UNC System committee’s move to gut DEI stinks to high heaven | Opinion
Don’t gut DEI
Regarding “UNC System committee approves policy eliminating DEI efforts,” (April 18):
The UNC System committee’s decision to “gut DEI” stinks to high heaven.
The Old South has lifted its head and is ready to take us backward, ever backward. Following Florida’s lead on removing diversity, equity and inclusion is sickening.
The principles of diversity, equity and inclusion should be a proud banner in every school, especially public higher-ed institutions.
It is hard on people of good will to bear that North Carolina has fallen prey to the “Lords of Privilege” again.
Jesse Kaufmann, Hillsborough
Hospital closures
As a public health worker I worked with N.C. hospitals to go tobacco-free, so I know hospitals in our state well. The smaller rural ones have been under extreme financial and staffing stress for 10-plus years. That stress got worse when the legislature passed a highly restrictive and legally unclear abortion law.
In states like Texas, some rural hospitals have already closed maternity wards and NICUs due to lack of staffing. I am greatly concerned that we are a whisker away from being the next Texas, Idaho, Alabama or Louisiana, as medical students bypass our state and healthcare workers go elsewhere.
We have a clear choice for governor. One fully supports women’s rights to bodily autonomy and access to full reproductive healthcare. The other wants to ban abortion after six weeks “then just keep moving (down) from there.”
Voters have a clear choice. Women’s lives and our rural hospitals are on the line.
Melva Fager Okun, Carrboro
It’s about time
“Hear, hear!” to the United Methodist Church for finally getting around to including all of God’s children in full ministry with the church. I’ve been a life-long member of the church and have at times felt embarrassment and anger with how it has treated our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.
The Presbyterians, Lutherans and Episcopalians long ago moved toward full inclusion, and yes, they paid a price but justice never comes cheap. Seven years ago my Raleigh area United Methodist church became part of the Reconciling Ministries Network, standing up to say it was time to move toward full inclusion. I am more than happy to see the church I was baptized in finally move toward being a more fully inclusive church.
Henry Jarrett, Raleigh
No credibility
The writer has spent four decades in the financial services industry.
What convinced the N&O to give Stephen Moore of the Heritage Foundation space on your April 18 Opinion page? This is an “economist” who:
▪ Denies climate change
▪ Wants this country to revert to the gold standard; a fringe and utterly debunked approach.
▪ Wants to repeal the income tax and replace it with a national sales tax — a hopelessly regressive tax approach that would benefit the wealthy at the expense of making everyone else poorer.
Donald Trump nominated Moore to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. His nomination was soundly rejected by a rare bipartisan consensus. Both parties understood that Moore had no business whatsoever involved with the actual mechanics of managing the American economy.
Want to know who is responsible for maintaining the thin veneer of credibility Moore retains with the public? Journalists. Journalists who publish his nonsense on platforms like the N&O. This lends him legitimacy, and allows him to continue to spread misinformation.
The Fourth Estate has failed us again.
Fred D. Gunther, Raleigh
Wagering in NC
Many thanks to Gov. Roy Cooper and the state legislative leadership for the nonstop bombardment from the pro-wagering forces since the legalization of online sports betting in March, and previous legalization of in-person betting at tribal casinos. I haven’t been yelled at as much by ads since I don’t know when.
These questionable decisions were made no doubt to capture the tax on betting. No telling how many people will become addicted to betting and lose their shirts (and assets). What questionable activities will they try to tax next? Human trafficking and prostitution?
Ben Owens, Raleigh
