Letters: Oregon Gov. out of line, COVID stress, businesses wrong to ignore mandate and more | Dec. 6

Governors out of line on COVID

I cannot believe that I would live to see times as these, governors of the Democratic Party using strong-armed tactics like those of dictators closing down our churches, violating our constitutional rights, the right to worship God in free and open assemblies; and there is more, the governor of Oregon has ordered that families of more than six gathered for Thanksgiving dinner be declared against the law! Rather than fulfilling the commandment of God to love our neighbor, care for them and do good to them, the Oregon governor has ordered that all such neighbors be reported to the police! What?

People can riot and burn down buildings in downtown Portland, but families of more than six cannot gather, lest the police will be called. Is this a free country or what? Granted, COVID-19 is a serious threat, but these dictatorial orders are far, far out of line!

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Drug, alcohol use far too prevalent

Drug and alcohol abuse ruins childhoods and family life. Also, substance abuse doesn’t just have an impact on the abuser but on the rest of the family or friends as well. The Addiction Center states that young children are at risk of repeating these behaviors, considering their personalities are still developing. Substance abuse creates many conflicts in families. Though my experience was alcohol and marijuana, there were still problems. My family didn’t trust and argued.

It has been a while since there have been articles or cases that involve opioid abuse, but in the year of 2019, there were 13 overdoses between the months of April and January, while eight were caused by Fentanyl alone, according to The Tri-City Herald. Even though there haven’t been as many cases of this recently. This doesn’t mean that this has disappeared for good.

My experience involved my close family overdosing and needing rehab later on, forcing me to mature in school and activities. The experiences I have had with substance abuse in my childhood has made me the student and young woman I am today. If you know someone who is involved with this and needs help, contact the SAMHSA Hotline at 1-800-662-4357.

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Franklin elections folks came through

I would like to commend the Franklin County Election Office. My spouse and I were visiting her sister in New York. We were scheduled to fly back on Oct. 25 and expected to vote on our return. While in New York, we were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 so we had to quarantine. We changed our return flight to Wednesday, Nov. 4. I called the Franklin Board Election Office on Tuesday, Oct. 20. A very pleasant voice answered the phone on the first ring.

I explained our situation. She said that was not a problem. She would cancel the ballots that had been sent to us and have new ballots sent to our address in New York. She would either have them go out that afternoon or the next day.

Three days later, we received the ballots in the mail. We voted and put them in the mail box Saturday morning. I checked the election website and they were accepted on Thursday, Oct. 29. I was very impressed that even though we were 3,000 miles away and had an unforeseen circumstance, we were very easily able to vote. A big thank you to the Franklin County Election Office.

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State can’t wait for growth act update

In January, the Washington State Legislature has an opportunity to help ensure affordable housing, climate-resilient communities and environmental justice for Washingtonians today and for future generations.

Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA), was enacted 30 years ago. It requires cities and counties to plan ahead and address critical habitat, access to water, transportation and other issues that population growth can impact. But it needs updating.

Despite a chronic housing affordability crisis, the GMA hasn’t required communities to address homelessness or plan safe, stable, and affordable housing for Washingtonians.

Despite droughts, extreme heat and frequent wildfires, the GMA hasn’t required communities to put plans in place to prepare for disruption.

And despite long-standing racial injustice baked into existing neighborhoods and zoning, the GMA doesn’t address environmental justice..

In facing these challenges, Washington can’t wait to make critical improvements to the GMA. Let’s help communities protect human health and quality of life, by carefully preparing for what lies ahead.

A growing coalition of neighbors is working together to make sure that we take this opportunity to plan for the future we want. I encourage you to join us by telling everyone you know — but especially your legislators — that #WACan’tWait.

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NFL games show double standard

Liberal elite double standard yet once again.

Seattle Seahawks and other NFL teams can fly around the country and play football.

Conservative Christian families are told not to gather and give thanks to God on Thanksgiving. Guess what Biden, Inslee, Brown and Newsom: We are going to gather and give thanks and praise to God.

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Chasing dollars, ignoring safety

Why is a martini bar and restaurant violating the governor’s mandate justified above public safety? Who is coming to your establishments? Those who are in the food bank lines, those who can’t afford their mortgage/rent, unemployed, those who have lost a family member to COVID-19 … (without a) goodbye, those who are not able to travel to see loved ones with terminal diagnoses, hospitals/clinics staff working without respite, while your greed marches on.

