Letters: Halloween event, sex ed, Franklin County commissioner decision and more | Nov. 8

Drive-thru event great family fun

I would like to thank the organizers of the drive-thru Halloween events at the Carousel of Dreams and Toyota Center in Kennewick this year for their out-of-the-box thinking. My family and I had a blast, and both of these events were nothing short of fantastic in a time where it may feel like usual and customary childhood traditions are being overrun by a pandemic; today’s events make it clear that this is hardly the case.

I found both events to be incredibly well attended. In addition, the events, while physically distant, were more than socially engaging as people were celebrating each other’s costumes from cars and stalls alike. Candy for my children was also aplenty as my children came home with the usual haul of candy subject to “dad tax.”

While this year’s Halloween was certainly a deviation from the usual trunk-or-treat or going door-to-door, this will long be remembered quite fondly in my house. I look forward to seeing what Thanksgiving and Christmas look like this year. Thank you again to the organizers of these events.

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ACP pushes ‘junk science’ on schools

In her letter of Oct. 30 regarding Comprehensive Sex Education, Tisha Bryan quoted the American College of Pediatricians as an authority on sex education. However, ACP is an organization that exists to promote religious views, not scientific ones.

In 2002, about 60 members broke away from the respected 60,000-member American Academy of Pediatrics to form the fringe group American College of Pediatricians. They took issue with the academy’s support of adoption by gay couples. ACP is strictly a faith-based group, and its “peer-reviewed research” mainly supports its foregone conclusions based on its members’ religious beliefs.

This is how the Southern Poverty Law Center describes the ACP: “The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) is a fringe anti-LGBTQ hate group that masquerades as the premier U.S. association of pediatricians to push anti-LGBTQ junk science, primarily via far-right conservative media and filing amicus briefs in cases related to gay adoption and marriage equality.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics today has around 67,000 members and is a trusted information source. The American College of Pediatricians, with an estimated membership of fewer than 500, is not. Posing as the experts on youth and sexuality, they have tried to push their junk science on our schools.

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Processor didn’t heed wakeup call

The death of two Twin City Foods workers from COVID-19 was reported in the Oct. 2 edition of the Tri City Herald. Measures to protect the workers from infection such as wearing masks were initially denied, then each worker was limited to one mask a week. Crowded work stations and lunchroom were also of concern. The Tyson Wallula plant COVID-19 cases reported in April should have been a wake-up call for Twin City Foods. Claims of execution of an emergency action plan were four months late.

Food plant workers (are) deemed essential, and thus (are) pressed to continue working outside the home come disproportionately from low-income communities of color. Black and Latino Americans are approximately two to three times more likely than whites to contract the COVID-19, roughly four times more likely to be hospitalized and three times more likely to die.

If you want to stop COVID-19 from tearing through factories and farms, unionize these places, says Alicia Fernandez, a primary care doctor at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Fernandez says that unions can make a difference. “Data shows that for nursing home workers, being in a union was associated with better protection and less infection.”

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Condiments aren’t handled carefully

At a gas station we bought some burritos and jo-jos from the hot case. The cashier was wearing gloves and had checked out customers ahead of us handling the purchases that each customer had touched and then accepted cash and returned the change with their gloved hands.

We asked for some hot sauce and the cashier grabbed us some packets using their gloved hands that they had just handled all the dirty money and items with, and before we could stop it threw the packets in on top of our jojos. We were saying please don’t ... and before we could finish our sentence she had already put the packets on top of our food.

We have noticed a lot of places do this, they throw condiments on top of your fries and other foods that are in an open type container. To avoid this, we try to ask for our condiments after we are handed our food.

Please think about your food safety practices. If you can’t touch ready-to-eat foods with your bare hand, why would you throw stuff that you are touching with a contaminated glove or bare hands on top of ready to eat food?

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Kennewick fire, police set example

I want to thank the Kennewick Police and Fire Departments for their rapid, professional assistance. Strong, gusty winds recently caused a large limb to fall from one of my trees onto Kennewick Avenue. I called 911. Within minutes, both fire department and police officers responded. After seeing that I was all right, they cut the limb into pieces and moved them off the street to my lawn. They asked what I would do with the debris and I honestly did not know. They said their departments had volunteer groups; it was possible they could help me.

Several days later, Officer Richard Sanders of the KPD came by with his teenage son and a power saw. It was his day off and he had noticed the lawn was still covered. He said he would cut the limbs, stack the wood; it would be ready for someone who needed it for winter firewood.

They worked several hours, and when finished I offered his son some money for helping his father help me. He refused, grinned and assured me he enjoyed helping his dad. Officer Sanders added, “This is what ‘community’ is all about!” These are two very special men and we are all very fortunate.

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Respect learned in just one week

President Elect Joe Biden escorted vice president-elect Kamala Harris on stage for their introduction as teammates in the 2020 election! From the old school, she walked with him and when she was to proceed him, he guided her with his hand! From the old school; Respect! Every day, our kids saw this Respect! Sometimes our son “forgot,” but was reminded. “Always open doors for girls/women/ladies!”

A few years ago, we enjoyed a week with our 10-year-old step-grandson. We truly enjoyed the week but found he had not been privy to Respect! A little nudge, and an education in how to respect (more to it than that but ...). He “made us proud” when we met his mom at a restaurant for his return to home. He stepped out ahead of all of us, opened the door, stood aside, escorted his mom to the counter, stepped back and indicated she should order first! Wow! Just think, that happened in just one week. The possibilities are endless.

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Franklin County decision apathetic

The recent 2-0 vote by the Franklin County commissioners to deny Mirror Ministries a permit to convert an old dog kennel business into a recovery home for sexually exploited girls is disappointing. These girls are victims and decisions regarding the safe recovery of victims should not be taken lightly. The apathetic decision made by the commissioners has alarmed me as it shows a disregard for these young girls. What ever happened to the Golden Rule?

This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Halloween event, sex ed, Franklin County commissioner decision and more | Nov. 8."