‘Get the shot,’ bus service, Richland School Board and other Herald letters to the editor

WSU coach: time to look elsewhere

For $3.2 million, I’ll coach WSU Cougars and I’ve had my shots as well as I believe masks help prevent transmitting the virus.

The Seattle Times editorial, “How can WSU coach shirk vaccine mandate?” (Tri-City Herald, Aug. 15) asks the big question: How can a coach, when 620,000+ people have died from COVID, not inoculate for the sake of his staff, players and others, particularly at a time when hospitals are swamped with rising cases of deadly mutations?

Sorry coach, but “unspecified private reasons” for avoiding the needle twice is a game-loser, a horrible fumble before the season even begins. I’ll respect your choice, but your choice today would be more appreciated in, say, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Montana and several others.

On second thought, too much public exposure for millions: I withdraw my application.

Bink Owen, Walla Walla

Many couldn’t get COVID vaccine

In reference to Aug. 19 editorial “Unvaccinated Tri-Citians are spreading COVID, ruining lives”. My issue is with the statement “In the Tri-Cities, we have lost 356 people due to the complications of COVID since the pandemic began and all but one was unvaccinated”.

My husband, Fred Gray, was in the hospital only six days before he passed away of COVID on March 20, 2020. Of course he died “unvaccinated”. There was no vaccination to be had at the time he died.

Tri-Citians who desperately wanted the vaccine had to “wait in line” until their age or circumstances allowed them to get it.

Your article said that 356 Tri-Citians (except for one) died of COVID because they didn’t get their vaccinations which implied that “their refusal to get the COVID vaccine are ruining (destroying) people’s lives”.

It is hurtful to me and others who lost loved ones to this virus to even suggest that they didn’t choose to get a shot that wasn’t even available when they died and to be included in the number of people who are “ruining lives”.

Your number should be adjusted to exclude those who died without the opportunity to get the vaccine.

Candy Gray, Kennewick

Vaccine should not be political

I was so glad to read Mr. Williamson’s piece in the August 22 edition. I am responding to yet another rant from an anti-vax, anti-mask person. I need to respond to the frequent rants about masks and the vaccine.

I hear a lot about rights, about the risk and this is normal couched in terms of us against them. I hear more politics in these rants than anything else. Words or concepts that I don’t hear are moral responsibility and civic duty. If I strip away the politics, if there is something as trivial as wearing a mask in public that could make my community safer shouldn’t I do that? Isn’t that the morally responsible thing to do if I can?

Looking at the risk of getting vaccinated in the same way, compared to other risks we ask of our police officers, firefighters, nurses and service men and women. The risk vaccination is so minor. Are you going to tell me that you are unwilling to bear your civic duty because you don’t want to accept this minimal risk? I encourage you to remove the politics of right verses left and put your community and fellow citizens first.

Gary Greene, Kennewick

Byrd loves children

One of the people I admire and respect more than just about anyone in our community is running for the Richland School Board and I ask my fellow Richland citizens, teachers and parents to join with me in giving Audra Byrd your vote this November.

Audra is one of the most diligent, loving and intentional parents I have ever encountered. Her husband and children are her top priority always. But very closely behind them is every other child on the planet.

The simple truth is Audra loves children. She loves people more deeply and genuinely than most as well but she LOVES children. She advocates for them whenever she can and works overtime to make this world a better place for all children. She listens to children, cares deeply about their well-being as well as their feelings and has an uncanny ability of making them feel important and valued.I cannot think of anyone in our community who could or would be a better advocate for our children and grandchildren. And that is why Audra Byrd has my vote for Richland School Board. Please join me in voting for her this November.

Kimberly Nelson, West Richland

TCH editorial was best ever

I just now read your editorial from August 19 on the unvaccinated people in our area. This was one of the best editorials you have ever published. Thank you for having the courage to say what you said in this pathetic anti-vax environment we live in here. You hit it out of the park.

Stan Kuick, Richland

Don’t dismiss Transit safety

There has rightly been a lot of discussion about the Ben Franklin Transit decision to withdraw free fair shuttles this year, and I’m glad to see a level of public scrutiny applied to local administrative decisions.

BFT should absolutely be democratically accountable to the public it serves, but that accountability shouldn’t involve sidelining employee safety concerns.

One commenter noted that the decision made little sense in light of the federal transit mask mandate, as masks either work or they don’t. This binary model of effectiveness isn’t exactly wrong (and we’ve been hearing about how masks ‘work’ from everyone) but it is an oversimplification. As with most systems that involve a bunch of tiny particles bouncing around, viral transmission through a mask is probabilistic; that is outcomes are based more on probabilities than certainties.

The non-medical masks worn by passengers and drivers typically reduce droplet transmission from 30-70%. That reduction in risk might be enough to make normal schedules acceptably safe, but the math doesn’t necessarily say the same thing about driving large crowds to an huge event. It’s akin to buying 1000 lottery ticket vs 1, but in this case the jackpot is far easier to win and much less pleasant.

Ryan Learn, Richland

Get the shot

To Mr. Clint Didier and all Tri-City people who don’t want the COVID shot: You are killing people. Happy are you? Just get the shot and help get this thing under control. Losing friends and now kids is an awful thing to live with. Maybe we should get a lawyer and bring charges against you. Maybe you haven’t lost anyone you care about, but hundreds of us have. So stop the “it is your right to get it or not” and just get it and save someone’s life.

Phyliss Marie Reed, Burbank

This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 5:00 PM.