Winston-Salem Journal LTE WE 09/26/12

A unique leader

We have invested 40 years on UNC Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees, including a decade as chairs, with three different chancellors.

Chancellor Holden Thorp is a principled, caring and dedicated individual who can be a once-in-a-generation leader. When selected, we knew his experience had not fully prepared him for the job, but that he would grow into it. His superior intellect and leadership qualities have benefited UNC in countless ways, including a top 10 research funding ranking and $330 million in fundraising commitments last year. He launched a visioning process to maximize the relevance of the university in the 21st century.

History is full of examples of people who faced adversity early in their careers, learned lessons and became visionary leaders. Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher are a few.

But under the 24-hour news cycle and social media, it is difficult for new leaders to develop. Every decision is questioned, and there is a standard that few, if any, can meet. This overzealous scrutiny discourages those with potential from serving in public roles.

Holden’s resignation was a serious setback. Holden is a unique leader with the vision and knowhow to move UNC toward its full potential. One can argue that he was slightly ahead of his time, but if that is true, then we have all failed to help build his potential. The university and the state are the real losers. We hope that at some point, Holden will reconsider his decision.

TIM BURNETT

FORMER CHAIR, UNC-CHAPEL HILL BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 2001-2003

Greensboro

NELSON SCHWAB

FORMER CHAIR, UNC-CHAPEL HILL BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 2005-2007

Charlotte

This letter was signed by three other former chairs — the editor.

Blaming the poor

Considering Mitt Romney's recent remarks, his refusal to release his tax returns and how fast and far the one-percenters are pulling away from the rest of us, this quote by author Norman Mailer (1923-2007) seems right on:

“To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged.”

DAVID HATCHER

Winston-Salem

Takers and makers

Do today’s Republicans really believe that 47 percent of Americans are “takers,” living off money confiscated from the “makers”?

When was the last time a prominent Republican leader made a point of praising hard-working, ordinary American families as opposed to “job creators”?

On Labor Day, House majority leader Eric Cantor (Republican) tweeted: “Today, we celebrate those who have taken a risk, worked hard, built a business and earned their own success.”

Even on Labor Day, he couldn’t praise American workers?

CNN’s John King recently shared a bit of his personal life when he said, “As a kid, my family was on food stamps for a few years when my dad got sick. We didn’t feel entitled and we weren’t victims and my father was actually pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. But in the end my mother was grateful that she was able to feed her kids.”

This strikes me as a more likely view of the majority of people who have to accept government aid than the view that the Romney campaign touts about laziness and “entitlement.”

All Republicans do these days is complain about the way things are going in America. They can’t say one kind — or honest, it seems — word about the American president or the American people or the American government.

When Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador in Libya, was killed, Mitt Romney’s first instinct was not to express sympathy, but to criticize the president.

Why do Republicans hate America so much?

TOMMY H. SIMMONS

Winston-Salem

I'm confused

It just occurred to me with all the fuss the biased media is making over Mitt Romney's wealth, I do not remember hearing anything about John Kennedy's fortune, or for that matter John Kerry’s. I'm not sure if Kennedy or Kerry gave anything to charity, but it probably doesn't come anywhere near what Romney has given.

Oh, I get it. Romney is Republican, Kennedy and Kerry are Democrats. Romney worked for his money, Kennedy inherited his and Kerry married his. Never mind, the liberals will only say, “So what?”

A quote from Mark Twain: “if you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed, if you read the newspaper, you're misinformed.”

MARION HODGES

Clemmons

Bring the troops home

Shortly after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks in 2001, we sent our military forces into Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and remove all support for al-Qaida. We remain there yet today, with a strategy that has failed.

The stated goal of the Obama administration is train the Afghan forces to be able to provide their own security. We have recently had to terminate joint patrols and embedding of our troops with Afghan units because of attacks on our people by Afghans they are working and living with.

We continue to have our brave young people killed and maimed by the Taliban and other Afghan attackers and will do so until we finally leave there.

I now firmly believe it is time to pull the troops out immediately. Fold our tents, pull up the stakes, pack our bags and bring the troops home.

I find it intolerable to lose yet one more American life in this hopeless war. There is no possible benefit that would accrue to our staying one minute longer, much less another year.

The troops did their best, served with honor, gallantry and great sacrifice. It was not they who failed, but it was our national leadership, two presidents, two administrations, many Congresses, and above all, our top military leadership. They have let the troops down once again just exactly as happened during the Vietnam War.

Let’s honor the troops and do right by them — and bring them all home now.

RALPH CHAPPELL

Winston-Salem