Letters to the editor for Nov. 12
Honor veterans by ending war
Over 100 years ago, the world celebrated peace as a universal principle. The first World War had just ended and nations mourning their dead collectively called for an end to all wars. Nov. 11 was created as Armistice Day, “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated.”
In 1954, the U.S. Congress decided to rebrand Nov. 11 as Veterans Day. Honoring the warrior quickly morphed into honoring the military and glorifying war. Armistice Day changed from a day for peace into a day for displays of militarism under the guise of honoring veterans.
A day that celebrates peace is the best way to honor the sacrifices of veterans. As a veteran, I believe my service will have meaning only when future generations do not experience war’s destruction.
I ask my fellow Americans to remember the day’s original intent and demand an end to war. The threats facing our nation and the world will not be solved with bullets and bombs.
Mark Fleming, Olympia
When will the homeless situation change?
Wow. Not one sitting city council member in Olympia got voted out of office. Which clearly means a majority of the people who vote in this community are happy with the way things are. But how can that possibly be?
Our homeless camps have recently had beatings, knifings, and shootings that have resulted in multiple injuries and deaths. If this had happened in any other context within our city, citizens would have risen up and demanded action to prevent further mayhem. But when it comes to the homeless, apparently their lot in life gives them a bottomless get out of jail free card.
My fear is that it will take harm to some innocent citizen(s) walking along Deschutes Parkway to finally cause some action about our homeless camps, just like they don’t fix dangerous traffic situations until someone gets killed. But this would be an absolute epic failure of governance because the danger is so clear and present now.
Look, the people living along the Deschutes Parkway are street people. There are no children or families among the people living there, they are mostly just able-bodied adults, some of whom have mental health and addiction problems, but all who have chosen to live for free on the street. And because they are seldom held accountable for their actions, there they will stay.
Street people are worthy of sympathy, but not our aid.
Steve Shanewise, Olympia
Vaccinations around the world
After receiving my booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine, I read the Nov. 2 Associated Press article “COVID-19 Global Death Toll…” It reported that “Africa remains the world’s least vaccinated region with just 5% of the population of 1.3 billion fully vaccinated.” I have read that many of the vaccine products in lower income countries can be less effective — therefore, they need a booster more than I.
Not only is it a humane and moral obligation to get our less privileged citizens of the world fully and effectively vaccinated, it is also for our own good. Many of us have experienced delays from “global supply chain” issues related to the global pandemic. But more importantly, as long as the rest of the world lags behind in vaccine rates, there will be more variants, less economic stability and more deaths from treatable diseases like tuberculosis, due to the health-resource drain of COVID-19.
Let the White House and our Congress know that we need our own drug companies to provide global assistance. Moderna received $10 billion of our U.S. government dollars to develop and purchase product! The White House has pressured our U.S. companies to donate more global vaccines, but those doses promised may not be delivered until September 2022!
Moderna, and other companies need to ramp up sharing of technology for making effective vaccines. More effort must be made to help countries produce effective vaccines within their own borders so that shots into willing arms can happen sooner, not later, around the world.
Helen Henry, Olympia