Letters to the editor: Trump, coronavirus, daylight saving time, wolves, Middle East, Sanders
Coronavirus
Trump has muzzled the doctors and scientists who are exactly the most qualified people who can help us stop the coronavirus disease.
Apparently, Trump cares more for his re-election than he cares for the lives and health and jobs of Idahoans.
Two people can help us get Trump to do the right thing: Sens. Crapo and Risch.
All of us, if we want to defeat coronavirus, must tell them what we want them to do and when we want them to do it.
Here’s some help: Washington, D.C., phone numbers: Crapo: (202) 224-6142; Risch: (202) 224-2752
CNN reported that Italy reported a 50% increase in their coronavirus cases in one day!
This virus spreads very quickly.....don’t delay.......call today......
Jack Stevens, Boise
Trump
Trump voters, your lying, science-denying, sociopathic Messiah has failed to keep Americans safe from a pandemic, not to mention environmental disaster. The first catastrophe may kill us fast, and the second at a slower rate. Even you must see that Trump has failed to deliver on his false promises. It would be fun to watch him twisting in the wind now that his con has been unveiled for all to see, but unfortunately, all of us, even those who saw him as a charlatan from the beginning, will be twisting alongside him.
Alyson René Martin, Boise
Wolves
Despite opposition from 23,000 folks, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to increase trapping, snaring and killing wolves year-round in a conference call on 2/20. At their next meeting they will be met by a contingent of Idahoans that find wolf hunting, trapping and snaring all year round to be repugnant, cruel and unethical. In Idaho now pups and nursing females will die under these new rules.
The Commission does not consider the science of its own biologists but instead sets policy with the clear intent of eradicating wolves from Idaho. Trappers, the livestock industry, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the suspect “Foundation for Wildlife Management” are calling the shots. The Commission is completely ignoring the science and ethics with the increase to all-year wolf killing in Idaho.
Ecosystem and human health depend upon biological diversity. Nearly 80 years ago, humans eradicated wolves. Now we understand the importance of predators to the entire system but the Commission is ignoring this science.
Join me and other Idahoans who care about wildlife in letting the commissioners and the Governor know of your concerns about their management of your wildlife.
Christine Gertschen, Hailey
Daylight saving
The ideal astronomical Mountain time zone extends from a western longitude of 97.5° to 112.5°. Actual borders vary for political reasons, such as state boundaries. Denver lies very close to the center of the Mountain time zone so that the sun is highest in the sky (solar noon) close to 12 p.m. Mountain Standard Time with seasonal variations of about plus or minus 20 minutes. However, the eastern longitudinal boundary of Idaho is 111° and the western boundary is over 117°. This means that most of Idaho is beyond the astronomical Mountain time zone. Consequently, Idaho already experiences virtual “daylight savings” even with standard time. Solar noon occurs about 30 minutes after Denver for Pocatello and 15 minutes later for Boise.
In general, daylight saving time may benefit regions on the eastern sides of time zones, but regions on the western sides get a double-dose. Early morning commuters, especially schoolchildren, are endangered by the lingering darkness. Changing back and forth is particularly annoying. Idaho and perhaps Utah should join Arizona and keep MST year-around.
Richard Reimann, Boise
Middle East
When the President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, was assinated, one of the captured Jihadist was asked if he was “Al Qaeda” and his response should be something considered, especially in our turbulent presidential election. I am sure that Trump will take credit for the troop withdrawals and will exort that reduction as a major accomplishment but think for a moment about what the reply was from Sadat’s death. The killer’s response was, “We are all Al Qaeda”. This issue I believe is that there are, in this world, a massive amount of hate especially from war-torn Middle Eastern countries. I think it will take generations of peace to replace the overall hate from individual who have known nothing but war. In the meantime, the name of hate can change from Isis to Qaeda to who knows what next. The label or name isn’t the issue. Finding a way to peace will be difficult and the road, I am sure, will be rough till the next generation isn’t affected.
Kip Moggridge, Boise
Sanders
Bernie Sanders has a severely misguided idea of what governments can accomplish. Look around the world and you’ll see which governments (comparable in size to the US) are socialistic and sustainable without force. Bernie’s utopia can not exist on earth. To believe otherwise is the ultimate self-deception.
The idea that a government as the provider of everything is an idea I believe has been expanded by the rise of the internet. The internet was supposed to offer free interchange of ideas. The idea of “free”, however, has since permeated into every aspect of society. And those who were raised concurrent with the internet seem to believe in “free”, hence their enthrallment with Sanders.
Can you imagine the social and political ramification if Bernie’s freebies were provided to everyone? How long could that be sustained? The bureaucracy alone would be many times greater than now.
As Alexis de Tocqueville foresaw: “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” Congress has begun that process with the deficit and Bernie would provide the coup de gráce.
Michael A Civiello, Boise