Letters to the Editor: Oct. 3, 2021 – TCPalm

Treasure Coast Newspapers

There are different types of pandemics in today's world. For instance, there is the pandemic at our local Sunrise Humane Society wherein the overworked staff face the daunting daily task of caring for a full house of dogs and cats, staving off euthanasia. I want to thank SHS staff for their dedication to saving the lives of these animals.

I also want to thank the following businesses for displaying a folder full of pictures of some of the dogs and cats up for adoption. Thank you to Archies Seabreeze, Big Apple Pizza, Crabbys, Cobb's Landing, Dave's Diner, Dunkin Donuts, The Hemp Store, Manatees, Mervis Caf, Pickled, Rescue Adoption, Sailfish Brewery, 2nd Street Bistro, Sunrise City Caf, Sweeties Diner, Taco Dive and all the other downtown merchants who have offered to help in other ways.

The Sunrise Humane Society is our local neighborhood backyard shelter serving all of the city of Fort Pierce and St. Lucie Countys homeless animals. The St. Lucie County Humane Society, which is better known, serves PSL residents and PSL animals. SHS wants you to get to know them better including, sadly, that they are underfunded, understaffed, very needy and always fighting a never-ending pandemic prevention battle to eradicate innocent animal euthanasia.

Please when you patronize one of these businesses, thank them for promoting adoptions and browse through the folders on display at these locations; and consider adopting. The pictures of animals with heart stickers have had their adoption fees paid by generous donors. The SHS is absolutely full approaching 200 animals at 100 Savannah Road. Masks wont save them, nor is there a homeless animal vaccination. Only forever homes can save them. Please visit and support your neighborhood backyard shelter in any way you can including being a voice for them.

Susan M. Parry, Fort Pierce

I grew up in Parsippany Troy Hills, New Jersey, and graduated from high school in 1966. The Vietnam War was raging, and the paper often had names of locals who had been killed there. I didnt know any of them but I still believed the war was real and that they had died fighting for our country.

In April 1968 I landed in Vietnam and was assigned to the 101st Airborne. I flew from the states with four other guys, one of whom also went to the 101st with me. I can still remember my platoon sergeant telling us its first names or nicknames only, because you may not be here long. The first day out two men were shot and killed. I didnt know either of them, but I still believed they died.

Now fast forward to 2020 and America is in another war, a deadly virus. The number of dead Americans soars and initially we have no defense. Then we have a breakthrough vaccine with emergency use approved on Dec. 11, 2020. Before the first shot is given, 300,000 Americans have died. I believed the virus was real and that those deaths were real

Now its September 2021 and we have lost 694,795 Americans to the virus. Yet we still have Americans who claim it's a government hoax, or COVID-19 isnt a threat, vaccines have side effects, we dont trust the vaccines or our institutions, and some people think its a hoax because they dont know anyone who got the virus.

COVID-19 will kill at least 700,000 Americans by the end of 2021 and I believe it, I got my shots in March 2021 for the security and health of America. Where do you stand?

Thomas Pine, Jensen Beach

Many of my friends are lifelong, dyed-in-the-wool-Democrats. What deeply concerns me is not that they may be wrong on their view of current, national politics, but that they may be right.

Many closely held, former beliefs may not simply be out of fashion these days but might they possibly be wrong? Concepts like that government is best which governs least, and founding principles like self-reliance and personal responsibility.

In my heart I do not believe these principles are now wrong. Yet those in our large cities who seemingly have little understanding or appreciation of such notions appear to be the true base of the present Democratic Party. Misguided or even corrupt politicians may do as they please with no significant restraint from the electorate, if only this constituency can somehow be led to the ballot box.

The unbridled mailing out of millions of ballots with very limited accountability last November was a clear and successful attempt by the Democratic National Committee to tap that base. In the past, such voters have seldom bothered to visit the polls. Yet their desire for a continued flow of free stuff, inclines them to very gladly endorse the political party they associate with such policy. Mailed ballots with no ID accountability made that possible.

I dont know what the answer is. Our public educational institutions are doing a progressively more dismal job of educating, so the ignorance situation continually worsens.

Our form of government can only survive if voters are intelligent and vote on the substance of issues and candidates.

The Biden-Harris administration presents a sharp contrast to Trump-Pence. And while Trump didnt know to stop with the tweets, I think he was/is a true patriot. I think we are off the rails at the moment.

Paul Vallier, Stuart

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Letters to the Editor: Oct. 3, 2021 - TCPalm