Letters to the editor: Nonpartisanship, mental health, rights and responsibilities
Nonpartisan virus
I certainly don’t want to attack Joseph Dewey, for his opinions in the May 10 letter to the editor, because I feel strongly that it’s OK to disagree. But his gleeful reaction to the unfortunate fact that Democratic governors have three times the deaths of Republican governors was disturbing. Any deaths are horrific, and the fact that New York has had 335,000 cases of COVID-19 and 21,478 deaths is reason for empathy not derision. The probable reason is that they are gateway cities to Europe and the Far East, not because of their governor’s party affiliation. Then when Mr. Dewey called New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo “the greatest failure of the Democrats,” I was perplexed. Gov. Cuomo has done a spectacular job leading his state in one of the most debilitating pandemics to hit this country in our lifetime.
I say this with a heavy heart because this period of history should have nothing to do with politics, and people should be coming together (despite their differences) to help their fellow citizens by showing love, compassion and patriotism. They should be donating, volunteering and otherwise supporting people in their heartache.
Patty Williams, Eagle
Mental health
The stress of COVID-19 will take an unprecedented psychological toll on Idaho marriages and families. Unfortunately, according to current demographic statistics, there are not enough mental health professionals of any kind available to meet our citizens’ needs, even under the best of circumstances. As the need for therapy and other mental health services continues to grow, Idaho’s already massive mental health gap will widen at an alarming rate.
Idaho’s outdated reciprocity laws for mental health license holders moving from other states have kept many fully licensed Marriage and Family Therapists from practicing independently in our state. While the state has relaxed licensing requirements to ease the coronavirus pandemic’s strain on our health care system, many qualified mental health providers are still unable to practice independently in our state, depriving that many more Idahoans of help.
In light of Gov. Little’s executive order issued last year, these requirements are under review, but this will take months, if not years. For the sake of Idahoans contending with the trauma of this pandemic, the state must consider emergency legislation that amends mental health licensure regulations and gives our state a chance of closing the mental health gap.
Sarah Hofer, Star
Responsibilities
People keep screaming about their “rights,” but there is a big difference between “rights” and “responsibilities.” As a nation, we used to behave responsibly. You have the “right” to say and believe anything you want, but no one has the right to behave irresponsibly and endanger others. Go, protest without masks, but I will hold you responsible if you block my ambulance from entering the hospital or come within six feet of me without a mask. It was never OK for armed protesters to storm a statehouse or a governor’s residence. Former presidents never urged citizens to break the law, screamed “fake news” or called people names on Twitter. We listened to science, not an idiot telling us to drink bleach.
COVID-19 is new, there is no vaccination or cure. Over 68,000+ Americans have died from COVID-19. It is time to be responsible while enjoying your rights. Without the Constitution and Bill of Rights, you will lose your “rights” because you’ll have given them over to Trump, an idiot who cannot tell the truth, lies for a living and wants to be a dictator more than anything else in the world.
Joan Ehrnstein, Meridian