Letters to the editor: Republicans, trail etiquette, our republic, Gov. Little
Republicans
Republicans perplex me. Pro-Life, yet Pro-Death Penalty? They demand states’ rights, yet believe the President can determine how we vote? Voting machines can be hacked, mail-in ballots are safer. Maybe that’s why RichMitch blocked three election security bills?
Many protests were destructive, but many more were peaceful. Republicans believe POTUS can end the right to peacefully assemble for a photo opportunity. Republicans get angry about taking a knee but allow officials to violate the Constitution.
Republicans represented corporations, giving them a permanent tax cut, The Peoples’ expired. You kill, you go to jail, not a CEO or board member (Boeing Max, Monsanto). Republicans allowed retirement funds to be looted leaving workers nothing, and teachers’ unions were dismantled while protecting police unions, which require cities to keep the mentally and physically unfit on the job or paid leave.
Republicans profess to be Christian, yet at the border took children from their parents and sometimes never returned them. Republicans support a man who allowed the deaths of tens of thousands, by ignoring a pandemic and price wars over medical equipment. Republicans believe the economy has more value than human life. WWJD?
If you voted Republican, then this is you.
Carrie Huskinson, Mountain Home
Trail etiquette
With many people using these trails it is important to understand the trail etiquette so that we can all get along. You can find out how this works here: https://www.ridgetorivers.org/etiquette/mountain-bikers/ and throughout this web site, with special social distancing precautions in effect now (https://www.ridgetorivers.org/etiquette/trail-etiquette-in-light-of-coronavirus/). There are a few additional nuances that come from my experiences on the trails:
1) Mountain bike riders approaching hikers or runners from behind will need to use the path to pass, hikers and runners please move to the side of the trail to allow the bikers to slowly pass. Yes, hikers and runners in this case are “yielding” to bikers.
2) Mountain bikers when approaching an oncoming runner, move to the side, especially if the runner is coming uphill.
3) If the runner is coming downhill they may allow the mountain bike rider to proceed on the trail, if not pull to the side.
4) Approaching hikers will often step to the side of the trail for approaching mountain bike riders, but if not be sure to pull to the side.
Davis Straub, Boise
Constitutional republic
The bedrock of American exceptionalism is that those who disagree with you can still be good people who simply disagree. This no longer seems to be the case in dear leader candyland. Anyone who disagrees is now a “fraud” or “criminal” or “murderer.” This is a real problem for folks who claim they treasure rule of law or despise tyrants.
Fortunately, for the moment at least, we still live in a constitutional republic with three co-equal branches of government. A place where a dear leader can’t just point a tweet finger and lynch in the court of misinformation mob rule. Evidence for now rules the day on guilt.
For a waning, precious, precarious moment.
Richard Boozel, Star
Antibody testing
An Open letter to CEOs of companies sponsoring Crush the Curve,
The testing being promoted to “Get Idaho Back to Work” is not capable of fulfilling that promise.
Antibody testing (blood testing) is not able to diagnose or exclude coronavirus infections for an individual in the state of Idaho. All health organizations with expertise in this area – CDC, WHO, Infectious Disease Society of America, Idaho Public Health -- pronounce this same conclusion.
Antibody testing your employees does NOT give the individual any certainty about prior exposure to the virus.
Antibody testing your employees does NOT help medical practitioners provide better treatment for your employees.
Antibody testing your employees does NOT and CANNOT give your employees a quicker return to work.
Antibody testing your employees CAN give valuable information to know the percentage of a population who have had the disease. However, there has already been sufficient testing and no more needs to be done for several months.
Antibody testing your employees CAN confuse your employees and DOES waste valuable resources.
Please independently investigate what your company is doing and fully understand the issues BEFORE committing more resources to this campaign.
Ronald Solbrig, MD, Pocatello
Gov. Little
Thanks, Gov. Brad Little for your measured response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You took action to protect the state’s citizens, and not only did we flatten the curve, but Idaho was able to reopen its economy before many other states.
The people trying to recall you are wrong, and I’m confident a majority of Idahoans see this. (And, not that it matters, but this is being written by a guy who’s as liberal as they come, pro choice, pro gun control, triggered by Trump, etc.)
Rick L. Davis, Pocatello