Southeast Nebraska speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Nov. 6, 2020
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Lincoln Journal Star.
Eight months -- 212 days -- the amount of time residents of nursing homes have been locked down since the COVID-19 crisis began. I understand the concern that initiated the lock down, but eight months of isolation from family is unconscionable and cruel. It is true that the elderly population may be more at risk, but at what point do the residents get to make the decision as to what is risk worthy? Currently, they are alive but certainly not living!
Many residents aren't finding a reason to keep living without the contact of loved ones. Seeing each other through a window just doesn't cut it! No other part of society has to endure this. The employees at nursing homes go home to their families (as they should). However, if an employee tests positive, visitors are no longer allowed at the nursing home for two weeks! The logic of that is beyond any sensibility.
My daughter is an occupational therapist and has seen a decline in the overall mental/physical health of nursing home residents.. Other friends who work with nursing home residents have voiced the same opinion. It should be noted that the staff members observe the distress of the residents daily. How heartbreaking for staff.
I seek your help in allowing nursing home residents the freedom to once again see families and friends safely. Wearing masks and social distancing should allow us to visit safely. Please contact your local senator, governor, and DHHS to express your concern.
Karen Benner, Central City
Regarding the presidential election, the Republicans may be ready for some "Whine and sheesh!"
Bill Nowak, Lincoln
If Nebraska Athletics has $250,000 to throw at a second-tier team to come to Lincoln for essentially a scrimmage with no fans, perhaps they could consider spending that money in grants to local bars and restaurants who are truly at a significant financial loss with the loss of the Wisconsin game.
Robert Bockrath, Lincoln
I mourn the loss of countless senior citizens who have perished due to COVID-19. Managing a public health crisis in a country of more than 300 million people is a huge challenge. However, 50 different state-level approaches to dealing with COVID-19 are costing countless lives – especially the lives of our elderly.
In Nebraska, the State Department of Health reports that out of 646 total deaths, 543 were people 65 and older. The total numbers of elderly victims in North and South Dakota and Kansas are just as high.
A question that has lingered in my mind these past seven months is: “Where is C. Everett Koop when you need him?” President Ronald Reagan had help in combatting the HIV/AIDs virus back in the 1980s. Koop, the U.S. surgeon general, did excellent work in introducing the notion of “safe-sex” practices to an entire generation in order to prevent the spread of a deadly virus that had infected millions.
Koop helped save lives. We need someone like him now. As a member of Generation X, I have been waiting for a federal cabinet-level health care professional (who specializes in infectious diseases) to be given the leeway to lead us through the wilderness that is COVID-19. Could Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served under Koop, be that person and be granted the authority to save our loved ones – especially our beloved senior citizens? A national mandate to wear face coverings could be the virus-prevention practice that saves countless lives in our time.
Rev. Heather E. Brown, Pickrell
Deciding between in-person and remote learning is difficult. As a teacher, I believe that in-person education is superior. It is difficult to bond with someone remotely.
This difficult decision should only be made when all information is presented. Parents are told to screen their children and have the child wear a mask. Teachers are told to provide individual learning materials, opportunities for hand washing and sanitizing, and maintain 3 to 6 feet distance between children.
With more remote learners returning to in-person learning, a 3-foot distance between students doesn’t always happen. Also, children eat breakfast in their classrooms. That means the entire classroom is maskless for at least 15 minutes. All children are given hourly face mask breaks. Once again, class members are without a masks multiple times a day.
We have been told COVID-19 is airborne. Think about the last time you cooked fish or baked something. Did the smell stay in your kitchen or did it wander into the other rooms of your house? Please make the decision regarding in-school or remote learning with as much information as possible.
Patty Allen, Lincoln
I no longer live in Nebraska because I fish and the water gets way too hard in the winter. But I still bleed Husker Red.
