Letters: Hanging skeletons, Covid numbers, electoral college and more | Nov. 20

We need solutions to be sustainable

This is my favorite time of year! The changing colors, crunching leaves, and smells of pumpkin. The one downside to the season is that people tend to use cold weather to validate their belief that climate change isn’t a problem and saying, “It’s not a big deal.” But the impact of climate change goes far beyond the temperature.

What will we do about rising costs of groceries, reduced drinking water and diminished outdoor spaces? One thing we can do is continue to educate about long-term climate solutions including: expanding the network of fast charging stations for electric vehicles and hydrogen stations for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, rewarding farmers for sequestering carbon in soil, returning the revenue from a price on carbon to people in equal shares, and expanding carbon pricing worldwide with tariffs on imports from countries without a price on carbon.

I don’t have all the answers, but what I do know is many people will not be pleased to spend future seasons without a hot coffee or a butter beer when the ingredients for those are not obtainable. So, this season choose to grab a blanket and a coffee and learn more about how you can support sustainable solutions.

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Hanging skeletons not funny at all

I couldn’t believe what I saw in the paper this morning (Nov 3). There was Ronnarae Cowell standing proudly in her yard, smiling, with three skeletons hanging behind her. They all had signs around their necks, one for Biden, one for Pelosi and, of course, the black one for Harris. But, wait: they were meant to be funny.

How would anyone possibly believe they were meant to be political and racist and a hate message? Well, we know what your intent was, no matter how hard you try to cover it up. I am shocked, dismayed and angered by your appalling display of intolerance. Shame on you! And you hide behind your God to support this?!?!

Thank you to the Herald for publishing this story. Everyone needs to know about this.

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Morning in U.S. replaces mourning

For an immigrant, a female, a person of color, a South Asian and a Muslim, Sunday signaled a hope that marked the beginning of a possibility of Morning in America not Mourning in America. A relief that task forces will replace twitter tantrums. Healing will replace humiliation. Understanding will replace undermining. Respect will replace ridiculing and rejection, and modesty will replace misogyny. Last, but not the least a Female will replace a male to the second highest office in the United States of America.

What a way to end 2020 and what a tribute to mark the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage.

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Show me numbers for COVID-19

One important thing I learned in college algebra was to show my work. Maybe I got the answer wrong, but I could show I understood the process.

It’s time for Gov. (Jay) Inslee to show his work. Show us the “science” behind your mandates. Show us the decrease in cases or death rates from your lockdown and mask mandates. Surely our own Washington State data supports your actions.

Show us the published study that illustrates how masks help. There are many credible mask studies available, none support broad mask usage.

Show us that we are not creating more suicides, alcoholism, child abuse and drug use under your lockdown. Show us there has been no significant decrease in the occurrence of other seasonal illness. Is COVID-19 the only disease in town in 2020?

Perhaps you could share data from states with no lockdowns or mask mandates, surely their cases and deaths are off the chart compared to Washington State.

Mr. Inslee is in over his head on his virus response and out of ideas on how to move Washington forward. It is past time to tell the Governor to leave us alone we have had enough of his “science.”

Editor’s note: For starters, check the Johns Hopkins statistics on COVID-19 deaths and cases per capita for North and South Dakota and for Washington. That will answer some of your questions.

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Is Wyoming vote worth so much?

When I was young, I was told we live in a democracy—one (wo)man, one vote. Now I know better: we live in a republic, where some folks’ votes count more than others. If my math is right, the people in Wyoming get one person in the Electoral College for every 148,000 voting age people; people here in Washington get one person in the Electoral College for every 496,000 voting age people.

So basically, my vote counts for only 30% of what the Wyoming voter’s vote is worth. Really? Do we want some people to have over three times more say in what happens than I do? At least I don’t live in California, where my vote would count for only 26.6% of what the Wyoming voter is worth. I see this level of disenfranchisement as a pathway to elections where fewer and fewer of “we, the people” choose the president. I’m all for protecting minorities, but this is getting out of hand.

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Heal, move ahead, honor the process

Dear Sens. Cantwell and Murray, and Rep. Newhouse:

We, the American people, have done our job. We showed up in historic numbers to vote during a pandemic, and the results were decisive. It’s now time for our elected representatives to do their jobs — protect and respect the democratic process and honor those results.

Every election official across the country (Republican and Democrat) has confirmed that there is no evidence of voter fraud in this presidential election. For the GOP to allow spurious doubt to be cast on our democratic process for their own purposes at this crucial and vulnerable time is devastatingly short-sighted, and will be a decision that shadows that party for a very long time to come.

Your legacy is at stake. Your reputation is at stake. Our democracy is at stake. The future of our country is at stake. Honor the American people’s vote. Congratulate President-Elect Biden and call on President Trump to concede. Let us all heal and move forward.

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SARC offers help for the holidays

As I write this letter, the election is “sort of” solved, COVID-19 rates are increasing and holiday plans are being challenged.

COVID-19 has brought on so many challenges that we thought would be short term. Now eight months later, wearing a mask is normal. There are shortages of daily essentials and daily norms have changed.

These challenges can be overwhelming. Depression, anxiety, seasonal affective disorder, “Holiday Blues” are all real. There may be a tendency to self-indulge because it can help the pleasure center in our brains to “feel better.” Ask yourself, “What is really happening?” The stress this year and our new “normal” — whatever that looks like for you — is personal and real. Talk it out. Do you want to celebrate like normal? Or is this the year to change traditions and expectations?

We miss what used to be, what we can’t do and worry about the future. Do not hesitate to seek out professional help if your symptoms last longer than the holidays or you can’t “shake” them. Exercise, enjoy but in moderation, and stick to a routine.

The Support, Advocacy, Response Center wishes you Happy Holidays and a Wonderful 2021!

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Reader claims new virus catching

There is a new virus out. It is called the STUPIDITY virus. It was derived from the DNA of Charles Manson. It flies through the air and cannot be controlled. It attacks liberals in the squad and other liberals who are aware of the problems with Socialism and Communism yet they spew upon us and want the USA to be like the country they fled from and those who wish for here! Wake up Republicans and fight!! Until we come up with a vaccine to fight this virus, we must remain free and alert.

This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 12:54 AM with the headline "Letters: Hanging skeletons, Covid numbers, electoral college and more | Nov. 20."