NCSU professor: Require COVID vaccinations for students at NC universities

Require vaccines

The N.C. State University leadership mission is to be “dedicated to excellent teaching” and the creation and application of knowledge by “uniting our strength in science and technology.”

If we want excellence and use science, or even common sense, bringing us all back to campus but risking COVID infection among students who live and socialize together, as well attend classes without social distancing, is wrong.

Holding a class where the instructor and students must wear masks, and be in packed classrooms, is not excellence, it’s just getting by. Professors can’t teach as well when muffled by masks. Students can’t meet in work groups if they must be 6-feet apart with masks on.

Sure, there are political concerns about ephemeral individual rights, but the huge majority of individuals are harmed by not requiring university vaccinations. Let’s show leadership and practice what we teach. Require vaccinations to protect everybody’s lives; make exceptions for rare appropriate reasons; and actually use science to achieve excellent teaching as our mission intends.

Fred Cubbage

NCSU professor

Burdening teachers

Regarding “State Republican lawmakers want to require schools to post online what they’re teaching,” (May 7):

Perhaps these Republican lawmakers should follow the same advice they are giving to schools. Their committee meetings, notes, emails, lobbyists reports, and all donations should be put online to foster constituent involvement. Transparency for all!

The legislators like to make work for everyone except themselves.

Donna Corbett, Sanford

Spending priorities

Before we embark on any massive spending we need to restore taxes on wealthy corporations and individuals. We also need to attack this incredible deficit from both ends by finding humane ways to cut federal spending. We need priorities.

Austerity received a bad rap when the IMF imposed it on Greece; it didn’t turn out well. But there is still a time for it, and when we’re over $28 trillion in debt sounds like a good time to me.

Yes, we need to restore funding for Social Security, Medicaid, food stamps, environmental protection, and other humanitarian programs. Those are priorities. Later we can add the Green New Deal and a $2.4 trillion infrastructure program — after we’ve raised the necessary revenue. Republicans have been starving the government of revenue for decades.

Jonathan C. Halperen, Raleigh

NC prisons update

Regarding “NC prisons, COVID,” (May 9 Forum):

According to a May 6 update on the N.C. Department of Public Safety’s vaccinations page, almost half (14,100 of a total population of 28,753) are fully vaccinated, and another 2,227 are partially vaccinated. That comes to 56.8% of offenders having received at least one shot.

Todd Ishee,

Commissioner of Prisons

Climate change

At age 99, economist Dr. Howard Ammerman began writing an annual birthday letter to the N&O regarding his concerns for the environment, natural resources and climate change. We honor his memory with an annual letter about these important topics.

On the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, we watched as world leaders held virtual discussions about how to address the climate crisis. This would have given our dad much hope for a better, more equitable world.

COVID-19 has demonstrated not only the unequal distribution of natural resources, but the fact that we can change our behavior to protect our health and the environment. Those of us who knew and loved Howard agree that owning fewer things, sharing more and caring deeply about other people and the environment is the only sustainable way forward for a better world.

Alice Ammerman, Chapel Hill

The ‘new wild’

Regarding the Forum writer having trouble a fox in the Meadowmont neighborhood... While I realize it’s an inconvenience and even dangerous having a fox in the neighborhood, the fox is doing what she must to protect her family. We must realize that for a lot of animals in our region the “new wild” is underneath people’s porches or in their backyards.

John Grady, Raleigh

This story was originally published May 10, 2021 at 1:31 PM.