I don’t pretend to know about all the financials, etc., that go with the conference affiliations. I worship the ground Tom Osborne walks on and was a supporter of anything he thought best when we got out of the Texas League they called the Big 12.
But the Big Ten has not been good to Nebraska athletics from the start. For a lack of better phrasing, they seem to screw us any chance they can.
Plus, I also want someone smarter than me to explain who made this commissioner God. They should have been playing football in September, and if a team can’t play, we should be able to fill the spot if we want to.
From where I stand, it’s time to get out. Nebraska athletics does not have to be a floor mat to anyone. Bill Moos and his team are doing a great job, even considering they are constantly up against a wall they call the Big Ten.
At the end of the day, it’s a lot easier drive to Central Kansas, Oklahoma or even Waco, Texas, for that matter.
Harv Dougherty, Warsaw, Mo.
The end of the article “Biden warning on oil tests voter resolve on climate change," (Oct. 23), suggests renewables are on the verge of replacing oil and nuclear power. It says, “… renewables making huge gains … solar wind and other clean energy will surpass coal and nuclear next year." Solar and wind make up less than 9% of energy produced in 2019, and coal and nuclear each make up around 20%; combined coal and nuclear make up over 40%.
Coal usage has dropped, but because it is being replaced by cheap natural gas. Replacing nuclear with renewables doesn’t help reduce our carbon footprint. I am not against renewables, and I eagerly await advances in technology, but a rush to renewables is naïve and invites an inefficient use of resources that might better be used for other social needs (education, housing, etc.).
Anthony Clarke, Davey
In “A history of bad predictions” (Oct. 27), Cal Thomas argues against electric cars because of the current lack of charging stations and limited battery life, saying, “It is dangerous to predict the future.”
He points out current auto mileage capabilities and the proliferation of gas stations as an argument against change, ignoring the century of progress in these areas that was necessary to provide us with the ability to drive polluting cars wherever we want.
Thomas then goes on to point out examples of past predictions of failure that were wrong: high-speed rail, drilling for oil, telephones and light bulbs, all of which are part of our lives because the predictors were wrong and the practices and products were made to work. Thomas seems to think we are limited in our ability to make electric cars work when we were able to make these other things work. He makes a very strong argument against his own point.
Thomas also points out that Western Union considered Alexander Graham Bell to be a competitor much like the oil industry considers electric cars to be competitors. So it is quite possible that electric cars can replace gas-powered cars as the telephone replaced the telegraph and satellites and cell towers replace wooden poles.
Thomas thinks the economy will tank unless we doggedly stick to the support of oil when our economy has evolved historically to support new inventions and industries. Thanks, Cal, for showing us you are probably wrong.
Michael Henninger, Lincoln
I am in the age and vulnerable health group for COVID-19, and because of the way Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird has handled public health measures and the mask mandate, I feel fairly safe going shopping for groceries and doing necessary errands.
I appreciate her careful consideration. We all have to pull together and cooperate if we are going to get the virus under control and our wonderful mayor and council members are doing a superb job under very challenging circumstances.
It is a dark and sad day in our community when a group has to throw a selfish, petty and vindictive tantrum because a few folks don't get their way and want to recall a mayor who is doing her job. Most businesses in town accept these mandates and comply with them like mature adults who understand this isn’t just about them but about the community.
It would cause a harmful disruption to Lincoln to recall the mayor and City Council members over this. Lincoln is lucky to have her in this crisis. Thank you, Mayor Gaylor Baird, for taking the hard but needed stance in the spirit of protecting all of us.
Lark Ferguson, Lincoln
"Masking up still saves lives" by Wendy Birdsall in the Oct. 21 Lincoln Journal Star was a well thought out local view. Buckling up and masking up are definitely saving human lives. So sad to read and hear lives are lost to such simple daily practices of human safety.
Yes, some individuals chose not to buckle up hoping not to be stopped for a traffic violation. Nobody can require one to wear a face mask, but it can be very much encouraged. Once a habit becomes a mindset, habits are difficult to change.
