Letters to the editor for June 28
We need Jessica Bateman as our legislator
Even before the COVID crisis hit, we were in challenging times. And it’s an election year where how we vote really matters.
As the President proves every day, incompetent, self-serving leadership is a disaster. We have a history here of electing great legislative leaders in the 22nd District and it is urgent we again elect a proven, solutions-oriented state representative. That is why I am strongly supporting Jessica Bateman. We have other fine individuals running, but none have the experience Jessica does tackling problems and getting results in our community.
I worked with her closely along with a small group of housing leaders to develop and pass the Home Fund that is now a critical part of solving our immense affordable housing challenges. Jessica has served ably on the Olympia City Council, where members need to work together to get results. As mayor pro tem, she has worked with the cities of Lacey and Tumwater on the region’s challenges and has an impressive list of endorsements.
Most of all, I want someone who has progressive values and history, and is pragmatically focused and able to work within the Legislature to spur positive change on the social and environmental issues we all care about.
Paul Knox, Olympia
Thanks to our public health leaders
My thanks to Thurston County’s Acting Health Officer Dr. Diana Yu for mandating that face masks be worn in public. This move is a necessary strategy to suppress COVID-19 transmission as we emerge from our homes.
Mandatory masking matters because one-half of COVID-19 transmission occurs when there are no noticeable symptoms. COVID’s silent incubation period and asymptomatic carriers mean that we all should be wearing masks when we are around others. Face masks are not completely effective but they are an important tool to combat this virus, which could easily rebound in our community.
Americans are not cavalier about masks. Recent polling shows that nearly 70% of registered voters in the US support mandatory mask rules. I wear a mask to protect you. You wear a mask to protect me. I am grateful for our public health leaders who are working with us to beat COVID-19.
Nathaniel Jones, Olympia
Saving George Floyd
Katy Tur on MSNBC raised a significant concern with respect to the death of Mr. George Floyd. She wondered if she would have had the presence of mind and the intestinal fortitude to physically move or force the police officer off of Mr. Floyd’s neck. I see on her bio she is 5-foot-2 and on the petite side. So, maybe she could have helped, or maybe not.
The larger question for me is what would I do. I would hope that I would have taken action. At 6 feet and 175 pounds I could have moved the officer off him. This is certainly an unusual and dangerous prospect. But as a nation this is where we are. The poor judgment of the officers in NYC with respect to the Eric Garner incident, and now the criminal behavior of the officers in Minneapolis have put us in this position as citizens.
What would you do to protect the rights of another? Are we a free people, or are we not?
Nick Bond, Thurston County