Letters to the editor: Crisis management, salons and Nazis
Crisis management
We are not going to come out of this pandemic the same as when we started but we can come out of it — together. After five weeks in self-isolation I am going a bit stir crazy but hopefully our sacrifice will bear fruit. We need leadership right now, so I ask one simple thing of our president: Be the leader we need you to be. The buck stops with you. The federal government is the agent that runs our Centers for Disease Control, and FEMA controls disaster relief efforts, so you control the tools to handle national emergencies. This is the time to bring our country together, not to attack and divide.
To those who are protesting stay in place orders — please listen. Brad Little is not some crazy control freak. He listened to scientists and doctors and prescribed the medicine they suggested. The guns you carry to these protest rallies will not protect us from this virus.
My family in Denmark have been self-isolating longer than us and the country is now trying to logically and gradually reopen. Let’s use science and reason like they have and give ourselves the best possibility of defeating this invisible enemy.
Eldon Hattervig, Garden City
Salons
As a salon professional, I would like to persuade our state to let hair and nail salons open on May 1.
First, let us consider, all work is essential to life. Hair and nail care is not being deemed essential, but the job of providing these services is very essential to many.
Second, many non-essential businesses are open. What is considered essential is different for everyone.
Third, hairstylists and nail technicians are licensed in the state of Idaho and are required to follow state sanitation laws just like chiropractors and podiatrists. Those state-licensed professionals are opened, and we are not. We already follow Idaho state sanitation laws and are regularly inspected. We are also prepared as an industry to add several other steps (proposed steps have been submitted to our governor and mayor) to provide an elevated experience for our customers with an abundance of safety for our customers and ourselves.
Going to the salon for a haircut, can be very safe, without the risk of spreading any viruses or infections. All of this would also apply to any state-licensed service provider. The people of Idaho want these essential services opened.
Amber Wood, Meridian
Nazis?
In this time of COVID-19 and social distancing, I saw one person comment on social media that this is a free country, and mandating distancing is like Nazi Germany. I saw this comment on Holocaust memorial day, which made it all of the more outrageous. Let me remind people that Nazi Germany didn’t murder 6 million Jews and millions of others, in order to keep them safe. How does this compare in any way, shape, or form? The recommendations from the CDC are to protect us all, especially the most vulnerable populations. You might not die from the virus, but your grandmother, aunt, immuno-compromised cousin may not be as lucky. Sure it’s hard. I understand that people are facing tough financial issues. This is a time when we need to come together as a country. We need to help those who are suffering from being out of work. Those of us who are doing OK need to make sure that our neighbors are, also. There are many ways to help people in need. That’s what we need to do. Not protest in large groups, without social distancing, and endanger all who we may come in contact with. Wake up America!
Michal Voloshen, Boise