Letters: Little sympathy for White House COVID-19 outbreak. Reopen local government.
Little sympathy
I am angry. Evidently, the elite of the White House, those who live in the rarefied air of wealth, power, and privilege, and who view themselves above the scourges of the masses, are now passing the virus around among themselves. They, who have scorned the advice of scientists, and openly flaunted their royal right to not wear masks have now come face to face with reality.
While I would not wish this insidious disease on anyone, I would say that they have brought it upon themselves, and I am hard-pressed to scrape together any sympathy for any of them, particularly since they think themselves smarter than the rest of us, and are supposed to be the leadership of this country. Shame on them.
Barbara J. Smith, Versailles
Open up
With masking and social distancing businesses are open but many government offices remain closed or half-staffed. Public employees are paid with tax dollars and the public has a right to demand that they return to work. There’s no reason why libraries are still closed and there’s no easy way to renew a driver’s license. Government needs to fully reopen.
Bill Fortune, Lexington
Trump in control
President Donald Trump is being blasted for keeping his knowledge of the dangers of the COVID-19 virus low key in the beginning in order to not panic the public. Joe Biden has blamed him for every death from COVID because of that restraint. Biden says that he should have leveled with the American people. I guess he figures that they wouldn’t have panicked at the news.
When you’re in a store and someone is standing in the checkout line ahead of you and he or she is wearing a surgical mask, goggles, and rubber gloves and yelling at you because you’re only five-and-a-half feet away, it makes me think that some people are absolutely capable of panic.
Trump immediately mandated travel restrictions from China. It looks to me that Trump was all over the problem before Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi even realized there was a problem.
Jan Terrell, Georgetown
Respond to census
We are days away from completing the census, a once-every-10 years population count of everyone living in the country, and I have an urgent request for Kentucky: respond to the 2020 census today. It only takes minutes, but your response will make a difference to your community for the next decade.
Your responses impact how much funding your community receives for services such as healthcare, emergency and disaster response, education, jobs, and roads. It also determines your state’s representation in the U.S House of Representatives.
Right now, Kentucky has a total response rate of 98.4%. If you are contacted by a census taker, please cooperate. You can also still respond online at 2020census.gov, by calling 844-330-2020, or by returning the paper questionnaire by mail.
We need your help — please take this opportunity to shape your future.
Fernando E. Armstrong, director, U.S. Census Bureau’s Philadelphia Regional Office
UK’s COVID plan
Professor Marion Rust’s views (“UK needs to help K-12 kids get back to schools”) are representative of many Lexington area residents. Rust pulled back the shroud to reveal and remind University of Kentucky administrators that the institution they serve is not a self-contained and totally isolated entity.
It appears that UK leaders are more concerned about the short-term issue of enrollment and income generated than community wellness. This is understandable but woefully shortsighted. Prioritizing income before public health is morally corrupt and ultimately will cause far greater financial harm.
UK administrators need to fulfill their legal and moral obligation to the institution and the entire Bluegrass community. An excellent start would be publicly recognizing that a robust plan does not guarantee that desired results will be achieved. A plan is a starting point that requires close monitoring and constant modifications.
UK leadership would demonstrate leadership by aggressively enforcing the provision to require mask-wearing at all times in public settings, social distancing, and limiting the size of public gatherings. Students unwilling to comply should be immediately prohibited from participating in class or campus functions until they fully comply with a 14-day quarantine and are determined to be free of the virus.
Community-wide commitment and full cooperation are required to stop this deadly illness so we may all enjoy a new normal.
Ron McBride, Nicholasville