Higher COVID-19 death rate among blacks stems from decades of inequality

Hundreds of years of unequal treatment

Much of the news is filled with inquiries as to why the unequal impact of the coronavirus on minorities, especially people of color, is so ubiquitous.

We social scientists have outlined minority disadvantages for at least 100 years. It is very simple folks: When social policies and cultural practices deny citizens access to wealth, education, health, housing, environmental protections, voting, and politics in general, you marginalize them and the impacts of pandemics like the coronavirus become more present among them.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. All one has to do is to read the thousands of studies on the subject. Ending the assault on minority voting rights would be a good beginning to fix the problem.

John Maiolo, Indian Land

Let execs help pay for field hospital

Regarding “New COVID-19 field hospital may cost Mecklenburg taxpayers,” (April 12):

Before taxpayer funds are used to help Atrium and Novant build a field hospital in Mecklenburg County, the heads of these two hospital organizations should consider reducing their exorbitant salaries and using that money to fund the field hospital. In these days when employers are cutting executive salaries and employees are losing their jobs, we should expect, if not demand, that these hospital executives reduce their salaries to reflect these economic times instead of going hat in hand to the taxpayers.

William Pilkington, Concord

Virus makes clear US system is broken

I find myself envious of countries like the UK, Canada, France and Germany because their citizens know that even if they’re struck by COVID-19 to the point of hospitalization, they won’t come home to eye-popping medical bills.

How many Americans have or had COVID symptoms and didn’t go see a doctor because they were uninsured or under-insured and by the time they did go it was too late? How many Americans have lost jobs and health insurance when they need it the most?

Insurance companies are predicting rate hikes of 40%, with much of that needed to pay for all the uninsured. What’s it going to take for our country to wake up, as other industrialized nations have, and give citizens universal health care? Our system is desperately broken and we cannot ignore the price it is costing us.

Laura Reich, Matthews

In briefings, Trump is a breath of fresh air

I’ve watched President Trump very astutely handle questions about the virus, China, trade policy, business recovery, jobs, economy, etc. His business capabilities, experience and knowledge are obvious.

I shudder at the thought of how this would be handled by a professional politician like Joe Biden, who has never competed in the real business world. Our government is stagnated with good ol’ boys who’ve got it made for life. Trump is a breath of fresh air.

Ron Harnach, Charlotte

I’m sad to see bold Bernie Sanders go

I almost cried over Kevin Siers’ cartoon of Bernie Sanders riding into the sunset, and then again when I read Nicholas Goldberg’s April 11 op-ed regarding Sanders. Until about a week before the primary I felt the best I could do was toss a coin when I got to the voting booth. But it hit me that there was only one person that was bold enough to embrace the issues of health care, environment, and equitable wages without compromising those values for political expediency.

Thank you, Sen. Sanders, for your unapologetic refusal to back down from those issues.

Amy Keith, Charlotte

Meadows’ first act hurt NC farmworkers

So Mark Meadows leaves the U.S. House to work as the president’s chief of staff and his first acts is to advocate for reducing farmworker wages. Whatever happened to empathy, compassion, respect for honest work? Many of the these workers have H-2A visas – yes, documentation. I wonder who Meadows think helps put food on N.C. tables. One hope in these difficult days is that we might have a clear sense of our connection with those who make our lives worth living. The test we face is not only how we make it through, but how we’ll be in the world to come.

Matt Samson, Cornelius

Makes no sense to close parking lots

My wife and I have walked at McAlpine Creek Greenway for 20 years. Currently it’s one of the few things we can do to get out of the house. Local government has said greenways will remain open, which is a good thing, but the parking lots are closed, which is insane. Saturday, we and many others, parked in a shopping center and walked to the trail. Some are parking along the road shoulders and getting ticketed. There is no logic to this arrangement.

Harry Singleton, Matthews