Driver educators insist on students learning safe driving practices to immediately buckle up when getting into a vehicle.
Wearing masks are promoted by experts and media. Maybe we need safety mask advocate educators.
So buckle up and mask up. This message can save lives.
Ed George, Lincoln
Anyone who knows me understands that I am a conservative Republican, and I have never voted for Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. However, as a 30-year board-certified public health physician, I urge the Lincoln city government to take all necessary steps to fend off the ridiculous recall effort sponsored by “LNK Recall,” which sounds like a group of spoiled children claiming “... an assault on the citizens and ‘good life’ of Lincoln” ("Group begins recall effort," Oct. 27).
In particular, as I have watched the COVID-19 drama unfold in Lincoln and around the world, I have been impressed by the professionalism and attention to duty shown by Pat Lopez and the members of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department and Lincoln City Council. Ms. Lopez’s appointment to a permanent position was long overdue, and at the appropriate time, her efforts and understanding of the COVID disease process probably deserve a pay raise.
To emphasize the point, in my opinion, the mayor and City Council members and Ms. Lopez are acting as responsible adults in a difficult time.
And to reemphasize the point, my wife and I (both in our 70s) do enjoy “the good life” of Lincoln by going out to restaurants with friends and neighbors on a regular basis. We wear masks in public and social distance when inside, and we enjoy ourselves. “LNK Recall” is apparently incapable of understanding this simple concept.
I believe that the city of Lincoln should dismiss this foolishness as soon as possible and continue to focus on governing the city and protecting the citizens from the virus.
Craig Urbauer, Lincoln
My friend Larry Shaw has a gift for finding unique perspectives of illogical human behaviors. He did this once again recently when he made crystal clear the absurdity of the anti-mask crowd:
“Those pool players say they can’t play with mask on, yet a brain surgeon only works with a mask on.”
Jim Elsener, Lincoln
I get it. We’re all a little on edge about the coronavirus. We want to reopen shops and restaurants and attend them as safely as possible. That being said, enough with the disposable gloves! Gloves on a cashier at a store or a food service at a restaurant gives merely the illusion of hygiene.
Who are the gloves actually for: You? No, they’re using gloves in lieu of cleaning their hands. The person wearing them? Maybe, but not if they touch their face or any opening on their face. The gloves serve as a psychological trick to impress the idea of cleanliness, but if you follow the chain of action the illusion quickly dissipates into a horrid reality.
As a nurse, I understand the purpose of gloves, to protect you and/or your patient. However, if a person wears the same gloves all day or through multiple interactions/tasks, they facilitate the transmission of germs, not the opposite (which is definitely our goal right now).
We would all be far better served if we encourage those in food and customer service to forgo the gloves and merely sanitize their hands between each customer, as this is certainly not happening with gloves on. Or if you insist on gloves, change them between each customer.
Seriously, stop with this faulty illusion, and just clean your hands!
Christine Newell Snyder, Lincoln
It was with a mixture of both humor and disdain that I read the editorial concerning rural law enforcement in Sunday's Journal Star ("Legislature must address police training," Oct. 25).
The revelation to me during the Legislature's Judiciary Committee meeting was when these people found out that this is a common situation that has been affect in Nebraska for decades and they did not know about it. They did not even realize what has been a common practice in rural Nebraska for quite a while. Several ideas need to be considered.
* These officers are getting on the job and are not just turned loose. There is no great backlog of lawsuits resulting from this practice.
* The training academy is often booked up for months ahead.
* We have been getting along without the senators' involvement for some time.
* And last but not least, common sense is alive and working well in rural Nebraska and seems to have been working for quite some time. I hope that the Legislature can help with this problem, but I doubt that they can since they can't seem to get past their partisan problems to address business as usual within their own legislative body.
I am glad the Legislature is there to give us comic relief during such serious times.
