Opinion

Let’s talk about the things they will not learn.

Regarding Rob Leach’s admonition that I mind my own business when it comes to his anti-vaccination stance, I have something for him to think about. I am all in favor of free will and would gladly step aside and watch him and his family become infected. But, because of the unvaccinated, the COVID virus is still alive. Because it is still alive it is mutating. Because it is mutating the risks are increasing for even those who chose to protect themselves. Because of the rapid pace of mutations, there is a string now that is infecting younger people, many under 12 years of age. This is a group that cannot get the vaccine regardless of their political stance. Because of his steadfastness to resist, I am fearful that the next mutation might render the vaccine useless. If that should happen, where will we be as a nation? So we are attacking your rights? Really? Why no such outrage when they make you wear a seatbelt? How about when they expect you to wear a helmet on a motorcycle? Then there is the ridiculous expectation that you don’t speed in a school zone, that you drive on the right side only, that you don’t yell “fire” in a theater. As a true American Patriot I would expect that you would embrace the idea of coming together as a nation to defeat this common foe.

In my opinion, Dr lutz was outspoken in his warnings of how dangerous covid-19 was going to get and the public was starting to pay attention as they were cutting back on their spending, not sure how bad it would be.

Read the Spokesman Review and found it today, (July 30), to be especially informative. We are in a climate crisis and pandemic with Representative Cathy McMorris Rogers reiterating everyone’s right to not be vaccinated. Shawn Vestal points out just what I was thinking when I saw her opinion. Where does that girl live? The COVID-19 cases are rising in her district particularly in unvaccinated. She spouts “Freedom” ! Not freedom from the pandemic, freedom to do as you please. “Any effort to mandate a vaccine an overreach by the White House.” Is her family is vaccinated?

Have you seen the amount of people dead in the USA as of today? Or do you even care? These are your neighbors of all occupations, some who cared for you sometime in your life. That's right: moms, dads, doctors, nurses, school teachers, the list goes on.

I have to cringe when people claim their HIPAA rights have been violated because a business asks for their vaccine status. Their claims in no way relate to HIPAA.

The governors of Idaho and Washington have both recently declared severe droughts in their perspective states. With the forests once again in flames, water becomes a valuable commodity.

Well, the Republicans are at it again, now spreading misinformation as COVID-19 cases are surging nationwide. As usual, they propagate fear, declaring that mandatory vaccinations deprive Americans of their individual rights. No, that would save lives -- the same principle behind drunk-driving laws.

Multicare and Kaiser Permanente are mandating vaccination for all employees to continue employment.

By Francisco R. Velázquez, M.D., S.M., FCAP Spokane Regional Health District

I read two books that are pertinent to our times: Victor Hugo’s "Les Miserables"and Ulysses Grant’s autobiography.

We all live here. We all need to work together. We all need to make a sacrifice in trying to halt the spread of COVID.

If there are any Americans out there who are still loyal to Donald Trump, listen up! Don't be sidelined by "Trumpian talking heads." Stay focused on Trump! He and Melania are both vaccinated, and Trump said, "I would recommend it and I would recommend it to a lot of people that don't want to get it and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly," Trump told Maria Bartiromo. "It is a great vaccine. It is a safe vaccine and it is something that works," he said. "It works incredibly well. 95%, maybe even more than that ... and it is really saving our country and it is saving frankly the world."