Let Biden combat COVID-19. Trump isn’t up to the task and Biden has a team ready.

Act on virus now

With the election over, it’s clear that the only thing Donald Trump is accomplishing in regards to the virus is generating superspreader events at the White House.

He should hand over the entire responsibility for combating COVID-19 to Joe Biden, who has already assembled a virus advisory board and selected a chief of staff who has pandemic experience.

If we wait until Inauguration Day (Jan. 20) to start effective measures, the impact of the virus could be catastrophic.

Trump has demonstrated that he is not even remotely up to the task. For the sake of the country, he should immediately place Biden in charge of the pandemic response — one final executive order.

Howard Partner, Durham

Coronavirus

It took China about three months to shut down coronavirus. Here we are more than 242,000 deaths and 10 months later debating whether it’s real and necessary to wear masks. Really!

Douglas Johnson, Durham

An unseen enemy

On Veteran’s Day we honored the sacrifices made by our soldiers to keep us safe. Countless films and speeches have praised the heroic actions of soldiers and civilians who battled a deadly foe, giving their lives for our sake.

We have a deadly foe among us, COVID-19. An unseen enemy, but an enemy just the same. And some of us won’t even wear a mask in public gatherings. Our parents’ and grandparents’ generations would be ashamed.

Peter d’Entremont, Durham

Poll workers

I want to publicly praise poll workers for helping make democracy possible. I want to especially thank those who worked inside. They risked their own health to make voting possible. That’s service to our country. Let’s all step up, especially young people, to be poll workers for the next election.

Donell Kerns, Chapel Hill

Climate change

President-elect Joe Biden has an unprecedented road ahead, not only healing the wounds of a divided country but a planet scarred from the effects of climate change.

During his speech on climate change in September, Biden said: “I want you to know that we can do this. We will do this. We are America. We see the light through the dark smoke. We never give up. Always. Without exception. Every time.”

I hope that Biden is right. I hope that America can unite on climate change. To do it, we must unite as a country, back science, and act on an impending crisis. Our time is running out before we hit the ecological tipping point.

Allison Fisk, Youngsville

Sen. Thom Tillis

No one would dispute that Cal Cunningham royally messed up his U.S. Senate campaign. Sen Thom Tillis successfully seized upon this opportunity by making it the central theme of his race.

Conversely, our sitting senator has sided with President Trump exclusively, including his vote to exonerate the president following his impeachment for unethical behavior. There was no outrage by Tillis concerning Trump’s behavior, which it could be argued was no better than Cunningham’s and likely much worse.

Tillis stated in his victory speech that “the truth still does matter...” Hmmm....

Tad Siminitz, Raleigh

Cal Cunningham

Cal Cunningham’s affair cost him an election win and deprived Democrats control of the U.S. Senate. If Cunningham has any residual campaign money, he should immediately donate it to the Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock Senate campaigns in Georgia. At least he could do this small thing to help Democrats; they donated over $100 million to help him.

Thomas Brown, Clemmons

Mitch McConnell

The specter of Republican obstruction in the Senate is already rearing its ugly head.

Senate leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he will throw roadblocks in the way of confirming Joe Biden’s nomination of cabinet secretaries and agency heads. This is the same McConnell who stood by the past four years as the president fired and hired too many top officials. This is the same man who proclaimed that his “thoughtful and wide-ranging” legislative agenda would make Barack Obama a one-term president

Americans want results and cooperation, not more divisive and counterproductive behavior by the likes of the hypocritical senator from Kentucky.

Jim Witeck, Apex

Lucinda Harris

A special event happened in Durham on Nov. 16, 1947 — a great Black female educator, businesswoman and entrepreneur, Dr. Lucinda McCauley Harris, founded Durham College.

She touched the lives of thousands of students who enrolled in the two-year, private junior college for training in accounting, business administration, secretarial science, medical technology, court reporting, and more.

After many great achievements the college closed in 1980. In 2019, Harris was selected by the Durham Sesquicentennial Commission as one of the top 29 Durham citizens. Monday marks the 73rd anniversary of the college’s founding. Let us not forget the contribution Harris made on this day.

Constance Walker

Former Durham College dean

Sarah Baldwin

Durham College alum

This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 1:06 PM.