Letters to the Editor: ‘Act like Ray Larson and do the right thing.’

Act like Ray Larson

Sometimes, it’s just this simple. A line I particularly remember from Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land” sticks with me. After a gang of Armani-clad car “giants” came to see him crying crocodile tears and begging him to bail out their sinking companies, he fixed himself a drink and sat down on a couch in the hallway of the White House and thought, “Why can’t they just build a damn Corolla.” Everybody who’s owned a Toyota Corolla knows exactly what he meant. Now, to all those whining, dollar-snatching politicians who can’t think beyond their next election, why can’t they just act like Ray Larson and “do the right thing.”

Ralph Derickson, Lexington

Olympic lessons

The citizens of these United States can take a lesson or two from the athletes at the 2021 Olympics. Two runners collide in the 800-meter run and instead of pointing the finger at who caused the collision, the athletes from different countries and different cultures help each other up and finish the run together. This is one of many examples of kindness and sportsmanship displayed in these games by citizens from distinct territories. I hope to see more of this behavior in the home of the free and land of the brave.No group is an island — we need each other!

Cleo Price, Lexington

Mask-free schools

The Centers for Disease Control and the government officials who enforce their “recommendations” have overstepped all reason, common sense, and compassion in the push to mask children in school. Masks are not a harmless NPI (Nonpharmaceutical Intervention). Masking kids at school is a highly inappropriate use of PPE. Masks can cause a false sense of security, cross contamination, hinder communication and connection. Kids need to breathe fresh oxygen. They need to see faces. We are now post-vaccine and have proven therapeutics. Our young people have been through enough. By all means, offer a virtual option as well. Otherwise, bring back normalcy in our schools.

Carrie P. Cox, Lexington

Please. Vaccinate.

In our weekly Zoom, my four siblings and I tried to fathom why people refuse vaccination against COVID-19, especially now that the delta variant is causing a precipitous rise in infections and hospitalizations of the unvaccinated. In March, one of my sisters lost her husband to COVID. He spent 43 days in the hospital, first in a COVID ward and then in the ICU, where he was kept alive on a respirator for his last two weeks.

Trying — but failing — to hold back tears, my sister raised her voice in distress. “I would really like people to know what dying of COVID looks like, what it feels like,” she pleaded. “Try lying flat with a 40-pound bag of flour sitting on your chest and a pillow over your face. Feel how hard it is to draw air into your lungs, and imagine spending four weeks like that, struggling to breathe!”

Her testimony was powerful. If you’re an unvaccinated Kentuckian, whether fearful, misinformed or procrastinating, heed my sister’s words. Don’t risk the very real chance of infection, illness, or the agony experienced by more than 600,000 Americans. Ensure your own safety and that of others. Please. Get vaccinated!

Judith Schiffbauer, Lexington

Virus no respecter

For those of you who have not yet received a COVID-19 shot, please take a few minutes to record a short video of each of your children and spouse individually singing happy birthday to you. Also, have someone in your family record you singing happy birthday to each of your precious family members. In the future after you or some of your family members are gone, this little piece of loving memory will be forever available. COVID and its variants do not respect any person’s protective proclamations — religious, government, or otherwise. Nobody. Its job is to get into as many people’s system as possible and kill, and it’s very good at it. It is spreading so fast now. Make your happy birthday videos as soon as you can because tomorrow will be too late. COVID ghosts its victims forever.

Gene Lockhart, Lexington

‘Unpatriotic inaction’

I received my COVID-19 vaccines in January and February. I have followed all the guidelines put forth by the scientific and medical experts. Like all American citizens who have received the vaccine, I am alarmed by the number of people refusing to be vaccinated.

Now I am being told to wear the mask indoors “to protect the unvaccinated.” When are the unvaccinated going to be held responsible for their unpatriotic inaction. I wonder what they are doing to help protect the vaccinated. Should they be held liable for exposing others to the virus?

Lynn Thompson, Lexington

Love=vaccine

Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and its variants is a way one can show his/her love of the Creator of all humankind. It is also a way the vaccinated can show their love of neighbors worldwide. The all-important love of self is demonstrated by getting vaccinated.

For the sake of our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, get vaccinated now! America’s and the world’s future is at stake. We are being tested. LOVE is the great uniter, problem solver — love of God, neighbor, self.

