Letters to the editor for May 13
What a time to be alive
In these challenging times, we can find peace in nature. Earth has been reaping the benefits of our staying at home and driving less; many cities are experiencing dramatically less air pollution. There are many lessons to be learned here. We are capable of reducing emissions, living simpler, slower lives and connecting with the natural world. Instead of going to the mall, for instance, we can walk around our neighborhood, admire spring flowers and listen to birdsong. Looking forward, electrifying both personal and mass transportation will yield similar pollution reduction benefits. It’s also a good time to support local small businesses and farms in safe ways. Many offer remote services or product delivery.
Our world may feel smaller right now, and that can be a good thing.
If we take climate change as seriously as we’re taking COVID-19, our planet will heal swiftly and significantly. We don’t have to relinquish all our modern comforts and conveniences to see profound results. Transitioning from gas-powered to electric vehicles, coupled with more public transit, will maintain our newfound cleaner skies.
Let’s embrace this ripe opportunity to support the health of each other and our planet, by living simply. Hidden joys may be revealed.
Change is gonna come
What we need most now is a sense that we are on the same team with tough work ahead. Thanks to Gov. Inslee, our team in Washington state is putting up a good defense. But what we get from the President in the other Washington is polarization, diviseness, faulty logic and disinformation, and just general bad behavior we wouldn’t tolerate from our family or peers.
Little of what’s going on has anything to do with “shifty Shiff” or “sleepy Joe” or “that woman” any of the other childish boogey men and women Trump rails at. And it’s not all his fault either. But he is clearly the worst type of person to be “leading” this country right now, a narcissist specializing in avoiding debts and responsibility, completely unable to empathize with anyone, anyone at all.
Good things will come of this terrible episode. And some bad things, hopefully, will go.