E DITOR Want to stop COVID-19? Start wearing a face mask

To the editor: Many people are confused about face masks because back in April the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued statements suggesting they were not needed. Both institutions have changed and now strongly recommend face masks.

There are several reasons for the change, but mostly it is because the coronavirus is constantly evolving and we are learning more about it. We now know the virus is commonly spread simply by people speaking. The virus organisms are expelled from a persons lungs when they speak and can float in the air for as much as eight hours. A face mask prevents some from being expelled and slows those that are so they do not travel as far from the speaker.

That is why social distancing is so important. You have a much greater chance of being infected by standing close to someone that is infected. If the virus cannot infect another individual, it goes through its infectious cycle and appears to die. The vast majority of scientists say if everyone would wear a face mask and use social distancing for two weeks, we could be on the way to beating COVID-19, and cautiously re-opening our businesses and our schools.

In addition to killing some of its victims, we now know COVID-19 affects other organs that can have long, life altering results. We know COVID-19 infects young children and they can pass it on to others. We know that going to parties or attending other social, religious, or governmental gatherings helps to spread COVID-19 and perpetuates the pandemic.

Its simple; you can help re-open our schools and our economy, and you might save your own or someone elses life by wearing a face mask, washing your hands and social distancing. If you do not do these things you are part of the problem.

Mary Luchterhand

Unity

Colby Fire/EMS decides to cancel Aug. 5 banquet

To the editor: You may have heard by now that the Colby Fire Ems Associations banquet has been cancelled. The banquet was going to be Aug. 5.

Due to the uncertain decisions of the Clark and Marathon health departments, we felt this was the best decision at this time. With the number of people who attend and the size of the VFW hall, we could not properly social distance.

Our members will be contacting ticket holders and the businesses that made donations already. Hold on to your tickets so we can refund your money.

If the member that sold you a ticket does not contact you within the next few weeks, please feel free to reach out to them.

We appreciate your understanding and support. We look forward to seeing you in April 2021.

Lin Mueller

Colby Fire/ EMS Association

Poor leadership produces bad results for the U.S.

To the editor: Leaders of the European Common Market and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have several things in common that leave them, and the current condition of their countries, in stark contrast to President Trump.

They have had national requirements for wearing face masks and have enforced social distancing. They instituted economic recovery plans that kept people employed and they enjoyed universal health care that paid medical bills. They have the trust and respect of a majority of their citizens while they work together to defeat a common enemy.

Finally, they invest in, believe in, and work with science.

President Trump said he believes face masks are not important and encouraged people in several states to protest social distancing. The $2 trillion U.S. Economic Recovery plan encouraged extended unemployment and Trump has consistently attempted to gut the Affordable Care Act which provides health care for millions of Americans.

Trump is a nationalist and has refused to work with other countries to defeat COVID-19, first defunding the World Health Organization and then withdrawing from it. He abolished the National Security Councils Pandemic Response Team in 2018, cut funding to the Centers for Disease Control by $690 million, and has never relied on science to help fight COVID-19.

The result of these differences and more is that Canadian and European economies are opening back up while ours is closing down. Coronavirus transmission rates in Canada and Europe are less than 20 per 100,000 while in the U.S. they are greater than 120 per 100,000!

We are still fighting over face masks, enduring an increase in daily deaths and are a nation divided with our economy in chaos with no recovery plan while much of the industrialized world is slowly moving forward. COVID-19 is out of control, our economy is a disaster, and both are due in large part to a terrible lack of leadership by President Trump.

Darlene and Dennis Bucheger Greenwood

President Trump clearly violated U.S. Constitution

To the editor: President Trumps recent actions to deploy federal agents in American cities, against American citizens, violate Article 1, Section 8 and Article 3, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States.

When those agents appeared in uniforms with no agency or personal identifi cation and apprehended a protester, shoving him into an unmarked vehicle without saying where they were taking him or why, they were in clear violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. The Fourth Amendment states, The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. . .

We know Trump admires the most tyrannical dictators in the world and has expressed a desire to have those same dictatorial powers. It should be frightening to anyone concerned with civil liberties, including the right to assemble, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to petition the government as is granted in the First Amendment.

Trump has declared himself to be your law and order president and thinks of himself as a war time president. He has called for the military to be deployed to dominate protesters. His acting secretary for Homeland Security said he is protecting federal property and indicated these agents will be deployed to other American cities.

Despite Congress being in session and no requests from the states, Trump feels free to violate several articles of the most sacred document this country has. Can you imagine what he will do if he is reelected? Conspiracy planners are suggesting the placement of federal troops in cities around the nation as part of Plan B in case he is not re-elected and attempts to stay in office. He is violating fundamental American laws and should be stopped. Where are our representatives in Congress? Their silence is deafening.

Richard A. Slone Neillsville

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