Biden botched the withdrawal from Afghanistan but blames others

Biden’s victory?

I have never seen anyone quite contort themselves the way President Biden has done over the past two weeks.

He pats himself on the back and claims success while simultaneously pointing the finger of blame at the Afghan Security Forces and President Trump. He wraps himself in glory and claims victory while 13 military families are left to bury their dead due to his arrogance and incompetence.

Absolutely unbelievable.

Robert Ruegger, Raleigh

Afghanistan

The U.S. exit from Afghanistan was a nightmare and way too chaotic. Big mistakes were made, and it probably didn’t have to be that way. But President Biden is right — no amount of planning would have avoided the chaos certain to occur.

I am glad the U.S. is out of Afghanistan. I’m sorry concerning what it could mean to many Afghans, but I’m glad we’re out. I know others feel the same way, even if they are not ready to admit it.

Leaders must make tough decisions sometimes, even when it exposes them politically. The execution of the exit plan was flawed, but the decision to leave Afghanistan was the correct one.

Mark Kinlaw, Holly Springs

Raleigh mail

Regarding “Mail processing center plagued by problems, audit finds,” (Aug. 30):

On the very day this article appeared, our mail arrived at 7:50 p.m. In June, I received a returned letter that I’d mailed to Clemson, S.C., some 11 months ago.

Early in the pandemic, I had to stop payment on three separate checks that never reached their intended destination, despite mailing them the same day as I received the bills. Many neighbors and friends have similar stories.

The conclusion of the audit of the Raleigh mail facility — that U.S. Postal Service employees are “losing focus” because their manager was on “extended leave” — is insulting to the men and women who sort and move the mail.

The rot starts at the top. Postmaster Louis DeJoy needs to be replaced, his ill-advised initiatives reversed, and the audit’s recommendations adopted.

Marjie Srsic, Raleigh

COVID lockdown

In response to “Delta causing some NC school districts to go online,” (Sept. 2):

Moving classes online is the best way to slow, if not stop, the spread of the delta variant in students. With the delta variant being three times more transmissible than the original virus, I’m not sure why classes were brought back in-person in the first place.

I understand that teaching online can be more difficult, but did the school system expect COVID to stop spreading just because they wanted to start in-person schooling for all students again?

A stricter lockdown of public activities, including moving to online school, would be a great way to stop the spread of this daunting virus in its tracks. It may be inconvenient for people and cause some issues now, but in the long run it will be more beneficial than harmful.

Jason McMorris, Apex

Abortion

Regarding “Texas bans most abortions, with high court mum on appeal,” (Sept. 2):

When I was much younger Roe v. Wade did not exist. There was a time when people, mainly Southerners, needed to know if then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, would take his marching orders from Rome.

Now in 2021 I am worried some current members of the U.S. Supreme Court need to answer that very question.

The court deciding to remain silent on Texas’s new abortion law leaves the door open for other states, such as Mississippi and maybe even a very gerrymandered North Carolina, to follow the unprecedented lead of Texas.

Sally Bethune, Pittsboro

Madison Cawthorn

Regarding “While one NC Republican wants Biden to resign, Cawthorn wants the president removed,” (Aug. 28):

U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn has asked that President Biden be removed via the 25th Amendment. More performance art from the congressman who has yet to sponsor any legislation that has become law and made his constituents’ lives better.

This is just more silliness from an unserious representative who is there for nothing more than clicks, donations and FOX News appearances. It’s best that his district take notice, but I’m sure they won’t. He’s another in a long line of North Carolina embarrassments in the U.S. Congress.

Steve Schwartz, Raleigh

Bipartisanship

At a time when the stakes were highest, with overwhelmingly bipartisan support, the kind that hearkens back to the days of Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill, the U.S. Senate passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure agreement.

It marks the largest investment in our nation’s roads, bridges, ports, clean energy capabilities and other key assets in three decades.

North Carolina’s senators, Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, deserve recognition for getting this legislation to the goal line. They and the 17 other Republicans who joined them demonstrated that Washington can still put the public good ahead of zero-sum politics.

They showed that Republicans can lead on smart, forward-looking policy.

Elizabeth Johnson, Wake Forest

This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 1:27 PM.