Undoubtedly you are paying staff above minimum wage without tips as they risk their health and that of their families.

The difference between nail and hair salons patrons from bars and restaurants (is) consumers keep their masks on, maintain social distance, are supporting responsible small business owners. Your actions make me wonder what other health standards you chose to ignore: food storage, food handlers’ cards, temperature regulations for cleaning dishes, facilities etc. Glad to know that you think so little of other’s right to live than for you to make money.

I’ll be staying away from your establishments, following the science, health professionals’ advice to live long enough to see family next year.

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November: Native American month

November (was) Native American Month. First proclaimed as such by President (George H.W.) Bush and passed into law Nov. 16, 1990. Recognition that Native Americans are still part of this nation and that the Columbia Plateau, including the Tri-Cities, is the homeland of many Native American Tribes, including the nearby sovereign nations — Yakama, Spokane, Colville, Nez Perce, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, and Warm Springs.

These people have given so much to making this great nation yet are the least acknowledged for that contribution. One small acknowledgement would be to familiarize oneself with the USA’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGRPA). This month marks the 30th anniversary of the act. NAGPRA establishes that certain remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony belong to lineal descendants of Native American Tribes.

Historically, Native American graves did not receive equal protection of their burial sites. Sometimes the remains of Native Americans were put on display as objects of curiosity or studied as lab specimens, rather than treated respectfully as human remains and reburied. Remember Kennewick Man? For our nation’s future let’s commit to doing a better job of educating our children about our nation’s history.

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Look at Sweden’s COVID numbers

The Herald and other media seem remarkably quiet on Sweden’s alternative approach to COVID-19. Wonder why?

Back in March consensus was “the science” (as Biden and the media refer to it) dictated hard lockdown, involving shutdown of schools, businesses, mass transit, etc., with shelter at home, as absolutely required to control COVID. Most of Europe and the United States embraced this approach. However, Sweden did not follow “the science,” keeping most schools and businesses open, instead focusing hard measures on vulnerable groups and asking citizens to otherwise take common sense protective measures. For that, Sweden was condemned and called irresponsible.

So, what’s happened since? Where there were hard lockdowns, there have been serious upswings this fall in COVID-19 cases. Not so in Sweden. After a rough spring, Sweden’s case rate dropped dramatically. They have had a very mild upswing in cases this fall, but nothing like that in the UK, Spain, Italy and France. Sweden’s total COVID-19 deaths per capita are lower than many western countries that embraced “the science” (see https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/). And they accomplished this without cratering their economy.

The media narrative is “the science” requires lockdowns. News about Sweden’s contrary experience is therefore unwelcome and largely unreported.

Editor’s note: As of Oct. 30, deaths counted in the four Nordic countries were Sweden 5,938; Denmark 719; Finland 358 ; and Norway 282 (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113834/cumulative-coronavirus-deaths-in-the-nordics/). Their total populations are Sweden 10.1 million; Denmark 5.8 million; Finland 5.5 million; and Norway 5.4 million.

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Stress relief for COVID-19 fears

So many of us are experiencing a fear response over the COVID-19 pandemic. Fear is generally a good emotion that helps us avoid harm, but it can also become a negative emotion when it is overdone. Negative emotions like fear can undermine our immune system because they keep our sympathetic nervous system on high alert. We can become chronic worriers, feel anxious all of the time or even become depressed. Sometimes, we don’t even realize how badly we’re being affected until we run out of personal resources and then feel really bad.

As a mental health counselor, I offer the following ways one may be able to rebalance one’s system and overcome one’s fear.

Try praying to God or Jesus for help.

Find a stress-reducing method that works for you be it exercise, music, a hobby, etc.

Use a tapping technique such as TFT. I demonstrate this technique on my YouTube:Herb Ayers channel for free learning. I especially recommend it for first responders and their family members.

During disasters like this, we are all better off when we share with others whatever talents, skills and hope that we have. I Hope this helps you.

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Called governor, but got no answer

I called the governor’s phone number to leave a message regarding his shutdown. Oddly, the message on the recording directed me to call the Departments of Health, Labor, etc. with no chance to leave a message. The last instruction was to call my doctor if I thought I was sick. Sir, I think I can handle that without your interference.

