Disgruntled Clemson students should find a new university

Don’t sully a great man’s name

I feel certain that one of Clemson University’s greatest days was when the family of John C. Calhoun donated land that was formerly the family’s plantation. In honor of that donation and Calhoun’s accomplishments, the university named a program after him. Calhoun was, however, a supporter of slavery and enslaved 70-80 African-Americans on that donated land. Even so, I was appalled that students want to rename Calhoun Honors College to Clemson Honors College.

I would like to propose to these students that they weigh the benefits of attending this university against having to tolerate this program’s name. Instead of asking the university to compromise Calhoun’s legacy, perhaps their compromise should be finding a different university.

Protect the youth, not tobacco industry

The editorial about Sen. Richard Burr’s defense of the tobacco industry is right. We need to protect the health of our young people, not the tobacco industry. The FDA is taking the right steps with its proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and regulation of e-cigs.

In North Carolina from 2011-2017, youth use of e-cigarettes increased by 430 percent in middle school and 894 percent in high school. Tobacco industry allies launched an attack on the FDA because of its efforts to address the youth e-cigarette epidemic and reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use in the United States.

More youths are using menthol cigarettes because they reduce the harshness of the smoke. This leads to decreased success in quitting smoking.

Trump’s plans have all backfired

Trump’s expression of resentment – a wall – to gratify his base has backfired. The president has resorted to face-saving and delusional pronouncements after a stunning defeat in the battle to build his wall. Even he realizes that the (over a month long) government shutdown was a colossal blunder.

Politically, he splintered support in his party, devastated his poll numbers and empowered Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats. The great deal maker rejected nearly $25 billion last year for $1.3 billion this year. No wonder the president is not happy.

A wall wouldn’t have stopped ‘El Chapo’

Drug czar Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman was accused of earning a jaw-dropping $14 billion during his career by smuggling up to 200 tons of drugs across the U.S. border. He accomplished this in an array of ways, such as using yachts, speedboats, long-range fishing boats, airplanes, cargo trains, semi-submersible submarines, tractor trailers and tunnels.

How much of this would have been prevented by a wall on the border?

Charlotte is full of hypocrites

Don’t dumb down teacher tests