Hendersonville Times-News

Tune in 'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix

To the Editor: IstronglyurgeyoutoseeThe Social Dilemma on Netflix,ifyouhave not yetseenit.Throughinterviews with former executives and developers for Google, FaceBook, Twitter, etc., this explains how social mediais using subtlyinsidious methodstomanipulateyour opinions, moving each of us further right, or further left, and exacerbating political divisions. The Russians did not needtohack FaceBook; they merely used thetools that Facebook developed and which are availabletotheir advertisers. We needtobe alerttothis because we cant rely on the fact checking algorithmsin the media; we must be personally vigilant.

Larry Mobley, Hendersonville

Teachers should get vaccinated

To the Editor:Shouldnt our teachers and staff go to the front of the vaccination line? HC is a retirement community with more than 30,000 people over 65 to be vaccinated in front of our school personnel. Is it fair to ask our teachers and staff to put their health and others at risk, when most of us who are retired can stay safely in our own homes? The teaching staff in HC public schools is only about 900. More than20 states have prioritized teachers.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said schools are safe to open even if teachers are not vaccinated ifproper safety protocols were followed, including good ventilation, adequate testing and tracking, proper distancing, and mask-wearing. Until Henderson County has hired and trained enough people and received the materials to put these safety precautions in place, our community should, at the very least, make vaccinations available at schools to teachers and staff, shouldnt they?

Teachers have been working overtime to educate our children to the best of their ability despite all the extra challenges and health worries of Covid-19. They deserve our support now to help our children thrive. Henderson County and state leaders, please act to make vaccinating teachers a priority!

Linda Miller, Hendersonville

The rest of the story

To the Editor:For those readers who were perplexed by the abrupt ending of Jonah Goldberg's editorial on Feb. 4th, 2021 here is the rest of the editorial.

"Sure, government can't make you violate your conscience (though if your conscience says you should rape or murder, you're out of luck).But government can-and should - try to make you believe some things. It should try to convince you that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and necessary.It can tell you the correct date of Election Day.

This isn't dictatorial by any definition. It's telling the truth, and truth-telling is supposed to be the first obligation of both politicians and pundits, because democracy doesn't work without the truth. And neither will the GOP."

Ann Twiggs,Hendersonville

The role of legislatures

To the Editor: John Hood made a sound case in his Feb. 3column that legislatures are the proper engine for government and must constrain governors, presidents and courts from arrogating too much power to themselves.Hood wrote that one strength of legislatingis that it forces intense scrutiny and compromise between competing approaches to address issues.Paraphrasing, he said that half-loaf measures leave open the possibility of second-half reprises when the political climate changes.He could have added that partial measures produced by compromise also tend to validate or invalidate procedures before committing excessive (and too often permanent) funding to them.

This kind of conservatism extends to the Madisonian doctrine that dynamic state governments competing with and constraining the national government are the truly federal prescription the U.S. Constitution mandates.

Hood urged that the U.S. Congress should channel the North Carolina Legislature and "consider legislating for a change." I hope that as it does so, it will remember Hood's position that respectful due diligence is crucial to good legislation, and wise legislation surely is the surest constraint on executive overreach

David M. Hudelson,Horse Shoe

Senators must make a choice

We need to thank former President Trump for showing us just how fragile our democratic form of government is.The tragedy is that there are millions of Americans who have been so captured by Trumpism that they are willing to subvert our democratic form of government and accept tyranny in its place.What is even sadder, the Trumpists were supporting a dictator wannabe while waving American flags as they stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow a free and fair election.They fell for the big lie from the consummate conman.

Now the test is before the Republican Senators.Will they convict Trump for inciting an insurrection, or will they decide that they are okay with an attempt to retain power by force?Will they defend democracy, or will they condone tyranny?The choice should be easy, but many Republican Senators seem to be having trouble making that choice. Our Representative Madison Cawthorn has already come down in favor of tyranny, but that was no surprise.Now we will see if Senators Burr and Tillis will help to correct this wrong, or will they join other cowards in their party and condone an insurrection.

Duane Johnson, Hendersonville

Don't let socialists take control

To the Editor:Has anyone elsenoticedtheunceasing, relentless drumbeat for socialism?Every day we are told that we are incapable:unable to make our own decisions, unable to solve our own problems, unable to live our lives without assistance.

Some timein the last 10years we went from being the most energetic, innovative, creative people on the planet to being pathetic incompetents.Really?!

How doyouwant to live your life?Do you want to be taken care of or do you want to be free?Decide now.If socialists take control of our government, you will no longer have a choice.

Suzanne Grasser, Flat Rock

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Letters to the Editor, Sunday, Feb. 7 - BlueRidgeNow.com