Letters to the editor: Leadership, sign damage, Trump
Leadership
Currently, my daughter lives in Denmark while attending graduate school. She has been there since the COVID-19 outbreak, and our daily conversations include comparisons between the Danish approach vs. the United States, and specifically Idaho, approach to the pandemic.
Specifically the success in Denmark (population 5.8 million) and the failure in Idaho (population 1.8 million) boils down to governmental leadership and quick action or lack there of.
After experiencing low COVID-19 counts, which allowed normalization, Europe is now seeing increased cases. In Denmark as the daily count reached 500 cases, the prime minister took immediate action and instituted mandatory facemasks, as well as other measures.
Today, Gov. Little moved Idaho, with a daily COVID-19 count far exceeding that in Denmark, to Stage 3. Without a mandatory mask mandate, this is nothing more than a symbolic gesture. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Little has relied on the citizens of Idaho to do “the patriotic right thing...” however that philosophy has led to a failure of policy and a failure to protect the health of the people of Idaho
Cici Giguiere, Middleton
Damaged sign
It only took a few seconds to put back a sign in my yard after it was kicked over and stomped. I took it personally, though; the candidate on the sign is my husband, Jake Ellis. Were we targeted? Why stop on a quiet street at night, trespass, and beat it into submission?
Perhaps the vandal feels bold or courageous. Bravo, citizen! Your message is confusing and anonymous. Here’s mine: are you bold enough to vote? Do you even know who Jake Ellis is?
He shows up to vote, advocate for his beliefs, and run for office. He shows his face, year after year, at the Capitol, at meetings and events, and at voters’ doorsteps. This is what courage looks like. It’s sacrifice, not just for the public servant, but for the family that sees him wrestle with issues impacting the lives of people we love, people we barely know, and people who aren’t even born yet.
Go ahead and kick my sign if it makes you feel better. I’ll put it back up, but please: learn to channel that emotion. Show some real courage — knock on my door and have a conversation with Jake Ellis.
Amy Siedenstrang, Boise
Trump
I am neither Republican nor Democrat nor a one-issue voter. I research before I vote for the candidates I believe will do their best to protect and defend our democracy, our Constitution (as it applies to today, not 200-plus years ago).
That said, I cannot imagine why anyone who respects and honors the brave men and women in all branches of our military, anyone who has ever served in our military, past or present, or their families would even consider voting for Donald Trump. He believes that we are all “losers and suckers,” especially those who died or were prisoners of war, and he doesn’t understand “what’s in it for us.”
I spent three years in Vietnam during the war, including during the Tet Offensive (1968) when I was a U.S. Air Force nurse, and I can guarantee that the men I cared for, many of whom died (some in my arms), and the many who came back with devastating wounds of body, mind and/or spirit were NOT losers or suckers!
What was in it for me? Nothing Mr. Trump would understand: a desire to serve my country and bring healing and hope to brave injured and dying soldiers.
The Rev. Alice Farquhar-Mayes, MSN, CNM, MDIV (USAF Nurse Corps 1966-1971), Meridian