Letters: To really fight this virus, NC Governor Roy Cooper needs to get much tougher

Gov. Cooper

I see that Wake County has decided to start middle school sports — another great move from the powers that be.

I’m tired of being told don’t do this, don’t do that, and don’t travel during holidays, yet we let schools play sports and restaurants and gyms are still open.

How can you expect people to listen when we have a governor who refuses to make tough decisions to really take charge and go back to a lockdown? His big decision is to extend the curfew.

It’s time for Gov. Roy Cooper to put on his big-boy pants and really enforce things, not just by leaving it up to local towns and retailers. That’s like leaving the fox in charge of the hen house.

If officials like Cooper truly want to stop this virus, they need to make the tough decision they’re paid to make.

Nick Naglieri, Apex

Promote the app

On Jan. 6, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services issued a directive on COVID-19 urging N.C. citizens to participate in contact tracing. Months ago, DHHS issued a SlowCOVIDNC mobile app for that purpose but has failed to widely promote it.

Why not consider the disruptive cable TV notices and emergency cellphone alerts used for missing children and seniors to encourage people to sign up? The app advises users when they might have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 — but only if they — and many others — sign up.

Richard Cristol, Durham

Fragile democracy

As a 10-year old I remember vividly the radio news on Dec. 7, 1941 that a Japanese air attack had sunk much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet killing several thousand Americans at Pearl Harbor.

As a 70-year old on Sept. 11, 2001, I was anguished by the death and destruction the world watched that day as planes crashed into the Twin Towers.

As a 90-year old, I watched Wednesday in disbelief as a U.S. president urged a mob of supporters to invade the Capitol while the Senate and House were in session to confirm election results. This symbol of our almost 250-year-old democracy was assaulted and our elected leaders rushed to safety while a mob desecrated their meeting places.

Once again, our fragile democracy has been violently assaulted. Hopefully the latest challenge can inspire all Americans to continue the essential efforts to preserve and enhance this unique nation.

William W. McLendon, Chapel Hill

Make Trump pay

Donald J. Trump instructed his followers to go to the U.S. Capitol. He should use the money he collected from all his fundraising to pay for the damage to our Capitol. Since 75% of the donations were earmarked for “Save America” and the Donald J. Trump for President Recount Account, he and his followers should pay. They did the damage; they should pay for the repairs.

Trump and his followers cannot do anything for the lives that were lost, they will have to carry that burden the rest of their lives.

Debbie Hewson, Cary

A turning point

Speaking as a 71-year-old Southern-born white guy, does anyone, even a Trump supporter, believe these “patriots” would have been allowed to get so far as the Capitol parking lot if they were flying Black Lives Matter flags?

And why with all the forewarning, media hype, and encouragement from Trump himself was the area so lightly defended? How were perhaps 1,000 people able to wreak havoc in the legislative building of the most powerful country on the planet?

This could be a positive turning point for our democracy. You see, this is what happens when you loosen the real “kraken” of collective fear and revenge. This now is a chance to step back and reconsider our future with clear sight that a shocking experience can evoke.

Donald Finch, Chapel Hill

Resolve differences

It will be difficult for our democratic republic to preserve our freedoms if we can’t resolve differences in calm, reasoned negotiations. In an ideal world, both sides can win something in such negotiations.

Today, it’s beyond optimistic to think we live in a world like that. However, we do live in neighborhoods where people look out for each other, where newcomers are welcomed, and where nobody asks how you voted.

What we hate about our political opposites today and what we have to say about them on social media and elsewhere needs to be tossed in the junk folder.

Carol Frey, Raleigh

NC representatives

Even after the dramatic insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, several N.C. members of Congress still chose to object to the electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

U.S. Reps. Dan Bishop, Ted Budd, Madison Cawthorn, Richard Hudson and David Rouzer objected to the Arizona and Pennsylvania votes. Reps. Virginia Foxx and Greg Murphy joined them on Pennsylvania.

They all made their decisions in support of a truly dangerous president whose lies about the election stirred his followers to a seditious act.

My hope is that each of these N.C. representatives will face recrimination from their constituents, or at the very least lose future elections. We will not forget.

Laura Stillman, Raleigh