Masks
TO THE EDITOR:
In the midst of a global COVID-10 pandemic caused by a virus, we are also in the midst of an epidemic of massive ignorance and stupidity.
I see videos of people, who don't want to socially distance or wear masks/face coverings, howl about their rights and freedom. To those people I say, your rights end where the rights of other fully formed human beings to live, begin.
Countries, such as New Zealand that took serious early steps to combat the spread of the virus have seen their number reduce. Our numbers are increasing.
The schools shut down to protect the children. I see those same children, unmasked, at Walmart. In the case of a single parent who has no support system, I can understand why you might bring your child with you when you shop. But much of the time, I see more than one adult. One could stay at home with the child(ren), or wait in the car. The whole family doesn't need to be in the store.
Many store employees are not wearing their masks. I see them below nostrils or around their necks. That's not wearing a mask. I see the masks going on and off. To be effective, they have to stay on. I realize masks are uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as a ventilator. Many of the customers are not wearing masks. At some businesses and public facilities, I've seen instances where no employees or customers were wearing masks or distancing.
I have had people get too close to me in the checkout line. When I told one man he was too close he said he wasn't worried about it. I responded "I am." I've had people come close to me to talk who were not wearing masks.
The only way we are going to progress is by 100% cooperation with social distancing, mask and/or face shield wearing, and engaging in good hygiene. I doubt that sanitizing a space after someone has tested positive does much good since most transmission is human-to-human.
Mary J. McQueen
Texarkana, Arkansas
Did you know?
TO THE EDITOR:
Did you know
Black people are looking for equality, not revenge.
When the Constitution was written, women and Blacks could not vote.
A fourth of our presidents owned slaves.
A fifth of our population had no rights when our Constitution's founders wrote the document.
80% of the Senate consists of white men and 79% of the House members are white men.
Three senators out of 100 are Black.
3% of our population is in jail.
The more people in prisons, the more money the system makes.
Black people are three times more likely to be in prison than white people.
Blacks receive 19.1 years longer jail time than whites.
White families' wealth is 10 times that of Black families.
The majority of white people own their homes, but people of color mostly rent.
Black lives matter, too!
Mary McPherson
Washington, Arkansas