NC bill that would punish cities for ‘defunding police’ won’t restore trust in them

NC police bill

Regarding “Cities that ‘defund the police’ would be punished under new NC bill,” (Feb. 17):

State Sen. Chuck Edwards laments police not being supported by the public. His solution is to force the public to support them by law. Doing this will magnify antipathy for the police, not reduce it.

The problem of police violence against Black people is complex. Police have lost the trust of some of those they protect and serve. Regaining it can’t be done through force, whether force of arms or force of law.

The power wielded by the police is derived from the consent of the people. Our founders knew this so well that they wrote it in the Declaration of Independence preamble.

A local government’s very purpose is to ensure that the power is wielded in accordance with consent. Edwards’ legislation runs against this core American principle, and will only harm the people of North Carolina.

Dylan Cromer, Pittsboro

Vaccine priorities

Regarding “Residents with chronic illness protest vaccine delays,” (Feb. 23):

Thanks for bringing to light that individuals with chronic diseases, who are among those at the highest risk for severe or fatal cases of COVID-19, are in the next to last qualifying group for the vaccine.

If the state’s vaccine distribution is based on vulnerability of certain populations, as Gov. Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen said it would be, what possible justification is there for making those with underlying conditions — particularly the immunocompromised, like cancer patients — continue to wait?

North Carolinians are owed an explanation. I urge the powers that be to widen the scope of Group 3 to allow these extremely vulnerable populations to qualify. Otherwise, we are making the very intentional decision to needlessly risk thousands of lives.

Lindsay McDavid, Clayton

At-risk individuals

I agree with the Feb. 21 Forum writer who said North Carolina needs to give higher vaccine priority to high-risk individuals under age 65. It would behoove us all if high risk people and those with immune system disorders were vaccinated earlier. Research suggests that some COVID-19 variants may arise from people with depressed immune systems. Those with health issues and frontline essential workers, like grocery staff, should be getting vaccines as early as classroom teachers.

Lilleth Johnson, Raleigh

Nuclear weapons

On Jan. 22, the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was ratified by 52 countries, but not a single nuclear country signed on. Four days later, Presidents Biden and Putin agreed to extend the START Treaty, limiting the size of their two countries’ nuclear arsenals.

There is also public debate about how Biden should handle the Iran nuclear agreement, scuttled by President Trump.

We can be forgiven if a pandemic, second impeachment, racial inequities and climate calamities have distracted us, but let’s not do with nuclear weapons what we’ve done with those other crises: shrug off the warnings until they blow up in our faces.

The need for the control and elimination of nuclear weapons cries out for attention, and the U.S., as with most potential world cataclysms, has the resources and the influence to solve it.

Betsy Crites, Durham

Rush Limbaugh

Marc Thiessen used his Feb. 21 column to extol Rush Limbaugh’s popularity — how Rush loved his audience and how they loved him back. Thiessen overlooked and failed to mention, Rush’s bigotry, racism and disdain for truth that has poisoned the minds of his followers for the last 30 years.

Joe Burton, Raleigh

Cuba

One of President Trump’s final destructive acts was to remove President Obama’s initiatives toward normalizing relations with Cuba. President Biden can reverse this with an executive order that lets Cuban-American citizens and people like me, an older N.C. resident, continue to visit Cuba. He can remove trade barriers handicapping Cuban and American interests.

A free exchange of visits and information promotes peace and understanding among people and countries. Trump’s policies are poisonous because they create fear, suspicion and hatred. They must not be allowed to continue.

Janie Freeman, Chapel Hill

This story was originally published February 23, 2021 at 12:30 PM.