Letters to the editor for July 1

Why bother with a toothless mandate?

I am wondering why Thurston County issued a mandate for all Thurston County residents to wear face masks when out in public? What does “public” mean? I thought it meant outside one’s home. Apparently Yelm’s Walmart and Safeway don’t think so. They will not comply with the edict. Their comments were, “If you want to wear a mask when you come in, you may.” That is a cop-out in this time of uncertainty.

Many local stores are giving out masks to those without one for the safety of all concerned. I can only speculate that these big-box stores don’t care about our health, just the almighty dollar.

Constance Smith, Rainier

Privacy and contact tracing

I am in wonder at the fear some have regarding privacy issues with tracking coronavirus cases as one tool in fighting this deadly disease. If you are on Facebook or Twitter, have a cell phone, cruise the internet, or use a Safeway Club Card, you’ve already laid out your life before the world. While most of this information is used for marketing, it does give whomever intelligence on individuals by gathering facts into a portrait of a person.

How much toilet paper you buy at Safeway, or the picture of the wonderful dinner you are posting to Facebook probably isn’t going to lead to the dreaded knock at your door at 3 a.m., nor is it going to be a potentially life threatening event, but the privacy issues we have surrendered since 9/11 could be.

Please focus on what is real, what is or is not a threat, think, analyze, and decide. In other words, wear a mask, be careful, consider other people and let us work together not only on the virus but in all things. Thanks.

Denny Johnston, Olympia

Mr. Trump and the WHO

Mr. Trump’s use of presidential power to deny funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) is extremely distressing.

His stated motivation is to get revenge for WHO for working closer with China than the United States during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not clear what demands he has made on WHO, but he has declared that WHO did not meet his demands, so he is withdrawing US support.

This is a time when all programs that support health projects in the world need more support, not less. As individual countries turn their resources to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO’s ongoing programs that are battling AIDS, malaria, TB; providing vaccinations for polio, measles, etc.; and supporting clean water initiatives and other vital programs need our support.

Withdrawing financial support for Mr. Trump’s stated reasons is mere bullying, not compassionate and financially sound management of the resources of our country.

I am writing letters to Rep. Denny Heck and Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to request they reverse the US defunding of WHO, if possible. I will also remind them to be sure our current budget appropriations for the Global Fund for malaria, TB and AIDS, the Global Fund for Education, and GAVI (vaccination support for polio, measles, etc.) are provided and even increased at this time of COVID-19 strain on worldwide resources. Please join me.

Lorraine Barton-Haas, MD, Tumwater