Guns and COVID, milfoil, vaccines, vit plant and other Herald letters
Comparing guns and COVID-19
Suppose there was a big public event, and you knew that a few people there would have guns and they’d randomly shoot them into the crowd. Would you let your child attend? Would you attend?
Now, instead of guns, run the mental exercise using people with asymptomatic COVID-19.
Bob Allen, Richland
Time to rid river of milfoil scourge
To those of you who work for us, e.g. Rep. Dan Newhouse, Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Maria Cantwell and all. This weekend’s Tri-City hydroplane races have finally shed light on something local anglers, boaters, wake boarders, swimmers and skiers have been dealing with for years. Milfoil! There are chemicals which are not harmful to fish to rid this scourge.
We pay people good money for harvesting Northern Pike Minnows. Predator fish are hiding in this scourge of the river, picking off salmon as they pass by. Let’s obliterate these nasty and dangerous aquatic plants. Please help your constituents and make the Colombia clean again. Roll on Columbia roll on.
Mike Wingfield, Richland
Learning the truth is positive step
The strategy plays like a broken record. Take an issue unpopular with the right; wait until emotions and memory have receded; and then reframe the issue while blaming the victim and/or claiming victimhood themselves. The Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection is now claimed an act of patriotism, and the victims, our congressional representatives, along with the former vice president, deserve blame.
Black Lives Matter is another example, where supporters of that movement are framed as perpetrators of violence. By interjecting Critical Race Theory, conservatives claim that talk about race is making whites, especially school-age children, feel unnecessarily bad about themselves. By following this strategy, current attention to race will eventually blow over, and we will revert to the status quo.
We need to acknowledge our history of racism, which began in pre-revolutionary times. Few realize that even Abraham Lincoln, the man who freed the slaves, stated that he was not “in favor of bringing about the social and political equality of the white and black races ....” This may even reflect progressive thinking then. The perils of racism facing our republic were substantial then and many continue unresolved. Learning the truth will provide a positive step.
David King, Richland
Make vaccines mandatory for all
Jay Inslee needs to be more proactive in getting people vaccinated. For 15 to 18 months, the people of Washington have been through countless orders and proclamations from the governor (that) it would take a week to list them all. Now to get more people vaccinate, he is “suggesting” that we go back to wearing masks. This may soon become another mandate.
A century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can impose mandatory vaccinations as ordered by the governor. It is time for the governor to be proactive, flex his muscles and mandate all people get vaccinated. It is time to go after the bad guys and not to punish the good guys.
Kenneth Hahn, Kennewick
Op-ed on vit plant was ‘spot on’
The article in the May 23 paper by Gary Peterson and Bob Ferguson was spot on. We know the VIT plant is never going to run as designed and is obsolete. I think the questions they asked need to be answered. I think the main reason nothing is getting done is because Bechtel has most senators and congress (members) in their hip pockets. I would suspect that Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell receive donations from them.
Ira Johnson, Kennewick
Editor’s note: Many organizations of every political persuasion track who donates to your member(s) of Congress. For the Senate, you might start with www.senate.gov, where you can download contributions databases.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 7:01 AM.