Letters to the Editor – September

Posted

The Editor:

The Point Roberts love boat? We have a new Circle of Care bus sitting here doing nothing which seats 20 plus handicap access. Make arrangements with the border bosses to allow for its passage to Bellingham, under seal if necessary.

Advantages of the bus over a cruise ship? No marina ramps, wind and rough water to deal with and no need to transfer to a bus at Blaine to drive down to Bellingham.

At which point, passengers have to coordinate taxi trips for going to various appointments? Now reverse the process to get back home. The ferry operation would be 10 times the cost and four times the journey time of our bus.

Furthermore, the bus is not dependent upon weather. Think this through, folks. We’re wasting our money on something designed to fail.

Brian Calder

Point Roberts

 

The Editor:

Due to an appalling lack of leadership, we now find ourselves with the worst pandemic combination possible: High rates of infection and economic collapse. Multiple opinions exist as to which of our leaders contributed most to this.

I understand these differences and can attribute them to ideological differences. I am, however, baffled by the controversy surrounding masks.

The scientific consensus regarding mask wear is that they provide some protection to the wearer but that most protection is to those with whom the wearer comes in contact. In short, the mask protects your neighbors more than it protects you. 

Assuming that is the case, it seems that mask wear is the easiest thing one can do to demonstrate one’s regard for their fellow citizens. Not wearing a mask while in an indoor public space says, ‘I don’t care about you.’ It is a malignant twist of Patrick Henry’s quote, “Give me liberty and give you death.”

I understand the freedom and liberty argument. However, I have heard it stated that we have freedoms from and freedoms to. We have freedom to wear a mask or not. Conversely, we have freedom from preventable exposure to a potentially deadly pathogen.

As a retired dentist and former Army officer, I see this as a low-risk, high-benefit intervention. It seems silly and selfish to choose this as a cause to argue individual liberty.

Bill Ciao

Bellingham

 

The Editor:

Our state 42nd district representative Sharon Shewmake is championing Whatcom County.

She is representing all of our interests, especially the agricultural and rural interests of our county. She successfully sponsored legislation protecting dairy farmers’ marketing of milk and increasing access to child care in rural areas

Her Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics has prepared her well for this role. By becoming vice chair of the influential House Rural Development, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee, she is well positioned to help guide our state and county through these unprecedented economic times.

I urge you to retain her steady and well prepared leadership and vote for Sharon Shewmake to continue being our 42nd district representative.

Pam Gould

Lummi Island

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