Letters to the editor: Stirring up 'FUD'; daylight savings time; Gross Reservoir; anti-vaxxers
Nov. 8—Linda Hultman: Ron Laughery: stirring up 'FUD'
Kowtowing to the vaccine hesitant and stirring up FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) about the COVID-19 vaccines, as Ron Laughery did in his Nov. 6 opinion piece "Give 'em a break," is not the way to get the vaccine rates up.
I don't really like mandates, but much research shows that voluntary compliance doesn't work. Our libertarian-Democrat governor even said that back in July. Yes, of course people make the choices they believe are in the best interests of themselves and their families. However, if they choose not to vaccinate, they are not making the correct choice. Laughery stated almost all unvaccinated people will get infected with COVID. All right, he said it a little differently, but that's what he said. He claims the recent research has made this clear. So why should anyone think they do not need the vaccine?
Laughery stirred up FUD with his comment about "the vaccines' adverse effects, IF ANY, (emphasis mine) over the long term." There have never been any side effects from vaccines that showed up years, or even several months later. Most side effects show up within the first few days after administration, and none have been known to show up more than a few months later, regardless of the vaccine technology. (There have been several vaccine technologies developed since Jenner invented the smallpox vaccine in 1798; mRNA technology is not the first new one.) These vaccines have been given for almost a year now, with over 7.27 BILLION doses given worldwide. Most side effects should have shown up by now. Laughery brings up an Israeli study from August that says natural immunity MAY ( again, emphasis mine) be as good or better than vaccine immunity, but not all the research agrees with that. The CDC's recommendation is for people who have had COVID-19 to get vaccinated once they have recovered and are no longer in isolation. Of course, medical exemptions should always apply.
Sadly, the research also shows that education doesn't always help the vaccine hesitant and can in fact make some double down. If anyone knows how to increase vaccination rates without mandates, they should let all the vaccine providers know.
Linda Hultman
Louisville
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Arsen Kashkashian III: Clock switching: Enough, already
Enough already. I've been changing my clocks and watches twice a year for 50 years now. It's a miracle I haven't fallen off the step ladder changing our kitchen clock. It is a ridiculous custom. I admit that the first time I did it back in 1971, when I turned my rocket watch back an hour, it was fun watching that space capsule zoom backwards around the moon. But can we all be grown-ups here? How about we compromise on this by setting the time 30 minutes ahead of standard time and leave it there. Forever! Boulder should start the trend and let the rest of the country follow our fine example. Perhaps it will give us a common purpose after the divisive local elections we just lived through.
Arsen Kashkashian III
Boulder
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Alan Apt: Gross Reservoir: Make them plant trees
In an era of climate crisis it is madness to consider 19th century projects like Gross Reservoir that would cut down over 200,000 trees and put tons of carbon into the air with cement making, etc. The UK is planting 81,000 trees to offset carbon. Denver Water should be required to plant 500,000 trees if they build this environmental disaster.
If they used the money planned for the reservoir for mandatory, paid for xeriscaping and water conservation for all their customers, especially multi-family, and banned bluegrass in the desert they would have more than enough water. Boulder County Commissioners were wrong to approve the bribe of $10 million to participate in destroying the planet while drying up the threatened over committed Colorado River. The
Nederland Board of Trustees asked that this project be denied since it is one of the most environmentally destructive projects ever proposed for Boulder County,
Alan Apt
Nederland Trustee
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Greg Iwan: Anti-vaxxers: Please go live with the penguins
There is a segment of our society holding the vast majority hostage. It's the non- and anti-vaxxers. No, it isn't necessarily the same group that objects to vaccines for measles, polio, or influenza. Not even shingles. For some reason the need to help their fellow man in this hour of the most pernicious human infection of a century has people wearing shirts emblazoned "Don't Tread on Me." Even the governor of Texas rails against "overreach." Well, Gov, just what did you think a federal republic was all about?
I know I'm weary of the inconvenience of wearing, remembering to carry, and trying to comprehend speech through a mask. Now we have roughly 80% of our population inconvenienced by those who seem to think they should control the rest of us. That is real tyranny, folks. And for many it has backfired, in an ICU. I wonder if those who refuse COVID vaccinations are essentially the same people who refuse to wear masks. Sorry, but the Earth is actually not flat.
It is long past time for our "freedom means I'm independent" citizens to come around and aid the rest of us. Or they might consider moving to a place that probably will not impose any kind of regulation — perhaps a place currently populated largely by penguins.
Take that governor with you, please.
Greg Iwan
Longmont
