To curb rising COVID cases, Meck should enforce stricter regulations now. Why wait?

Meck should enforce stricter regulations

I was dismayed by County Manager Dena Diorio’s recent comment saying that Mecklenburg is not in a position to issue another stay-at-home order because hospitals are currently able to manage the volume of patients, etc.

Why wait until our currently strained health care systems are overwhelmed? Why not take measures today to minimize what happens tomorrow?

I’m so tired of reacting to the coronavirus. Let’s be proactive, and perhaps save some lives in the meantime. We must do what’s within our control to minimize the impact of the virus, which isn’t much. But we can enforce stricter regulations now. Why wait?

Joanne Holden, Charlotte

What it’ll take to thwart pandemic

Regarding “Our View: N.C. needs a better view of pandemic,” (July 9 Editorial):

One can surely agree with the view that more information is needed about the impact of the pandemic on all aspects of society — both mental and physical health, economics, education, culture , etc.

What has been missing is the failure of a significant number of leaders and citizens to heed the guidance of experts. That failure has put us in the situation we face locally and nationally with increasing numbers of COVID-positive people, hospitalized patients, and COVID deaths. No amount of information will get us out of this as long as people act irresponsibly.

What would Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation” think about where we are as a nation now? I dare say they would be ashamed of us.

Kent Rhodes, Charlotte

No point in shaming small businesses

Predictably, the press has started to shine the spotlight of righteous indignation on many who received Paycheck Protection Program assistance. But let’s be careful about inferring who was undeserving of assistance and let’s be clear about what PPP attempted to minimize — the release of many more employees to receive a different form of public assistance through unemployment benefits.

Certainly, with the benefit of hindsight, there were likely recipients whose business or nonprofit were not impacted by the economic impact of COVID, and didn’t really need assistance. Yet, way back in early April almost no one knew to what extent their small business or nonprofit would be impacted.

For some it has not been as bad as feared. For many, it has been much worse. Small businesses need our support now, not our shaming.

Randy Mitchell, Matthews

Breathe Act is misguided legislation

Short-sighted progressives in the U.S. House have introduced the Breathe Act, which would, in part, divest some funding from police. Reducing or abolishing police departments could result in more crimes and deaths in minority neighborhoods, the same neighborhoods that need more protection. While more affluent neighborhoods will be able to afford to hire private police agencies to protect their property and lives. This misguided piece of legislation should be renamed The Last Breath Act.

Craig Reutlinger, Charlotte

Redskins name change falls short

Over the years, many of us in the larger Native American community have vigorously spoken out against the racist Washington Redskins name. Thankfully, our voices have finally been heard and acted upon by FedEx, Nike and other deep-pocket sponsors of that NFL franchise.

Team owner Dan Snyder’s shameful racism over the years has now culminated in his face-saving proclamation that the time has come to officially retire the Redskins name. A more appropriate approach, from the viewpoint of many of us, would be that he both retire the name and divest himself of majority ownership of the team. Now that’s what we’d I’d call a win-win outcome.

Ray Brayboy, Myrtle Beach

I applaud court’s move on abortion law

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law that restricted abortions there. It means Louisiana women have an opportunity to get an abortion without going to another state. It also means that with the unstable economic outlook due to the COVID-19 pandemic women will have one less burden to face concerning abortion, at least for the time being.

Lorraine Stark, Matthews

If this were a movie, it would be absurd

A former game show host is ranting that COVID-19 is not real, ranting that everyone who says the pandemic is real is lying. And Donald Trump is trumpeting the man’s rants, while heaping abuse on Dr. Anthony Fauci, and, according to some news reports, trying to muzzle Fauci by keeping him off TV. If it was a scenario in a movie, it would be ludicrous.

John Thomas, Charlotte

This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 2:45 PM.