigh

NC absentee ballots

I received my absentee ballot Tuesday and was shocked the ballot was not prepaid. This 55 cent “poll tax” is another attack on our democracy.

While I may have an abundant supply of stamps on my desk, many Americans no longer send letters, leading them to not have stamps on hand.

Some Americans will now have to drive to the post office or polling center to vote. Gov. Roy Cooper and our state legislature ought to have foreseen this unnecessary voting hurdle.

Taylor Healy, Durham

People of Belarus

The so-called leader of the free world has been silent on the democratic efforts of the people of Belarus. It may be that he recognizes that he has no moral authority, having cozied up to tyrants like the leader of Saudi Arabia, like Putin, Abdel el-Sisi in Egypt, Narendra Modi in India, and ignored the unbelievably brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

But the U.S. has some residual moral authority from the days when our nation sometimes supported the democratic strivings of people of other nations. That authority, the wealth and free press of the U.S. (and the weaponry we peddle through the world) give our nation some weight to throw around, and some of that weight should be in support of the democratic efforts of the people of Belarus.

Stephen Dovenitz, Durham

Stoking fear, violence

Regarding “Gun buying,” (Sept. 9 Forum):

I was struck by this letter writer’s take on the extreme rise in gun purchases and his assigning blame for violence to “leftist” instigators and cities.

That his organization has warned “for decades” that police cannot protect the citizenry, reveals a lengthy awareness of the consequences of centuries of violence perpetrated by the dominant caste (whites) on members of the subordinate caste (people of color) and the eventual reckoning that will/must come for such actions.

Despite the constant stoking of fear by elements who wish to preserve the traditional caste hierarchy, it is my hope that as a nation we can come together and correct the inequality, injustice and racism that actually fuels the violence the writer cites. The soul and preservation of our democracy is at stake.

Doug Jennette, Raleigh

Healthcare costs

I went to the drug store Tuesday to pick up a prescription for ear drops for my granddaughter’s ear infection. I forgot to get my son’s insurance card. I figured I could probably afford a small bottle of ear drops without insurance, so I asked how much. $300!

Needless to say, I got my son to text me a photo of the card. Now it was $15.

All I could think of was the millions of Americans without insurance who are struggling to take good care of their families. It is shameful that our country is the only wealthy country that does not provide access to healthcare for all of its citizens, regardless of income.

Republicans have fought against healthcare for all at every turn. Let’s hope that Democrats replace Republicans at every level of government this fall and that this changes.

Judy Kincaid, Durham

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 11:28 AM.