April 9, 2020 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 6 (6 of 48 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
April 9, 2020 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
Page A—6 Shelton-Mason Journal — Thursday, April 9, 2020
LETTERS cont. from page A—5
Lots of
heartache
to go around
Editor, the Journal
We feel homeless, unable
to go to our father’s home.
The doors are locked and
we are not welcome inside
because we may be carrying
something. What we have
may rub off on others, so we
are banned from entry. We
feel lost. We Cannot reach out
and touch others and they '
may not touch us because
we may contaminate them.
We can see others only from
a distance; if we enter the
safety zone, they will back up.
We may not be safe. We mea-
sure each other as if the other
must prove they are friend
and not foe. We take comfort
in the government response.
“It’s a national disaster!” “It’s
a medical crisis!” “People are
sick!” “People are dying!” And
my heart aches.
My heart also aches for the
families that are homeless
because their homes were
repossessed due to fraudulent
mortgages or the company
they worked for moved over-
seas.
My heart aches for those
who seek work anywhere in
an effort to keep a roof over
their children’s heads and
food in their stomachs.
My heart aches for the
50-year-old who has run out
of unemployment and cannot
get hired and ends up on the
streets. We have been told
we have a housing crisis, but
there has been no mobiliza-
tion like this.
My heart aches for the
veterans who have gone to
war for this country and upon
return have been forgotten.
Their wounds, seen and un-
seen, re minimized and they
are to to man up.
My heart aches for the ad-
dicts and alcoholics who know
how it feels to be on a list to
determine if they get help-or
not. The difference is with
COVID-19, efforts are being
made to make sure there are
enough beds to treat every-
one.
My heart goes out to the
families that lost loved ones ,
iii the “opioid crisis” that
resulted in insurance compa-
nies and pharmaceutical com-
panies having strong finan-
cial outcomes while people
' died in the streets.
My heart aches for victims
of mass shootings where only
thoughts and prayers have
been mobilized. Yet we are
told “We have a gun violence
epidemic!”
~ My heart aches for the
newly released prisoner who
desires more than anything
to be in God’s house and he is
met with indifference.
My heart aches for the sex
worker who wants out of the
life, yet when she comes to
God’s house she is shunned
for being a whore.
My heart aches for the peo-
ple who drive by the church
and see “no trespassing’ or
“church member parking
only” signs.
My heart aches for every
person who has come to God’s
I NEED AN ASSAULT
WEAPON WITH A BIG CLIP
AND LOTS OF BULLETS
TO PROTECT ME FROM THAT
COVID-19.
HE'S GOING TO
WHAT? SHOOT A
vmus OR PEOPLE WHO
ARE 51cm
house to be a part of His fam—
ily and has been “socially
isolated.”
Maybe, just maybe, God is
giving us a taste of what it is
like to be “the least of these.”
Pat Ayers
Shelton
Heroes and
villains during
trying times
Editor, the Jaurnal
In the midst of this coro—
navirus crisis, we find heroes;
we find villians; we find doom
and gloomers and we find
haters. There is much criti—
cism about the lack of pre-
paredness by the state and
federal governments regard-
ing this crisis, and this criti-
cism is justified.
People who disagree with
political policy argue policy.
People who dislike individu-
als use hate. Bill Busacca
uses hate language when he
calls Trump 3 “school yard
bully.” Toby Kevin uses hate
words like bumbling and in—
competent.
Ever hear the story about
the man who was asked,
“Have you stopped beating
your wife?” It’s a trick ques-
tion because if you answer
yes, you acknowledge that
you beat your wife but have
stopped if you answer no, you
acknowledge beating your
wife and are continuing.
Like this trick question,
the media asks Trump trick
questions. Reporters ask
“Can you assure us that those
gloves will arrive in time?”
If the gloves do not arrive
in time, they call Trump a
liar; it’s a word to put Trump
into a no-win situation. The
reporters should ask, “When
are the gloves expected to
arrive?” Seek information
rather than use trickery; good
journalism vs. fake journal—
ism. '
I find briefings by Trump
and staff to be informational.
Trump and, his staff are be-
yond competent; they are
extraordinary! Beyond telling
the truth, Trump and staff
bring hope.
Truth telling with hope
is so important because our
problem is so much bigger
than we think. The virus
is only part of the problem.
With increased quarantine,
many citizens will become
depressed. I suspect the rate
of suicide will increase as will
the rate of family and neigh—
borhood violence. The only
way past this is to give hope,
and that is what Trump is
doing.
