I write this in regard to a letter in the April 19 edition of the Opinion Page.

The letter by Sophie Henderson was well-written and for the most part spot on.

I do find it interesting that she states each legislator must consider his personal values, the values of his caucus, and his constituents best interest. So in her words, I believe her to say the legislator when looking at any legislation must see to his values, the partys interest, then the people who elected him/her to office interest. Really?

I do understand the personal value issue, but that should be last. The constituents best interest should be first. And the partys interest, if even considered at all, in 10th place. They are elected to do the peoples business, not yours, not the partys, not the corporation operating within the legislators area, but the peoples.

It is apparent that has been forgotten. And that, my good people, is the reason those in Washington, D.C., cannot work together.

Their interests first, then the partys.

In the meantime, we the people are forgotten. It is time to change this attitude. It is time for term limits on both national and the state levels. Think about it.

I am ready to get back to work. These are scary times and I worry for small businesses and the economy.

The facts are that we have a worldwide problem right now that is killing mostly the elderly. I believe that this has spread a lot further in Nez Perce County than the numbers suggest. I find it hard to believe that almost all of our cases of this virus are only in one little nursing home.

If testing were more available, who knows how many more cases (most likely hundreds) there would be.

We have a free country and need to get back to work on May 1.

I believe in social distancing and we need to slow down this contagious virus. But I also feel that confining people to their homes is slowly leading to a possible anarchy.

Maybe we can prove that we can gather in protests and work places while wearing masks or keeping a 6-foot distance.

We can give kind reminders to friends and coworkers to use the guidelines of social distancing.

Lets reopen the country but be smart about it.

On April 16, the New York Times published an article titled WHO warned Trump about coronavirus early and often.

The first three paragraphs stated: On Jan. 22, two days after Chinese officials first publicized the serious threat posed by the new virus ravaging the city of Wuhan, the chief of the World Health Organization held the first of what would be months of almost daily media briefings, sounding the alarm, telling the world to take the outbreak seriously.

On Jan. 22 in an interview on CNBC, President Donald Trump was asked if he was worried that the coronavirus outbreak might become a pandemic. Trumps response was: Its going to be just fine. ... We have it totally under control. Since then, history has shown that Trump lied. His administration had done little to control it.

Trump fails to recall the sign that President Harry Truman had on his desk: The buck stops here.

He refuses to accept the responsibility for events that have happened while he has been president. He blames everything on former President Barack Obama. While Obama officials walked Trump aides through a global pandemic exercise in 2017, Trump has rejected everything associated with Obamas administration.

If Trump is truly doing an excellent job of fulfilling his responsibilities, why is he interfering with the legal governing of states by their governors in their attempts to slow the outbreak of the coronavirus? Dont Trumps liberate tweets incite insurrection and federal laws against overthrow of government? Where are the flag wavers?

Disregards the vulnerable

I understand and appreciate the First Amendment allows us to assemble, speak freely and practice religion. It also includes the press.

I do not understand why a group of Idaho Freedom Foundation citizens would gather at the courthouse to protest Gov. Brad Littles proclamation regarding COVID-19.

As of April 20, Nez Perce County had 30 cases and 11 deaths.

Apparently these protesters neither know nor love their friends and relatives who are at high risk.

Did they consider taking thank you signs to the vulnerable hospital and care center employees who are working overtime without adequate protection?

How about expressing a word of appreciation to the many clerks in the essential businesses?

Did anyone suggest supporting our overworked volunteers at the food banks, the Salvation Army, Interlink, Snake River Clinic, YWCA, Boys and Girls Club, etc?

We know the Freedom Foundation dwells on oppression and far-out causes, particularly where our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning brothers, sisters and friends are concerned.

So why would they be expected to care about old people who would like to celebrate their next birthdays? More than likely, we would never be given a second thought.

Survival depends on our adherence to the governors guidelines. Stay the course and be well.

This is a national emergency. Tell your senators, representatives, governor and president. I just did. Widespread testing was needed two months ago. How is it possible that only 1 percent of Americans have been tested? Testing is being done at 150,000 per day (New York Times, April 17).

At this pace, it will take six years to test everyone.

When everyone can get a test, we will proceed on a lighted path. Without it, we are stumbling in darkness.

Opportunities Unlimited Inc., is an organization in Lewiston that has helped my 8-year-old severely autistic son tremendously.

Before their staff members worked with him, my son could barely make it through an hour of school. Because of the amazing trained therapists at OUI, my son was going to school eight hours a day and was in the classroom 80 percent of the time before COVID-19 hit.

They have helped him and so many other children and adults so much.

They are at risk of losing their business if the Paycheck Protection Program loans are not granted. It is crucial that the government take care of the people in this country who did not ask to be shuttered away from working and are now losing their livelihoods from it.

These programs are vital to the disabled and disenfranchised. They must be funded.

Most county sheriffs are wimps. Thats not me saying that but a Montana sheriff who referred to his more than 3,000 fellow sheriffs across the nation. He said it in a private conversation with a sheriff, who in turn related that to me. ...

Most will swear they are constitutional sheriffs. ... When the chips are down, they either fail to recognize a constitutional infringement, lack the guts to stand in defiance of such or simply go along to get along, all at the expense of God-given rights of county citizens. ...

I want a sheriff who will draw a line in the sand and tell the government to go to hell if necessary. ...

That is to say, call out the power of the county to aid him an extraordinary power the sheriff and only the sheriff has in defending the rights of the people of the county. ...

Had Idaho sheriffs fought back as a whole when environmentalism took its toll on once vibrant logging communities or when wolves were unleashed on Idaho destroying the peoples elk and moose as well as the guiding industry and its tourism here, those communities likely would not have suffered as they have. ...

I will stick with Sheriff Doug Giddings in Idaho County because he has the guts to stand up to the government when he has to, and has done it. Lots of cheap talk, campaign signs up and down the roads and full-page ads do not a sheriff make.

On page 2F of your April 19 edition, Elizabeth Kendrick wrote a provision was included (in the stimulus package) that will allow the super wealthy, such as Donald Trump and his family, to avoid $170 billion in federal taxes during the next 10 years.

I note that she did not name Michael Bloomberg, the Gates, the Obamas, the Clintons, the Pelosis, etc.

But, on to my point: If such a provision was included, please name the specific bill, the section, subsection, page number, paragraph, etc., that would direct anyone, such as myself, to read the alleged provision(s) for ourselves and make our own assessment.

All too often it seems, we read really juicy items such as Kendricks letter in your paper or on social media. But when pressed, the authors cannot point to an authoritative source. Nor can they support their comment by reference to a second source. (Sources often present conflicting evidence.)

Without supporting sources referenced, their comments remain simply hearsay. Worse yet, the authors may have committed slander. For those of you not familiar with the term, slander is a sin.

And in cases involving money or finances, the accusation may also suggest an underlying motivation of envy, which also is a sin.

So, folks, if you are going to make accusative statements, please include your sources.

Keep it civil out there, folks. Well all be better off and better informed.

To the family and friends of Larry Schetzle:

We send our sincere thanks for all of the delicious food, beautiful flowers, kind cards and much needed phone calls.

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April 26 Letters to the Editor, Part 3 | Opinion - Lewiston Morning Tribune