So my question to the governor, based on his lack of interest in real questions or comments: “Who is John Galt?”

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Worst president in U.S. history?

President Trump has been the worst president ever.

He segregated blacks from whites in the federal government. Oh, wait that was Woodrow Wilson, Democrat.

But he did say, “I think one man is as good as another as long as he’s not a n*g*er or a Chinaman.” Oh wait, that Harry S. Truman, Democrat.

Through his supposed help for black people, he said “I’ll have those n*g*ers voting Democratic for the next 200 years.” Oh, wait, that was Lyndon Johnson, Democrat.

How about when he said “Colored people are like human weeds and need to be exterminated.” Oh wait, that was Margaret Sanger, creator of the forerunner to Planned Parenthood and a woman Hillary Clinton, Democrat says she greatly admires.

What about Robert Byrd, former KKK member and Democrat? Trump called him a “mentor” a “friend” and a “guide.” Oh wait that was Joe Biden in Byrd’s eulogy speech. The same Robert Byrd that Nancy Pelosi called “a great American patriot.”

Well, anyway, the Democrats got prison reform. Oh wait that was Trump and the Republican majority even though Biden had been in office for 47 years with no accomplishments.

Anyhow, he was orange. That’s bad, right?

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Why did editorial pick on Idaho?

The writer of this article states, “Idaho has the fifth highest rate of positive COVID-19 test results in the country, including Puerto Rico, according to John Hopkins University. Currently, Washington state ranks 35th.”

When it comes to COVID, the numbers are going up in every state due to more testing. Losing one person to COVID is tragic, but the reality is that Idaho is actually No. 35 of 58 States and Territories per 100,000 deaths. Deaths are important. Counting people that feel a little ill or do not know they are infected seems pointless.

Singling out Idaho when 34 other states and territories are doing worse appears to be an odd choice. Why not focus on New Jersey, Massachusetts or Connecticut? New Jersey, for example, has four times the deaths when compared with Idaho. New York City has exactly six times the number of deaths.

Why pick on Idaho? Is it because the people of Idaho are not sheep and are capable of making sound personal decisions? The people of Alaska, who are much like those who live in Idaho, are near the bottom of the list! Why not write about them?

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Richland: Find best opportunity

When A’s turn to C’s, D’s and F’s...

When Academics, Arts, Activities and Athletics give way to…

Closures, cancellations and computer screens.

Degraded learning standards, disparate impacts, disappointment and depression.

Fear-based decisions, failing grades, and far-reaching gaps.

… we have failed our children

We should be rallying around students, finding ways to create positive outcomes and providing hope for their future. Instead, we are entrenched in our divisiveness, “kicking the can” down the road while time runs out on their schooling.

Education is more than book learning … education is the discipline of attending classes every day; learning to respect authority; meeting deadlines for projects; communicating with peers; conducting hands-on science labs; gaining technical skills via CTE classes, and refining leadership skills.

I am asking the Richland School District administration/board to find a way to give secondary families a choice to return to the classroom. Finalize a plan and be prepared to implement it no later than the start of second semester. Turn those C’s, D’s and F’s back into A’s … turn computer screens into classrooms, divisiveness into decisiveness and failings into futures. Be convinced that the plan is well thought out, meets the stringent mitigation protocols and provides the best opportunity for our students to achieve.

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Let’s not ignore child abuse

No child should have to experience the pain of abuse, whether it’s physically, verbally or mentally. The effects of child abuse can be very severe. The physical effects of child abuse are bruising, cuts, medical problems, broken bones and sometimes death. There is a child abuse awareness month in April, but no one really makes a big deal about it like they do with breast cancer.

We need to let people know that children are still suffering from child abuse, and that it’s a problem. We can make people aware by developing an effective message and using social media to spread the word. We can hold parent education classes. People can report the abuse if they know it’s happening, or they can even get the child or children out of the situation by getting help from a police officer or someone else.

If you suspect a child is being harmed, contact your local Child Protective Services. We need to make children feel safe to talk to anybody, especially if they are getting abused. They need to be able to speak up!

This story was originally published December 6, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Oregon Gov. out of line, COVID stress, businesses wrong to ignore mandate and more | Dec. 6."