Candles like this are passed at a Moravian Christmas Eve lovefeast to spread the light. Small acts of kindness during the holidays can also have a ripple effect.
The News & Observer
Acts of kindness
Two days before Christmas my wife and I were shopping at Lowes Foods in Garner. A gentleman in his mid to late 20s came behind me with what looked like several greeting cards, so I asked him to go in front of me. After refusing, he paid for his items and then stood aside while our groceries were totaled. As I started to insert my credit card into the machine he said “I got this.” He wouldn’t take “no” for an answer and paid our bill.
We wished each other Merry Christmas and he left. The woman behind us said “That brought tears to my eyes.” The cashier and bagger were also touched by his act. We wish to thank him again for making us all realize that small acts of kindness affect many people.
Edward Anthony, Raleigh
Trump’s influence
The Democratic Party in North Carolina (and other states) encourages voters to make their own choice in primary elections without interference of party leaders and office holders. Why does the Republican Party permit a former president to choose candidates with little regard for the will of the people who reside in our state?
How could Trump’s endorsement have any value, when he was impeached twice, lost the popular vote in two elections, perpetuated the lie that he won the 2020 election, and incited an insurrection at the Capitol to overturn the election and democracy itself?
Suffice to say, that he hijacked the Republican Party and is using this vehicle to promote his own selfish and destructive policies. Beware of candidates who seek his endorsement.
Thomas K. Spence Jr., Sanford
Build Back Better
In his Dec. 23 op-ed Gene Nichol reminds us of the crushing poverty and hunger that children face in this country, particularly in North Carolina. What he doesn’t mention is that the child tax credit component alone in the current Build Back Better bill is projected to reduce child poverty by 40%. Other components on child care and education would help children and families even more.
Given our representative democracy, how could not even one Republican member of our congressional delegation support this legislation? This appears to be a classic case of party over constituency.
Tom Vitaglione, Raleigh
‘Fake news’
In his Dec. 23 op-ed Eli Lake makes at least two references to “discredited” facts about the Trump presidency’s connection to Vladimir Putin without stating how those facts were discredited. I’m sure Lake knows that to discredit a fact, one must do so with, well facts. Simply saying something is fake news doesn’t make it so. Sadly, nearly half our country has fallen into the belief that by simply screaming “fake news” it somehow makes it fake.
Andy Hare, Zebulon
Inflation
Whenever I listen to or read the news people are whining about how bad things are. To get around the inflation, don’t buy a car, travel less, buy chicken instead of steaks, buy store brands instead of higher priced name brands — there are so many other ways to beat inflation. Meanwhile, salaries are up, employment is up, unemployment is down, the government has supplied stimulus money to most Americans, gas prices are falling, and 401K’s and stock prices saw record highs in 2021. And, fortunately, some of the world’s best scientists developed vaccines that protect us from COVID, so get your shots!
Nick Gervase, Holly Springs
Biden presidency
Enough with the op-eds from those who insist Joe Biden’s presidency is somehow a disaster because in 11 months he hasn’t managed to undo all the damage wrought by his predecessor.
The pull-out from Afghanistan was messy — and there was no other option given what had been started in 2020. The economy is not in trouble — it is booming with the highest growth numbers and lowest unemployment in decades. Not sending more American soldiers to engage in combat does not equal being soft on Russia. And the Democrats are negotiating bills in Congress, a concept Republicans equate to treason.
Truth is, the Biden-Harris presidency has achieved great progress for ordinary Americans in its first 11 months.
Charlene Reiss, Durham
Fewer believers
The Dec. 26 Opinion column on COVID and faith trends noted that the number of people identifying as Christian has fallen from 75% in 2011 to 63% today. Various local clergy are quoted, giving their thoughts on the effect COVID has had on this decline. Maybe one reason for the decline is peoples’ questioning why a God “…always waiting for us” and who will “always be there whenever we are ready to accept him” would create a universe that produced a virus that has killed over 5 million people worldwide.
Larry D. King, Raleigh
Road rage
On Dec. 23, I biked home on Clark Avenue with groceries. I had the pleasure of meeting a woman who drove a white truck and honked at me repeatedly. She helpfully informed me I should bike on the sidewalk. Three things to consider: People walk on the sidewalk and the sidewalk is bumpy. Leaves are piled in the bike lane. It’s dangerous to bike on the sidewalk because it’s easy to get hit when someone turns in or out of a side street. Share the road. Drive safe. Happy New Year.
Carl Hintz, Raleigh
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