The recent bill passed
by Congress gives hope and
tons of money to help the
citizens, but Nancy Pelosi
believe it more important to
help her pet causes rather
than provide money to those
hurt by the coronavirus.
Nancy delayed the process
by three days to get $25 mil-
lion for the Kennedy Center;
Trump was forced to sign
it or hold up the entire bill,
which is what Pelosi counted
on. When the next bill comes
up, Pelosi will again use the
urgency of the need to score
political points for her sup-
porters. But I guess Toby
Kevin believes this is OK.
Sad!
Ardean Anvik
Shelton
Thoughts
'on a Trump
bfiefing
Editor, the Journal
On Saturday afternoon, I
watched King Donald giving
one of his April 4 coronavirus
briefing. There is so much
that one could comment on.
The first thing I couldn’t wrap
my head around'was the pitch
for hydroxychloroquine. Yes,
some think that it is a pos-
sible treatment. But the medi-
cal community is not on board
with it yet. And they are the
ones charged with the respon-
sibility of shoving it into pa—
tients. Even his own staff will
not back him up on it.
But the issue kept com—
ing up. Sure, he took some
heat about it in the past.
But in typical royal fashion,
he cannot just let it lie and
let events take their course.
He could always crow about
it later if it pans out. And if
it doesn’t, people would just
forget about it. So, there is
no particular reason for him
to keep yapping it. And after
His majesty gets through
with his rant, one is simply
relieved just to see him stop
talking about it because the
discourse has gotten so convo-
luted you can’t follow it.
After that, other people
spoke in typical briefing fash-
ion. And out of nowhere King
Donald starts back in on it.
And I wondered why that is
because there is no appar-
ent reason for it because it
doesn’t relate to what people
had been speaking about.
But there he is, being very
emphatic about the subject.
Then he volunteers that
he is considering taking it,
although he has apparently
tested negative for it. What
is going on? Does he have
stock in it? Or is he just play-
ing the snake-oil salesman?
And I started wondering
when the OxiClean pitch
would begin.
I found the performance
anything but comforting. And
it wasn’t just this. His majes—
ty had to do a rehash of past
events that was just stunning
to behold. He was full-on Cap-
tain Queeg. I was waiting for
him to pull out the steel balls
and start telling us about
his unraveling the mysteries
of the missing strawberries.
Wow. Just wow.
Andrew Makar
Hoodsport
Little Green
Frog words of
wisdom
Editor, the Journal
Years ago I went to an
aviation class about accept-
able risks. You consider your
options: Should I make that
flight or cancel the flight?
Well that’s how I’m thinking
about the coronavirus: Do I
quarantine myself at home
or I do I go about business as
usual?
I have been staying home
for the last three weeks fol—
lowing the advice that I have
been receiving from Gov. In- .
slee and considering the ac—
ceptable risk of the situation.
I learned how to fly when I
was 16 in Shelton at the Civil
Air Patrol. I now have over
8,000 hours as a flight in—
structor II, commercial pilot,
ATP land and sea using that
same acceptable risk philoso-
phy. There have been times I
Wondered how I ever survived
a few flights.
There is a song I think
of sometimes about “these
four walls are closing in on
me” but I can’t remember
the words. Oh well. I am still
enjoying life and my two cats
and all the friends I have left.
When I think of the .ones that
are gone, I remember all the
great times we had together.
The people are not buy-
, ing into the incompetence of
Trump leadership. We are
at war — let’s fight it with
all the weapons we have,
not false promises. Let’s not
forget how many people are
dying unnecessarily because
of inaction when it was neces-
sary.
Earl Mallinger
Shelton
Trump haters,
go away
Editor, the Journal
I am so sick and tired of all
the Trump haters! Why don’t
you all take your blinders off,
look at your own existence
and see just how wonderful
you’ve handled “everything
all your life.” Is there nothing
you wish you’d done differ-
ently?
From where I sit, Presi-
dent Trump is doing his best
during this “uncharted terri-
tory journey” we’re on. It’s so
easy to be a Monday morning
quarterbaCk, but it solves
nothing. So wake up, give it a
rest. If you can’t do anything
to help, then just shut up.
Val Reineman
Shelton
What is
considered
essential?
Editor, the Journal
I understand the need
to close nonessential enter:
prises to slow the spread of
coronavirus. I understand
keeping grocery stores and
health care facilities open
for the populace. I under-
stand the need to “stay
home and stay healthy.” I
do not understand how the
Sierra Pacific Mill opera-
tion in Shelton fits into the
essential business category
and remains an active en—
terprise. I am open to the
explanation. Thank you.
_ Arthur Rohlik
Shelton