Letters: Reasons to vaccinate, Arctic fires burn, GOP filibusters and more | Feb. 25

Writer suggests his point of view

Future generations will ask, “What was freedom like in the “Before Times” when Democrats used the Great Pandemic to lock down the economy, close schools, rig votes and delay vaccines to get Biden elected?”

“Why is the Constitution just a meaningless parchment under glass in the National Archives?”

“Were freedoms in the Bill of Rights ever guaranteed?”

“Could you actually go to church, freely speak, publish books, assemble and petition government (“peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard”) and own guns?”

“Why did ‘Uncle Joe’ Biden violate the Fifth Amendment and seize property without compensation (Keystone pipeline and oil and gas leases), putting millions out of work and increasing energy prices?”

“Why did massive spending lead to hyperinflation?”

“When did Orwell’s book, 1984, become an operating manual?”

In 2021 the National Socialist (Democrat) party used the Capitol incident to demonize political opponents (Republicans). The Ministry of Truth (Democrat thought police) curtailed civil liberties and encouraged Big Tech public forum monopolies to deplatform, demonetize, censor, and ban conservative opinions.

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Web fund aims to aid small business

I was recently made aware of a man named Dove Portnoy who started “The Barstool Fund” as a result of the “pandemic.” He has currently raised over $18 million and it continues to grow. He has saved over 79-plus small businesses in America. The great part about him and his fund is that he is helping businesses located anywhere in the country.

People’s livelihoods and family businesses have been and continue to be destroyed by the rules that have been placed on us for almost a year. Please check out his website (see below). It can’t hurt and hopefully it will be a lifesaver for you. I hope so.

https://sportshandle.com/dave-portnoy-raising-money

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GOP filibusters stymied Congress

Jim Watkins writes (2/11) he is “worried about . . . an autocratic regime ... over use of executive orders.” Then further cites “do-nothing and obstructive Congress ... not the case now.”

He fails to acknowledge the filibuster that Republicans used more than 300 times to stymy the Obama/Biden administration. Obama tried to get Republicans on board with both health care and the stimulus, but they used the “extended hand” to insert what they wanted into the bills and as a delaying action, which only prolonged the suffering and then didn’t vote for either in the end.

Joe Biden is a nice guy, but he is nobody’s fool. Moscow Mitch had already proclaimed that he would continue to be the grim reaper (again) to thwart any attempts by the Democrats to right the ship of state, once the Republicans had cast us upon the rocks again!

President Biden’s ... executive orders are numerous, but so are the problems left to him to fix. Jim’s citation of the Keystone pipeline is ludicrous; the project would carry the most toxic oil clear across our country, only to be exported, with little to no benefit to us.

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Letter repeated ‘bold-faced lie’

How is it possible that you let your readers like Donnie Dean (Feb. 7) spout dangerous lies in your newspaper? He states that there were BLM, antifa and other groups ensconced in the mostly peaceful protesters that spurred the violent insurrection with no basis in fact. This is not an opinion. It’s a bold-faced lie.

This is a dangerous fabrication that helps the continuation and spreading of the big lie to whomever wants to hear it. Lies that brought a mob to attack our Capitol.

This statement by Donnie Dean was false and should’ve been properly vetted. Stop letting people recite what they hear on their favorite talk show with no proof or facts. Please help end the war on fact-based truth.

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Columnist short on memory banks

On Jan. 10, columnist Jay Ambrose called the Russia investigation and the impeachment of Trump a “farce” and “slipshod.”

Clearly, even now, denial runs rampant in the Republican Party.

Trump was always a power-hungry demagogue willing to do anything to get and hold on to power. The disgrace of Jan. 6 was no aberration— it was completely predictable . But many on the right will never see that.

Remember (the), “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you can find the 30,000 emails?” That was the canary in the coal mine. The right blew it off. Remember Trump’s “perfect” phone call to Ukraine? That was a red, flashing danger sign. The Republicans ignored that also. 

For five years, Democrats and never Trumpers have been crying out in a wilderness of denial: “Beware! This man is a danger to our republic!”

They’ve been ignored and ridiculed by the right.

They were just libtard snowflakes suffering Trump derangement syndrome. Remember? 

Remember, Mr Ambrose? 

Some people clearly are suffering from TDS but it’s not people on the left or the never Trumpers. It’s a sickness endemic to MAGA land and those who continue to make excuses for a demagogue and traitor.

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Reader’s reasons to get vaccinated

Reasons to “take the shot” (or at least wear a mask, etc.).

*Avoid getting COVID.

*Help others avoid getting COVID, and “protect our country.” (i.e., elderly, infirm, diabetic, handicapped, etc.)

*Help first-responders avoid getting COVID.

*Help public servants. (teachers, grocery workers, sales, cooks, etc.) 

*Help hospital patients. (room and care availability)

*Help the economy return.

*Help normal life improve, etc.

But there is another very subtle reason, COVID-19’s reinforcements are beginning to arrive. More aggressive and virulent strains are appearing. Faster spreading, some affect children more, or have longer lasting after-effects.

Most importantly, new strains resistant to current vaccines are being found. Several vaccinations may be necessary, provided new vaccines are discovered. In the Tri-City Herald, Feb. 15: “Seven U.S. variants were found to have the same mutation.”

England’s THE WEEK (Feb. 12 cover story): “Vaccines vs. Variants” talks about a possible “fourth wave” and Category 5 “infectious” hurricane.

One reason doctors say, “take all your medicine,” is to prevent the development of stronger pathogens. When a person stops taking medications too early, a “survival of the fittest” environment is formed. The toughest microbes are the ones that survive to produce the next generation, and so on.

Don’t help the enemy.

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Arctic fires still burn despite cold

Massive, record-breaking fires, mainly due to human-driven global warming, have raged in recent years. The western U.S. and Australia are notable examples in just the last year. More record-breaking fires occurred in Siberia this past summer, and half or more of those fires have been attributed to the burning of peat. They have continued to burn as “zombie” fires under snow cover through the current Siberian winter at temperatures as low as -58 F.

This is significant in that the burning peat represents the release of huge stores of carbon sequestered over millennia and is a consequence of global warming. Unfortunately, the burning of the peat also releases huge quantities of the greenhouse gases, methane and carbon dioxide. This creates a debilitating cycle in which global warming promotes the fires and the fires release gases that further accelerate global warming. Furthermore, it exposes ever deeper levels of peat to burning.

Thus, human actions drive global warming, which triggers events in the Arctic that further that global warming and magnify the destructiveness of fires where we live. We need to be mindful that what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic and have urgency to take action.

This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Letters: Reasons to vaccinate, Arctic fires burn, GOP filibusters and more | Feb. 25."