Letters to the editor: Idaho Political Consensus, Trump, reopening

Consensus

In his Sunday commentary, Bob Kustra argues that there is an Idaho Political “Consensus that represents a majority of Idahoans who do not buy into the radical agenda of the right that sometimes rears its ugly head in the Legislature.”

The Legislature has repeatedly refused to pass legislation benefiting women and girls, while approving legislation that harms us. This year’s batch included measures providing that schoolgirls who participate in sports must prove that they are really and truly girls and banning affirmative action in hiring.

While Gov. Little proudly proclaims his dislike for government regulation, he approves regulation of women. This year he signed a bill to ban all abortions if the Supreme Court overturns its Roe v Wade decision that legalized it. But legislators refused to approve a bill allowing a six-month prescription for birth control. If these aren’t government overreach into women’s personal and private lives, I don’t know what would be. Legislators also refused to allow women whose boyfriends stalk them to get an order of protection.

Is legislation that regulates women’s lives and restricts our freedom not covered by the Idaho Political Consensus? Or is the actual Consensus that Idaho women must be kept under control?

Mary Mosley, Meridian

Trump

The coronavirus has brought out the good but, unfortunately, the bad also. I heard one governor say that he didn’t believe the virus was as bad as reported. That it was all a bid to get rid of President Trump. Another one said he had waited because he had just heard that day how bad it was the day before. Everyone of the doubters have one thing in common, they praise the president. All know that if you say something good about him you can do no wrong. That is all fine and good but the longer we delay restricting the longer the virus will be around. I have started listening to other news sources just to see if the president says the same thing on other news. He does, and when he is questioned by a reporter, he goes off on them. He shows that he is a bully and these longer press conferences show just how uniformed and unfit he is for the job. We know that he was informed by one of his own cabinet members back in January about the virus but he says he didn’t see or hear then report. Enough said.

Rex Robert McCoy, Boise

Reopening

Most of us who have put our lives on hold in 2020 realize that we’ve already saved thousands of lives by social distancing and that now is not the time to pull back. Remember the Spanish Flu had a horrific resurgence three times after letting up. The last thing on earth our economy needs is a resurgence of Covid-19.

We cannot have a grand reopening like Trump wants. When we do come out of shutdown, it must be gradual and methodical with access to massive testing and tracking as we cautiously adapt to a new normal. Who would have dreamed this?

Sadly, the glimmer of hope that we could test people for antibodies and presume they were immune and safe to send back to work has been wavering under some scary reinfections seen in Korea. Until we know more, the best we can do is to break the chain of transmission and bend that curve while we wait for a vaccine and better treatment.

So many thanks to our dedicated front line warriors in the medical profession!

Sherrie Goff, Pocatello

This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 1:59 PM.