Sounding off: Stop being selfish and wear your mask

This is a reminder to those of you who seem to have forgotten your masks since “going green” to continue wearing your face covering into the store and not below your nose — or even worse, not at all. The Centers for Disease Control recommends wearing a cloth face covering when social distancing is difficult to maintain, like in grocery stores and pharmacies.

It is selfish to not protect others from your possible asymptomatic spread of covid-19. I do my part and wear my mask in public to protect you, and I’d appreciate you wearing yours to protect me.

I understand the information was controversial when the covid-19 pandemic began and we were told not to wear masks, but now studies have shown significant transmission from asymptomatic people’s droplets spread by talking, coughing and sneezing.

Wearing a mask is uncomfortable. I get it. I am a nurse and wear a mask for an entire 12-hour shift — not to protect myself, but to protect my vulnerable patients. If our area has a surge of cases requiring us to return to the “red phase,” we can partially thank all of you who stopped wearing masks.

Kassie Thompson, Murrysville

Gov. Wolf ignores citizens’ wishes

Dear Gov. Wolf,

Once again you desire to stymie the wishes of the citizens of our great commonwealth.

Both legislative houses of the state of Pennsylvania have passed the bill that would rescind your expanded emergency declaration concerning the covid-19 health scare.

The representatives of the people have acted upon the continuous appeals for help against the iron-fisted government that you have imposed upon our populace. You ignore our grievances again and again and then foist draconian measures upon us against our will.

Stop, enough already! You and your health secretary, who has no credentials concerning immunology or epidemiology, need to listen to the people.

Don’t threaten to veto legislation that will provide freedom to Pennsylvania.

Don Walczak, Hempfield

Defunding police makes no sense

There’s total agreement that George Floyd’s death was a tragedy. Quiet prayers honored his life. But even his brother condemned the looting, rioting and violence that have happened during protests.

Black Lives Matter protesters never mentioned the 10 blacks who died from drive-by shootings in the streets of Chicago that weekend. What are their names? What’s being done in their memory? Last year nine unarmed black people died in confrontations with police officers, which is down from 38 in 2015 when President Obama was in office.

Things aren’t worse than ever. It would be shocking if one were to say that the chances of an officer dying at the hands of a black man were twice as likely as the reverse. Well, it isn’t twice as likely, or four times, or eight times … it’s 18 times more likely that a police officer be killed by a black man than police violence taking a black man’s life.

Police officers are at the other end of the 911 call who rush into danger to save us. How much sense does it make to defund and fire them all?

Daniel John Robinson, West Deer

National anthem deserves respect

John Steigerwald’s suggestion for the NFL in his column “Stop playing national anthem before games” is wrong. The reasons he lists for why the playing of it, starting in 1918 to honor those who died defending our flag in World War I and every war thereafter, is an honor that should not be taken away from us.

I agree people have a right to protest peacefully about things that bother them. And from what has transpired for the past weeks with the death of George Floyd, awareness is needed. But I don’t believe taking a knee during the anthem is the way to go, by anyone. It is disrespectful.

I would offer a solution. Pick a time during the events, games, racing, etc., to hold a moment of silence for the injustices that people have issues with, and they can take a knee — like in baseball when we stand to strike out cancer. Allowing this option gives us a voice to protest in a stronger way than causing a controversy.

Ron Giuliana, North Huntingdon

Be prudent when considering experts’ advice

Science has given us many wonderful advancements, yet is replete with disasters: the beneficial effects of cigarettes, diethylstilbestrol, thalidomide, dioxin and asbestos. Thus, when Dr. Anthony Fauci and colleagues, with smug confidence, tell us to do this and avoid that, I shudder with the whisper of history. This is not to say they are wrong; rather, we must use prudence.

What makes me uncomfortable is the CDC’s equivocating language regarding prevention, a lack of a unified positions (WHO vs. CDC) and shifting positions, e.g. mask use. The experts tell us these measures “could,” “should” or “may” be right. This doesn’t exactly instill confidence to completely alter our way of life.

Even worse, are there any sequelae to their recommendations? What are the effects of inhaling cotton, polyester and other fibers while wearing a mask for hours every day? How about the frequent application of highly concentrated isopropyl alcohol to the skin? What are the effects from exposure to the residual product of powerful disinfectants? Are there societal, psychological and economic ill effects to mass isolation, quarantine and distancing? The treatment was a success, folks, but the patient died.

Science has given us great advances, increasing the length and quality of our lives. On the other hand, there have been clear circumscribed disasters. However, today the circumscription has been removed regarding the possibility of disastrous sequelae.

I pray Fauci and his colleagues have a reason to have smug confidence, but if dangerous sequelae develop, God help them.

The Rev. James Holland, West Deer

Gov. Tom Wolf’s actions are warranted

I find it hilarious that Don Walzack wrote in his letter “Gov. Wolf ignores citizens’ wishes” that the governor should abide by primarily Republican representatives’ call to drop his emergency declaration on enforcing public health safety rules for the pandemic.

Does Walczak not see the gradual decline of new cases and deaths from the coronavirus in Pennsylvania from the charts that are publicly available? Does he not see the strong resurgence of the coronavirus in states that had decided to reopen on Memorial Day or thereabouts? Does he not see that the charts show some states have registered new high points in coronavirus cases just this past week?

Does he not know how contagious this virus still is? Even if he does see, that’s OK. While Walczak complains about Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, it is through their actions that he is still alive and well to do so.

Rich Patton, Franklin Township, Beaver County

Politics, not racism, is to blame

I don’t blame innercity communities for their anger, outrage and hopelessness. I’d be angry, too, if my children were forced into failing public schools. I’d be outraged, too, if my community had rampant crime and criminal cops. I’d be hopeless, too, if I were stuck on welfare because of the lack of good jobs.

But don’t blame racism — blame the corruption of entrenched inner-city political hacks who would rather shift blame than help their constituents.

We need reform, not platitudes.

School choice — so minority children would not be stuck in failing schools.

Voter ID — so corrupt politicians could not cheat the system.

Tax reform — so manufacturers would have incentives to rebuild industries with good-paying jobs.

Tariffs — to make it profitable for American- made goods to be sold here and overseas, instead of enriching foreign elites who rely on slave labor.

Jobs, jobs, jobs, is the solution to poverty and generational welfare, but businesses must be able to exist without over-regulation.

Left-wingers are good at pointing out injustice. Good! But don’t think conservatives don’t care. We’re just seeing things from a different point of view. All people of good will grieve with African Americans for the way they’ve been treated.

Let’s work together.

Christine Ferguson, Cecil