Not so sincerely,
Doug Shultz, Fairbury
I was pleasantly surprised to see my friend, Mark Daharsh's Local View column ("Believe science and act," Oct. 22) in the paper.
Only thing is, as a retired Lincoln Public Schools teacher, he should have included a test. Here it is, and since we are close to Halloween, the answer to this quiz is very scary:
True or False: There is an infinite amount of fossil fuel (coal, gas, oil) on planet earth.
Now class, spend three minutes thinking about your answer.
Wayne Svoboda, Lincoln
The article (“Where are they now? A look back at the closure of a northeast Lincoln hotel," Oct. 18) about the closure of the Oasis hotel exposed concerns Collective Impact Lincoln has heard for years. Many neighbors struggle to cover basic needs because they spend so much of their income on housing while poor housing conditions threaten their rights, health and safety.
The Oasis provided shelter to families who couldn’t find other homes, but it violated housing laws for far too long. Without regular inspections, the Oasis slipped into disrepair until the city was forced to revoke its operating permit. When the hotel closed, nearly 100 Lincolnites were forced out amid a pandemic.
The article highlights a citywide problem: Lincoln’s shortage of affordable housing means tenants often have no choice but to settle for inadequate places to live, where a lack of accountability through regular inspections breeds health and safety hazards.
Building luxury and market-rate homes won’t fix this. The city’s own affordable housing plan shows that to avoid a full-blown housing crisis by 2030, Lincoln needs to build 5,023 units that rent for $1,000 per month or less.
The mayor has taken an important first step by pledging to meet this goal and we must play our part too. Lincoln is strongest when everyone has a home they can afford, a place to care for their families and enjoy a fundamental quality of life. We all have a responsibility to make affordable housing a reality for every Lincolnite.
Kasey Ogle, Lincoln
Staff attorney, Collective Impact Lincoln
As we come to the end of an unusually acrimonious election campaign, I recalled something written almost 2,000 years ago by Ignatius of Antioch.
Ignatius was a disciple of the Apostle Peter (the first Bishop of Antioch before becoming the first Bishop of Rome). Ignatius became the third Bishop of Antioch, but in 107 A.D. he was killed by wild beasts in the Roman amphitheater during an early persecution of Christians.
Here are the ever timely words of Ignatius, which I hope my Christian brethren and fellow citizens will bear in mind as the 2020 election season draws to a close:
“Meet their angry outbursts with your own gentleness, their boastfulness with your humility, their revilings with your prayers, their error with your constancy in the faith, their harshness with your meekness. And beware of trying to match their example.
“Let us prove ourselves their brothers through courtesy. Let us strive to follow the Lord’s example and see who can suffer greater wrong, who more deprivation, who more contempt.
“Thus no weed of the devil will be found among you. But you will persevere in perfect chastity and sobriety through Jesus Christ, in body and soul.”
No matter who wins the Nov. 3 election, I hope all of us can come together as Americans to work cooperatively and in charity for the common good of our society.
Richard J. Wall Jr., Lincoln
We've always held together in times of crisis. What is happening that things are different now? I don't know that we are being manipulated or just misled, but something isn't right.
All of this anger and hatred isn't the way we are. it's almost like someone is trying to drive a wedge between us. Remember the good old days? When we could disagree but still be friends? There's a really good chance that things are going to get a lot worse. We need to prepare ourselves to not get sucked into this any more than we already have.
One of the other things I thought we all had in common was that we didn't believe the politicians. It seems like these days, we believe those who are reinforcing our own thoughts. How dangerous is that?
Everyday, I see things on the news that aren't exactly accurate. When I dig into many stories there are very important details that have been left out. Everyone has their own agenda. Even me. And you. So we all put our own spin on things. The problem is when we accept somebody else's story as 100% fact.
I would urge you to look into each story that forms your opinions on people and the things currently going on in the world. When you learn the whole story, your view may change.
Scott Kuncl, Crete
