Letters to the editor for Saturday, Dec. 4: DeFazio told it like it was

Whacked out is right

I would like to defend Peter DeFazio’s comments about people who do not get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Health professionals, political and business leaders have encouraged citizens to get vaccinated with moderate success. Now mandates are inciting fierce opposition as misinformation campaigns spread.

More: After nearly 40 years in office, Oregon U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio will not seek reelection in 2022

Imagine that our country has been at war. It’s been going on for almost two years with no end in sight. More than 1,000 citizens are dying every day and by the end of the year the total will be more than 800,000. Miraculously, a weapon was found that could defeat the enemy but only if 90-plus% of population agreed to join the fight. These who opposed the use of this weapon aided the enemy and caused more casualties. If this were a shooting war, these people would be traitors and enemy collaborators.

DeFazio’s comments calling these people “whacked out” was an expression of extreme frustration and, for a politician, self-destructive. But that they are “killing people” was spot on! With delta surging and the new variant omicron on the horizon, this a national and international emergency with everyone needing to do their part.

Thanks, Peter, for saying what the majority of your constituents are thinking.

Jonathan Levy, Eugene

DeFazio, dialogue and democracy

Andrew Kalloch (Guest View, Nov. 27) accuses Rep. Peter DeFazio of being uncivil.

Civil dialogue is crucial but the lack of it is not the only cause of democratic difficulty.

Right-wing GOP market fundamentalists and no-tax plutocrats aren’t the only ones to blame for all the complex problems and challenges we share.

Kalloch: Guest View: Our elected leaders must improve dialogue of democracy

We all need to work to balance better individual freedom and rights with equality and solidarity.

If only …

Being an authentic U.S. representative, as well as an Oregonian and U.S. citizen, means being faithful to something produced in collaboration with many others who came before.

To me, the essence of DeFazio’s criticism of some of his fellow citizens, as well as some of his constituents, seems to be a vigorous and badly needed criticism of two intertwined bad ideas:

First, you’re wonderful just because you’re you; and second, “respect for difference” requires you to respect everyone — no matter how vicious or stupid.

Especially in a pandemic thriving in an atmosphere of disinformation, we need political leaders of character who tell the truth, and not “nice guys” who say what fellow citizens or constituents want to hear.

Sam Porter, Eugene

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This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Letters: DeFazio told it like it was