The name change at Meredith College was advocating for students like me in NC

Meredith College

There is no denying that James Yadkin Joyner had an accomplished career, but the decision by Meredith College to remove his name is more to atone for his missteps.

The April 12 op-ed, “In removing names, NC colleges like Meredith are making a rush judgment,” argues that judging people outside the context of their times distorts reality. However, society must use the knowledge gained overtime to compensate for past mistakes.

As a college student, I’ve experienced how important it is to feel accepted at your university. Joyner’s outdated beliefs about women and African American students don’t align with Meredith’s views, and by removing his name the school isn’t only making its stance clear, it is advocating for its students.

It’s not a rush judgment, it’s a necessary one.

Emma Ralls, High Point

Democracy

A recent interview I heard with voters who believe Donald Trump won the 2020 election was interesting. They admitted there was no evidence the election was stolen that they could point to, but said the fact that they kept hearing about it repeatedly meant “there must be something there.”

What solution is being proposed to remedy the supposed stealing of this election? Are they aware that the proposed solution is to remove all power from voters like themselves and put it in the hands of politicians bought and paid for by the rich and powerful? That is what the Republican party is doing. It’s changing the laws, state by state, so that the state legislatures can overturn the results of elections in their states.

Is this really what we want? This will be the end of democracy in America.

The only way to keep democracy alive is for every single one of us to pay attention to what the candidates stand for and to vote in every single election. Most of us have relatives who fought and perhaps died for our democracy. The least we can do is vote.

Judy Kincaid, Durham

Solar in NC

I am proud to say that I have installed solar panels on my Carrboro roof. I did so fully informed that Duke Energy would run my meter backward for any excess I create. Now Duke wants to increase my base payment and pay me less than the value of the energy I produce. This annoys me as a consumer, but it infuriates me as a policy in a world that desperately needs more solar power and less fossil fuel power. I have written to Gov. Roy Cooper, asking him to say no to this proposal.

Tom Munk, Carrboro

Duke Energy

The writer is executive director of NC WARN.

Regarding the N&O April 17 spread on climate, NC WARN appreciates Gov. Roy Cooper for making the crisis a visible priority. However, the elephant in the room remains methane (natural gas) and Duke Energy’s plans to build 9,600 megawatts of gas-fired power units by 2035 in the Carolinas.

That plan clashes directly with last May’s UN-backed, international study emphasizing that stopping the expansion of methane-venting, gas infrastructure is the fastest way to slow the climate crisis — and essential to avoiding its worst impacts.

The Duke University-based leader of that global study, Drew Shindell, and 40 retired EPA officials have openly called on Cooper to lead a national ban on additional gas infrastructure. They point out that his positive climate measures will be outmatched if Duke Energy leaders are allowed to build those 50-plus power units as planned.

North Carolina cannot keep dodging the uncomfortable truths about Duke Energy’s “expand gas, limit renewables” business plan.

Jim Warren, Durham

Ukraine

Call the war in Ukraine what it is: murder. Putin is directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent women and children. Meanwhile the UN, the supposed peacekeeper of our planet, hands Putin a slap on the wrist and returns to business as usual.

President Zelensky’s message to the UN should be reinforced with protests calling for action. Get something done or go home! Polite speeches at the UN followed by long lunches in great New York restaurants are not getting it done.

Bob Reardon, Wake Forest

Nuclear war?

Regarding “Credible nuclear threat critical to world order,” (April 13 Opinion):

Op-ed writer John Crisp praises Robert Kagan’s assertion that “freedoms and democracy” can be upheld only through military force, even if it means using nuclear weapons.

In 1997, Kagan was a co-founder of the Project for the New American Century, which included associates like Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, John Bolton, and Paul Wolfowitz. These were the masterminds behind the failed U.S. war on Iraq, a war based on lies that destroyed a region of the Middle East, spawned ISIS and killed millions.

PNAC’s goal was U.S. global domination through military means, not diplomatic strategies. Suggesting the use of nuclear weapons is sheer madness. Do North Carolinians not realize that our state’s many military bases could be targets of counterattacks as well?

If our nation is to be a beacon of democracy, we must replace rule by force with statesmanship and diplomacy. War hasn’t created more “democracy and freedom,” and if we push this to the nuclear level, it will destroy us all.

Curt Torell, Carrboro

This story was originally published April 22, 2022 at 11:57 AM with the headline "The name change at Meredith College was advocating for students like me in NC."