Why discharging vaccine refusers from the military is a terrible mistake
.jpg "Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear) 1st Class Kayla Matos receives a COVID-19 booster shot during a shot event in the hangar bay aboard USS Abraham Lincoln on Dec. 28, 2021 in San Diego.")
US Army, vaccines
Regarding “Army starts discharging vaccine refusers,” (Feb. 3):
Discharging vaccine refusers is a terrible mistake. With tensions on the rise in every corner, that’s all we need — a reduction in our armed services.
I agree that the vaccine helps curb the possibility of hospitalization, but it doesn’t appear to keep everyone from getting COVID.
During Vietnam the U.S. wasn’t picky about who they demanded serve. Matter of fact, if you were eligible and didn’t register you faced a $250,000 fine and five years in jail.
Many men left the U.S. to avoid the draft, but today men and women are joining the military service and our government is saying “no, not unless you have the vaccine.” Keep in mind, this new guideline includes the ROTC cadets in our schools.
Is it time to rethink this?
Gerald Gibson, Lincolnton
Black NFL players
Regarding “Flores says he won’t drop lawsuit even if hired as coach,” (Feb. 3):
Brian Flores has every right to bring a lawsuit against the NFL. However, I am disappointed with Black ballplayers who suit up every week knowing there is discrimination within the confines of the NFL.
I do not fault the NFL for this, instead I fault the minority players. From 2003-2022, they had time to rectify this. They have leverage and have squandered it for the past 19 years.
Black players make up approximately 70% of the league. If they all refuse to play two or three games, the owners will get it. Use it or lose it.
Priscilla D. Johnson, Charlotte
Holocaust book
It’s a cruel joke that a Tennessee school district would ban a book on the Holocaust for eighth graders.
The Holocaust was murder and suffering on a scale never seen before. Yes, young students should know the evils of war and experiences of Anne Frank, Corrie Ten Boom, and numerous facets of cruelty inflicted by people upon people.
It is stunning to see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and riveting to see Auschwitz-Birkenau. We should never forget the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust.
A true education is not painless.
Randall Lemly, Charlotte
Book bans
Regarding “A new book banning in NC. Are the flood gates opening?A new book banning in NC” (Feb. 1 Opinion)
Opinion writer Sara Pequeño would probably agree that in order to be included in a school library, a book should meet minimum standards in terms of its literary, educational and social value. Trouble is, people have different standards, and “you’ve gotta draw a line somewhere.”
In any event, the “raw” and “gut-wrenching” Dear Martin was pulled, not banned, so it may be reinstated by popular demand.
In our ever-coarsening society, I have to question the use of limited education funds for books that expose kids in school to copious obscenity and sexuality. OK, it’s reality, but kids can and will get more than their fill of both in so many ways elsewhere.
Phil Clutts, Harrisburg
Honoring heroes
Recent articles have outlined the hardships teachers are working under. One suggested we put “A hero works here” signs in their yards. I agree. Remember at the beginning of the pandemic when remote schooling began, how parents praised teachers and realized how hard teaching is?
Doughnuts and signs are nice gestures, but if we really want to honor teachers — and nurses and other essential workers — we will get ourselves and our children vaccinated and wear masks.
Deb Park, Charlotte
Political donations
After the Jan. 6, 2021 attempt to topple our democracy, Duke Energy claimed to “strongly believe in and support the democratic political process.” Duke CEO Lynn Good has said the company has the highest ethical standards and Duke paused its contributions to those who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election.
However, Duke has resumed financial contributions to four U.S. Reps. from North Carolina who voted against certifying the election. Reps. George Murphy, David Rouzer, Richard Hudson, and Dan Bishop, with Hudson and Murphy receiving $5,000 each.
What does it say about Duke’s values when the company continues to donate political funds to those who would overturn a fair national election?
Eileen Hanson-Kelly, Salisbury
Man bites dog?
Regarding “What’s hiding in the walls? Discovery at one Charlotte home ‘just weird,’ Realtor says” (Jan. 27):
I couldn’t help but chuckle reading about old razor blades being found behind a wall. It read as if cunning investigative reporting uncovered the modern day version of Watergate.
For us gray-beards it brought back not so fond memories of that first shave with a double edge Gillette. Every medicine cabinet had a styptic pencil to stop the bleeding, gauze, and a slot for discarding blades. More blood was shed with those “safety razors” than in the Grenada war.
Boomers read this headline as a ho hum “Dog Bites Man.” Our kids saw “Man Bites Dog.” A routine memory vs. a revelatory mystery depends on the eyes of the generational beholder.
Ken May, Charlotte
BEHIND THE STORY
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This story was originally published February 6, 2022 at 4:30 AM.