Editorial toon presents false COVID reality
I take issue with the political “cartoon” in your issue of May 4 (Frank Shiers’ cartoon, Sequim Gazette, page A-10). I believe that it is seriously in error. I understand that it depicts a conservative Republican view of our governor, and although I believe that he is doing a great job, I respect the rights of others to disagree. My concern is that it states that the COVID crisis is over. Nothing could be further from the truth.
On the same editorial page, Bertha Cooper details the local situation concerning COVID and it is not good. New cases are on the rise and the virus continues to mutate. Any reliable map of COVID cases statewide show Clallam is not doing well to contain the virus.
Like everyone else, I am tired of the masking and distancing. I understand why venues are opening and large events are starting to happen. But Facts are facts, and more and more people are getting COVID. For some it’s a mild flu-like sickness, the long COVID” is causing serious problems even for some of those folks. TO state otherwise is simply wrong.
Emma Amiad
Sequim
Be careful what you wish for
I have lived in a U.S. Democracy for 88 years; I grew up in a poor family in the Great Depression, but have enjoyed my U.S. Constitutional rights, freedoms, and protections of the Rule of Law.
Now it seems, there are U.S. citizens who apparently want an autocratic government. Be careful what you wish for! If you don’t like your situation in the U.S. now, wait until you have no constitutional rights, freedom of speech, freedom to protest, and no rules of law except those of the autocrat. Violations of autocratic rules can lead to imprisonment (or worse) without a trial.
In an autocratic government, there are no Constitutional rights — including no Second Amendment gun rights. Do you see citizens in Russians, North Korea or China, et al, openly carry weapons on the streets? No!
Each U.S. citizen has a right to vote to elect (choose) his/her desired local, state, and national leaders while Putin, Un and Xi are “presidents for life.” They make the rules, enforce their rules, and live lives of the privileged rich. Their supposed “used-to-be favorites” can be murdered, imprisoned, or exiled for any reason (especially lack of loyalty), including not being loyal or disagreeing on any subject deemed necessary or criminal by the ruling “president.”
Putin and Russian Ukraine war protesters are glaring examples! Before you think or hope Trump or any other U.S. wannabe autocrat will benefit you and your lifestyle, be careful what you wish for! It can be a terrible, long lasting mistake!
Richard Hahn
Sequim
Across the horizon
Driving cross-state on my annual Spring journey “home” to NE. Washington, I explored new routes through the rolling agricultural hills north of Reardan. Drifting thoughts while traveling over the beautiful up and down billowy-cloud horizon near Odessa, brought to mind Odessa, Ukraine, and the similarities of our two countries’ “breadbasket” regions which feed so many earthlings.
As Putin’s ruthless, genocidal attack (like Stalin’s in the 1930s-40s) on Ukraine, to force toxic autocracy across the landscape of that new democracy, another striking resemblance with our country emerges: the far-right infestation of the Republican Party. Both seek to control, and eliminate, “enemies” who don’t adhere to their homogenous stricture. Environmental protection, voting rights for all eligible citizens, educated professionals who speak out, LGBTQ, women’s decisions about reproduction, Medicare and Social Security, books and fact-based information, whistleblowers, investigative journalists, workers’ protections, small businesses with integrity, nonpolitical civil, judicial, and military services, fair trial by jury, etcetera, are targeted.
The Columbia River takes a wide, scenic curve at Brewster, carving fertile terraces superb for orchards. The river’s cold, still water is an entrancing mirror of blue sky, high plateau rocky ridges, yellow-gold banks. Migrant worker neighborhoods are common.
How such remarkably diverse places can be misused to seed anti-democracy, baleful sentiments of antipathy in their human inhabitants are beyond belief.
Ah ~ myriad bird song at dawn.
Gayle Brauner
Port Angeles
