Vaccinate for the good of
others
How sad that it comes to needing a vaccine mandate to get people vaccinated. Growing up we were vaccinated against smallpox, and then polio, when it became available. No one talked about rights or constitutionality; we did it because it was the right thing to do for the health of all citizens, especially the children.
George Washington mandated vaccination against smallpox because the disease was killing many more soldiers than British bullets. Smallpox and polio are now essentially eradicated. This pandemic could well be on the way to elimination if we had continued the vaccination rates started in the spring. Please get vaccinated for all our children.
Don Ries
Southeast side
Federal vax
mandate
Re: the Sept. 10 article “President announces new vaccine mandate.”
In this article, it was stated: “Federal workers and contractors will have 75 days to get fully vaccinated. Workers who don’t comply will be referred to their agencies’ human resources departments for counseling and discipline, to include potential termination.” Hum, China’s re-education?
Leona Kolbet
Northwest side
Lessons from
Groucho
Many of the millions of Americans who refuse to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus remind me of Professor Wagstaff, the character depicted by Groucho Marx in the 1932 comedy film, Horse Feathers. Wagstaff, who was the headmaster of Huxley College, refused to accept any suggestions from its trustees. The factual soundness of their recommendations was irrelevant to Wagstaff. Like some anti-vaxxers, he seemed to be suffering from a psychological condition typically associated with adolescents, something today’s psychologists might refer to as oppositional defiant disorder.
The lyrics to the epic song performed by Groucho’s character say it all about today’s neurotic contrarians: “I don’t know what they have to say, makes no difference anyway, your proposition may be good, but let’s have one thing understood, whatever it is, I’m against it.”
Politicians who champion such irrational and dangerous thinking should be ashamed.
Charles S. Sabalos
Foothills
Citizenship pathway
It is so important that we as Arizonans take a moment to appreciate the diligence of undocumented essential workers — including the many Dreamers, TPS holders, and farmworkers among them — who continue to contribute to the fabric of American society under the threat of being separated from their families and community.
The budget reconciliation process is our best opportunity to secure a pathway to citizenship that would modernize our outdated immigration system. And supporting citizenship in this way merely conforms with the views of an overwhelming majority of Americans on both sides of the political aisle; about eight out of 10 Democrats and six out of 10 Republicans agree with providing a pathway to citizenship to undocumented immigrants instead of deporting them.
As a Latino-serving non-profit fighting for community empowerment, we hope Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema recognize that these immigrants have earned the opportunity to fully contribute to our country without fear. The time to act is now.
Ricardo M. Jasso. and Carlos Gonzalez
West side
Stop the injection
photos
What is the point of the endless photos of vaccinations in news stories, both print media and TV? Those who are needle-phobic will be turned off by seeing them. Those who oppose vaccinations will not be persuaded by seeing them.
Much better, I believe, would be pictures of COVID victims on respirators — scary, but more motivating for getting vaccinated. Or, pictures of families in mourning as another COVID victim in a coffin is lowered into the ground. The newspaper’s choice of what photos to run can have as much emotional impact as the text and will be seen even if the text goes unread. So why keep showing injections?
Chris Gilbert
Foothills
Stop bills that are
anti-education
Arizona ranks 48th in the US for spending on K-12 education. Improving education is good for our kids and our economy. Arizona voters recognized this, by passing Proposition 208, a bill that would raise up to $1 billion for public schools. Proposition 208 would be funded by a 3.5% tax surcharge on wealthy filers.
But the Legislature has passed three bills aimed at undermining education investment and the will of the voters. 1) The flat tax, which will result in a permanent $1.9 billion loss in state revenue per year. A similar flat tax wrecked the Kansas economy and was eventually repealed. 2) The Tax Cap, for wealthy earners. This would result in decreasing Arizona’s general fund, including K-12 spending by over $250 million per year. And 3) SB1783, which creates new tax categories for the wealthy.
Each of these bills disproportionately benefits the rich and undermines Arizona voters. Please sign petitions against these bills, and let your representatives know.
Bill Hatcher
Midtown
Global
warming
I keep hearing from all these politicians about global warming, and I have a suggestion about how they can really do something about it. Stop flying around in a 747 and taking several very large cargo plans with you that all take thousands of gallons of fuel every trip and members of Congress can stop flying relatives across the country to visit D.C. So let’s get after all of them to do something about global warming or stop talking about it.
Thomas R Crawford
Foothills
Do your
part
Re: the Sept. 13 letter “Thanks a lot, anti-vaxxers.”
I agree with the gentleman in Benson. There are many who do not want to take the vaccine for whatever reasons, then end up sick with COVID. Why? Your selfish actions by not getting vaccinated are causing too many problems throughout the health care system. The hospital staff are overworked because of individuals who refused to take the COVID shot. Accidents, stroke or heart attack patients, etc., and their families are left wondering, and even waiting for a free bed for their loved ones.
I understand small children, etc., are exempt; for those unvaccinated individuals who are perfectly healthy, you should be setting a good example for others by getting your COVID shot, helping our country to get back to normal, instead of thinking only of yourselves. I am a kidney transplant patient, and I had my COVID shot in April. I am careful to not get around individuals who have not had the shot.
Please do your part, you could be saving a family member by getting your shot.
Sonia Heindel
South side Vaccine
mandate
Re: the Sept. 10 article “President announces new vaccine mandate.”
Thank God for Joe Biden. He has the guts to stand up to the anti-vaxxers and the silly Republican governors who say “don’t wear a mask during a pandemic.”
Thank God for Merrick Garland, standing up to Texas’ illegal abortion law.
Saturday was the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and three past presidents showed up for the ceremony. Not Donald Trump — he hosted a “prize fight” that evening. Of course, besides being pathetic, this man and his followers, are the problem. Glad more and more of us are getting sick and tired of these selfish fools.
I got a news flash for these guys, it’s not about your rights, it’s about the common good!
Mary Bradley
Northeast side
