Letters to the editor: Health care workers, homeless shelter, mandate oxymoron
Health care workers
It seems that Idaho hospitals are desperate for health care workers. Maybe they shouldn’t have fired staff in the middle of a pandemic for refusing the vaccine. It is not true that all health care workers are leaving because they are burned out. Many were willing to work, with regular testing and effective PPE. Many have superior immunity because they were already infected with COVID-19. (Almost every country with vaccine mandates includes those that have recovered from COVID-19 with the vaccinated.) The health care staff willing to leave a job they love, and in many cases have spent years striving to achieve, are not ignorant, defiant or anti-vaccine. I can assure you it was a thoughtful, agonizing, personal decision in every case. Please stop blaming the unvaccinated. The most vaccinated country in the world is currently overwhelmed with Covid infections including a huge number of breakthrough infections resulting in hospitalizations and death. Vaccines help. Therapeutics help. Keeping yourself fit helps. The crisis of health care shortages could have been avoided if we hadn’t been so strident and punitive in our “one size fits all” approach to the vaccine.
Colleen A. Sturgeon, Boise
Proud ‘NIMBY’
This term is considered derogatory but for me I am proud to be a NIMBY. I love our neighborhood and want to protect it. How could I support a large homeless shelter that will diminish the high quality of life in a neighborhood that is rapidly trending upward? How could I support a large shelter that will inevitably bring offensive consequences to the Willow Lane Sports Complex? How can I support the inevitable undesirable impact on the Greenbelt and adjoining riparian acreage on the river? How could I support the inevitable increase in crime, litter and vagrancy and decrease in home appeal and property value? How can I support the blatant disrespect of Ordinance 5931 of the Veterans Park Neighborhood Guide (which can be viewed on cityofboise.org)?
This will be the reality if Interface Sanctuary is successful in their endeavor to build on State Street. I feel the answer to this complex problem of people experiencing homelessness is small shelters evenly spread throughout the city where we can all share the downside of this crisis.
Please Shelter Better Task Force consider these thoughts. Please City leaders don’t let this happen.
Proud NIMBY,
David Bergerud, Boise
Mandate opt-out
“The West Ada Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved a new policy mandating masks for students and staff when they return to the classroom this week.” Idaho Statesman, 8/25/2021
My excitement soared until the next sentence stated, “But the plan had a big caveat — parents who don’t want their kids to wear masks have the option to opt out.”
Confused, I consulted Merriam Webster. “Mandate definition is an authoritative command; especially, a formal order from a superior court or official . . . A mandate from a leader is a command you can’t refuse.”
The district’s mandate with an option, combined two opposites creating an oxymoron like these:
They made an awfully good decision — awful for some and good for others.
Every patron got almost exactly what they wanted — leaving few satisfied.
Once again, a small crowd forced a decision — few but mighty.
If opting out is an option, I am reconsidering many behaviors.
• Jury duty
• Compulsory education
• Seat belts
• Motorcycle helmets
All I need is a note from a parent or as an adult, I can do whatever I want.
Brenda Mahler, Kuna