Other public universities are requiring the vaccine. UNC System should too.

UNC vaccines

Regarding “Many private colleges require vaccine; public ones recommend it,” (July 26):

The University of North Carolina system cites “lack of clear legal authority” as the reason it won’t mandate COVID vaccinations for students on its 16 campuses.

More than 600 colleges and universities nationwide now mandate the vaccine, including public universities in California, Maryland, and Indiana. In North Carolina, many private schools are mandating the vaccine. Apparently these schools see no legal threat to their decision. And, there appears to be no legal impediment for public universities in our state to require the vaccine.

Steven Millsaps, Boone

Professor emeritus, Appalachian State University

Use the stick

Those of us who are vaccinated did our duty, now let’s place the onus where it belongs.

Gov. Roy Cooper tried the carrot approach with very little success, so let’s use the stick instead. It is time to tell the unvaccinated that they have to stay home and not attend concerts, movies, sports (indoors or out), use public transportation or even church services.

Cooper’s new vaccine requirements for 55,000 state employees was a step in the right direction.

John Bishop, New Bern

COVID costs

Those of us who worked in the health professions caring for patients with AIDS, hepatitis or Creutzfeldt-Jakob (Mad Cow) Disease would readily have paid for the protective benefits of a vaccine against any one of those diseases, had one been available.

Call me Draconian if you wish, but I believe that anyone who is lucky enough to be eligible for vaccination against COVID, who gets the illness four weeks or more after refusing the vaccine, should be responsible for all of their COVID-related healthcare costs.

Such costs should not be covered by insurance companies for these “Refuseniks.”

Arthur Gerber, Chapel Hill

Retired physician

Outside threats

Many Americans believe they are upholding our democracy by refusing to get vaccinated. However, getting vaccinated is more than a personal choice, it’s a matter of national defense.

Why? Because a country can’t defend itself if its population is sick or disabled by disease.

When World War II began, North Carolina had difficulty meeting its draft quota because so many draftees suffered from rickets, TB, syphilis and malnutrition. Before they could be inducted, they had to get medical treatment. Meantime, the Army fell short of the men it needed to fight.

Bottom line: Unless we’re vaccinated, we expose ourselves not only to disease but to outside threats. We don’t give up our rights by getting vaccinated. We protect them.

Patricia Walker, Raleigh

Faith and vaccines

If one’s actions, or lack thereof, lead to personal injury, that is unfortunate. When they injure others, that is entirely different.

Those who spread lies and conspiracy theories about the vaccines and discourage people from receiving these life-saving interventions, are exposing those people to severe illness and death, and are thus sinning against their fellow men.

People of faith profess charity and care for their fellow people. Receiving the vaccine, especially if you’ve had misgivings, can reflect your ability to be open-minded and your charity and concern for others.

Dr. Lawrence Krabill, Wilson

A joint plea?

Most medical experts believe we can defeat COVID and its variants if everybody would get vaccinated. Yet despite various incentives, many still refuse to take the vaccine for various reasons.

Though it probably will never happen, what if former President Trump, who gave us this vaccine in record time, and President Biden would get together and make a series of public announcements urging people to get the vaccine. They could even do it while being shown on a split screen since they aren’t likely to share the same room.

Now wouldn’t that get people over the hump?

Joel Glassman, Cary

Mad at the mayor

I am very mad at Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. She is for developmental projects. The developers and companies get a tax break and that socks it to the taxpayers of Raleigh. These taxes aren’t fair to us.

Jane Muhonen, Raleigh

Louis DeJoy

As postal workers and Black voters we support the complaint filed by N.C. Common Cause 11 months ago alleging that Postmaster General Louis Dejoy carried out a straw-donor scheme while CEO of New Breed Logistics, a High Point-based company.

Several current and former employees have come forward to claim they made large campaign contributions, especially to the ultimately successful Republican candidates for N.C. governor and U.S. senator, with the promise that they would receive company “bonuses” covering more than their personal contributions.

We urge Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman to reverse her earlier decision not investigate DeJoy.

With the new information in the amended complaint and the FBI investigation, there seems to be sufficient grounds to pursue this.

Ivy Jones, Youngsville

Ajamu Dillahunt, Raleigh