Anti-vaxxers
full of bluster
Recently, while driving by Banner UMC, I saw people demonstrating against vaccinations. I was both angered and saddened to see this because, more than once, Banner's medical professionals and staff have saved my life. Thus I am profoundly grateful and indebted to them for their expertise and care.
The next time people who could get vaccinated but don't are demonstrating in front of the hospital, they should go inside and sign a waiver stating they will forgo any medical treatment should they catch COVID. That way the doctors and nurses whose work the anti-vaxxers are insulting won't waste valuable time and resources on them, and society won't bear the cost of their hospitalization. It's a win-win situation: they get to exercise their freedom of choice and responsible members of society who have gotten vaccinated will not have to pay for the care of those who choose to put themselves and the rest of us at risk.
Darian Qureshi
Northwest side
Include masks
in Constitution
Want to get people to wear masks? Let's enshrine the "right to wear masks" in a new constitutional amendment similar to the Second Amendment. "A well-masked citizenry, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and wear masks shall not be infringed." Just imagine: We'll have hordes of people indignant that others are infringing on their right to wear masks, and who are trying to take away their masks. "You can take my mask when you can pry my dead, cold fingers from around its straps." We can do this.
Kirk Astroth
Northwest side
Tell restaurants
where you stand
Re: the Aug. 16 letter "Here's a tip: Mask up."
In response to this letter writer β I would recommend politely requesting servers and bussers with masks when calling for a reservation or in person at the host station rather than decreasing your tips from 30% to 15%. Firstly, the issue should be your safety while you are being served. Second, your server may not understand that your 15% tip had any connection with not wearing a mask since many customers leave the standard 15% tip. Restaurants desperately want your business and will want to accommodate you. If not, go to one of the many restaurants that are following CDC guidelines and keep tipping generously!
Lorraine Crawford
Northeast side
A war Biden
could never win
Only eight months into his presidency, Joe Biden will be blamed for βlosingβ the 20-year Afghanistan war, which has spanned four Republican and Democratic administrations. Before assigning blame, consider the facts.
In October 2001, George Bush correctly began our involvement to punish those behind 9/11. Less than 18 months later, he foolishly diverted massive resources of troops and materiel to Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11.
The first years of the Afghan war were critical to anything resembling success. But that would have required the full force of American power, not the shell that was left after March 2003. It can be argued that this was the beginning of the predictable, ignominious ending which we now see.
George Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump all share blame for continuing what became an unwinnable war.
It was Donald Trump who told the Taliban that all troops would withdraw by May 1. Biden simply extended the deadline.
Itβs hard to lose something you never really had.
Dan Gipple
Southeast side
Minority equity
in redistricting
Our Independent Redistricting Commission is called upon to consider many "items" in drawing lines dividing up the state's congressional and legislative districts. They are called on to reject partisan influences, seek equitable division of population, hopefully be able to produce maps accurately reflecting communities of interest.
We must call on the commission to provide for equitable representation for minority communities and consider differing social and political views in newly drawn lines.
Fair maps truly detail the diversity of the Arizona people and play upon the strengths in our diversity when drawing political lines marking our voting communities and districts.
Our representation in government falls upon the decision of five appointed commission members and their finished maps.
Harvey Akeson
Northwest side
Anti-maskers
need to wake up
Every governor who actively works to disallow mask and vaccine mandates should be forced to be a pallbearer for every child that dies for COVID-related reasons.
Don Simpson
East side
Ducey eschews
science, reason
Gov. Doug Ducey, is there anyone you will not sacrifice on the altar of your personal political ambition? You wrap your ambition in lofty language of personal freedom and personal choice, yet you have sacrificed my freedom and my choice each time you block reasonable, public health requirements. I do not have the freedom to go and do whatever I would like because you will not be the responsible governor that Arizona citizens deserve. A governor who stands with science and reason.
Now, you are sacrificing children. Your move to "reward" schools for not mandating masks or closing risks the health of children and the people who have given their all to keep learning alive under horrible conditions. Those funds were legislated for assistance to everyone, not to fund personal political causes.Β
I want my vote back. You do not deserve it.
Linda Heffernan
Midtown
Ducey should
beΒ held liable
If a single student in this state is hospitalized, or worse, dies due to contracting COVID from an unmasked fellow student, Gov. Doug Ducey should be held criminally liable and sued for all damages. Drunk driving is not a matter of "personal choice" it is a matter of responsibility to protect innocent others. Students deserve and are entitled to a safe learning environment.
Sally Reed
Northeast side
A catastrophic
year under Biden
As a longtime businessman and former military officer, I have been distressed with the Biden administration. For the past seven months the nation has witnessed massive catastrophe and chaos with regard to our loss of energy independence, massive amounts of deficit spending, a burgeoning national debt, unchecked immigration, alarmingly increasing inflation, and, last but not least, a poorly planned exit from Afghanistan. There are numerous other issues of concern, but these are among the most egregious. For those who supported Mr. Biden, I should like to ask if you are pleased with his results.
Robert Lenhard
Northeast side
Choose to love
and be unafraid
Life is about making choices. Freedom is the necessary condition for making choices. Without freedom, there is no choices to be made and no life to be lived.
Life-enriching choices are good, because life is good. Living in total isolation is unreal; therefore, the life to be enriched is that of the world, which sustains all the living.
Making life-enriching choices for the whole is the right use of freedom; and making life-destructing choices is the abuse of freedom. One is free only when one is capable of loving others; otherwise, one remains enslaved by fear.
Does the above understanding of life make sense? Should you not speak and act to promote the necessary efforts to defeat the global spread of the deadly COVID-19 and to reverse the devastating climate change?
Stand up for your freedom to choose loving your neighbor as yourself and be freed from fear!
Ke Chiang Hsieh
Midtown
