The incompetence of Trump’s education secretary is absurd. These remarks prove it | Opinion

The Trump administration’s scorn of education is epitomized by picking Linda McMahon of wrestling promotion fame as education secretary. Her mandate is to abolish the Department of Education so there are no national standards. This will mean states have all power to do as they please.

Her incompetence and ignorance was illustrated this week as she touted in a speech that students would be learning “A one.” She thought AI, the acronym for artificial intelligence, was A 1, as in the steak sauce.

We are also seeing free speech at colleges being challenged by grant withholding and deportations. One of the first moves of a totalitarian government, left or right, is to attack education institutions so as to push false narratives. If we do not speak out, we will be complicit in losing democracy.

Vince Keipper, Concord

Gun bill

I’ve been a proud gun owner for over 50 years. I support the Second Amendment as both a right and a responsibility, which is why I oppose North Carolina’s proposed permitless carry bill. This bill would allow anyone to carry a hidden, loaded gun in public immediately after purchase — no training, no background check. It’s like letting someone perform surgery without going to medical school.

With gun sales in North Carolina up 112% in 2023, now is the time for more safety, not less. As a member of Giffords Gun Owners for Safety, I believe in commonsense laws that protect my rights and my community. Permitless carry removes safeguards, putting everyone at risk — including police, who largely oppose it.

More guns without training doesn’t make us safer. It makes everyday situations more dangerous. North Carolina must reject this reckless policy and support responsible gun ownership.

Malcolm Smith, Charlotte

Deportations

When an American is held by another country, this administration has negotiated and made deals to bring them back. But when this administration sends someone to another country that immigration courts have said could stay, its response is, Oopsie. The country said no. There is nothing we can do. I thought that only happens in those other countries.

Jeff Bassett, Charlotte

Medicaid cuts

Republicans are playing a cat-and-mouse game with potential cuts to Medicaid, and we should all be wary. House Republicans have proposed $880 billion in discretionary spending reductions, with nowhere to come close to that number without Medicaid cuts.

They’re disavowing any intention to cut the program’s benefits by saying they’ll root out waste, fraud and abuse. That sounds fine in principle, but in practice it won’t get close to $880 billion. If they don’t plan to make deep cuts or attack Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, why don’t they just make that clear? Then we might believe them.

Jean Busby, Charlotte

NC Senators

When will North Carolina’s U.S. Senators push back on the idiocy of Donald Trump. He is ruining our economy, our standing as the most stable global financier and our friendships with allies. Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd need to go to work and get control of this guy. We did not elect them to facilitate an impulsive autocrat.

Philip Solomon, Charlotte

Gilded Age

I feel like this administration and its supporters are moving us towards the worst features of the Gilded Age. Rolling back child labor laws, which Florida is looking at. Replacing income taxes with tariffs. Patronage and cronyism in government. American expansionism. Little or no business regulations covering areas such as the environment, corruption, employee and consumer protection.

The concentration of wealth already exceeds that found in the Gilded Age. No wonder Trump admires William McKinley.

Jerry Simon, Charlotte