Letters: Face mask makers, police are human and more | Dec. 10

Thanks due for 30,000 masks

Our community owes a big thank you to Cassandra Oakes and her volunteers with Tri-Cities Face Mask Makers for almost 30,000 face masks. Working together, they sewed masks for area police departments, postal workers, firefighters, hospices, prisons, food banks and dozens of other groups

When the Coronavirus began roaring through areas of Washington, medical professionals appealed to people to leave the limited supply of surgical masks and N95 respirators for health care workers on the front line. They recommended that everyone else make their own masks.

That is when Oakes put together her team of mask makers. While Oakes is not sure exactly how many volunteers have participated since she created the group in March, her Facebook page eventually had 1,500 members.

People can now purchase commercially made masks for a few dollars, so Oakes’ group has begun winding down.

Asked how she felt about the community project she started, Oakes said, “Knowing there are so many good humans out there makes my heart happy.”

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Our police also are humans

Law enforcement officers, the ones who risk everything to save the lives of others. Even when their life is flashing before their eyes, they see everything they could lose in a blink of an eye. When every instinct in their body is telling them to run, they don’t. I had the privilege to speak with an officer of the Kennewick Police Department, Officer Valdez. Valdez opened my eyes to what it means to be an Officer. He stated, “ I know some people are afraid of the police and that bothers me. I want people to trust the police and know we are there to help.”

I have a true connection to this statement. With all the riots, uncivil protests and defund the police rallies, I hear all these people forcing hatred for our officers on others and cannot stand it. Valdez also stated, “We are people. We mow our lawns and shop at Target. We have kids and families and just put on a uniform and do the job that most of us love.”

I feel that the statement from Officer Valdez really humanizes the reality of being an officer. As citizens, let’s all remember that officers are human too.

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Some statistics to make you think

Almost 257,000 deaths? Meh. How about some perspective. Vietnam, 58,318 U.S. deaths over 10 years, average 5,830 a year. World War II, 407,316 American deaths over 4 years, average 40,730 a year. Traffic deaths 2019, 38,800 in one year. 2018-2019 flu season deaths, 34,200. Then 257,000 deaths in 10 months! Maybe that makes you think.

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Looking forward to new chance

I am so proud that I voted for a kind and decent man for president who has a sense of morality and ethics, knows that it is not all about him and aims for the best in America, not the worst. It is such a relief to have a president with integrity who values all Americans whether they voted for him or not.

When we look back on the presidency of Donald Trump, a petty, vindictive, ignorant man who routinely lied and fabricated conspiracy theories to benefit himself, I think those who traded their souls to worship this narcissistic cult leader who demanded their undying loyalty will be embarrassed by his behavior and possibly by their own.

Our republican democracy dodged a bullet fired by a would-be dictator for life who tried hard to turn us into a banana republic subject to his whims and whose only legacy is the divisions among us that he fostered and rewarded. Trump does all he can to inflame those divisions and make it harder for us to heal them, and he will continue to do so. But at least we have a chance now. I hope we can make the most of it.

This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Face mask makers, police are human and more | Dec. 10."