Paul L. Whiteley Sr., Louisville

Not a fan

This will be my last letter to the Herald-Leader. After subscribing for over 41 years (once to two dailies, the Herald and the Leader) I am canceling my subscription. The paper’s censorship of letters from conservatives is getting beyond ridiculous. I have been writing letters to the paper’s for 40 of those years and now the paper requires documentation in the form of links to support an opinion when writing a letter to the paper. Of course, this is only if the writer’s opinion differs from the paper’s views. The paper used to be somewhat balanced, and now it leans so far to the left, it can’t walk a straight line. Its local socialist, Comrade Linda Blackford makes the paper even more left than it used to be and is reason alone to cancel. The paper is a shadow of itself. The Sunday paper looks like the daily used to and the daily is now the size of a Walmart insert. The paper is now printed only six days a week. What’s next? A weekly paper like the Mayberry Gazette? My only regret? My dog will not have the paper to fetch from the driveway to get his breakfast every morning anymore. Oh well, he never liked the taste anyway.

Mike Sweeney, Lexington

Foreign aid

On average, Americans believe that foreign aid consists of 25% of the federal spending budget, when in reality it is less than 1%. The United States in comparison with other wealthy nations ranks as one of the lowest in regard to foreign aid spending per capita.

Some may be asking themselves why this is a problem worthy of attention. If we look at the federal budget, the United States spends over half a trillion on the military every year in pursuit of fighting terrorist organizations in foreign countries. The fact is, this is a waste of tax-payer money. If throwing hundreds of billions of dollars at the military each year was effective, we would have seen some sort of progress in the fight against terrorism the past two decades.

We can be much more effective at improving poor people’s lives across the globe and stamping out terrorism while also saving money by funding the International Affairs budget. Terrorists prey on vulnerable and desperate people in poor countries. We can counter this by funding and developing these countries and improving these people’s lives, rather than sending bombs and soldiers that often destabilize their countries and stir up resistance.

William Gorringe, Lexington

Preserve state

Per the founders of our great nation, states are sovereign. Kentucky oversees itself. We don’t need the federal government’s permission nor do we need their help. I propose that we return to the values that our founders prescribed. What does this entail? Fortification.

Kentuckians must fortify our state from the tyranny we are seeing in Washington, D.C. Democrats, who hold razor thin majorities, say they have received a mandate from the American people to alter every segment of our society. Attempting to federalize elections, promoting critical race theory in public schools, creating racial division by publicly labeling conservatives as white supremacists and recklessly spending our tax dollars on “infrastructure”, “green energy” and cleverly named welfare programs.

If the American people wanted the previously mentioned items then so be it. However, Americans, in large numbers, disagree with these actions. I propose that we focus on strengthening the following areas of our state (through immediate legislative action):

• Election laws
• Freedom of speech (to guard against censorship)
• Reducing gubernatorial power
• Protecting small businesses from unfair taxation

Kentucky, as a sovereign state, must protect itself from a tyrannical federal government. We need more action than stated above but those are a good start.

Brad Rigney, Shepherdsville

Time for change

Sen. Rand Paul is raising funds for his re-election off opposition to Dr. Anthony Fauci, blaming him for the COVID-19 virus. Rep. Andy Barr is wrapping himself around support of all things Donald Trump, a twice impeached president who ingratiates himself through division, hate and distrust of all who disagree with him.

Both these individuals are up for re-election next year after being in office a decade or more. Anyone believing either of them cares about the majority of the constituents they represent, should examine their records.

Paul embraces all “publicity” as good publicity. Getting airtime at FOX and OAN, all he hears is the obligatory agreement with his views. Paul only has one office in the state to hear from constituents and frequently disregards constituents with views contradictory to his own. The man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.

Barr supports an extreme right agenda and embraces the Trump bandwagon as his re-election ticket in 2022, touting his blind support of Trump. Healthcare, gun regulations, environmental protections, accountability in government, women’s rights, equal rights, worker’s rights — forget them. Barr supports business/financial interests and wealthy Americans.

Embrace term limits and retire both next year for all our sakes.

Peter Wedlund, Lexington

This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 8:35 AM.