Election Workers
Dear Editor: The Division of Elections Region I Office would like to thank all of our election workers who served in their community for the 2020 elections.
Your service was invaluable; we commend you all for serving in such unprecedented times. We appreciate your hard work and dedication in serving the voters of your community and are proud to have worked alongside you.
Lauri Wilson,
Region I Election Supervisor
Getting Vaccinated
Dear Editor: Daily we do things without giving it any thought. Take going to the tap and getting a glass of water. How do you know the water has just the right amount of chlorine in it, enough to kill the bacteria that would be harmful to you, but not enough chlorine to make you sick? Without even giving a second thought, we not only trust the technicians that oversee the machinery that adds the chlorine, but you also trust the science behind the chlorine to water ratio.
How about flipping on a light switch or plugging in your toaster. We blindly trust that the right voltage and frequency will be delivered to our houses. Since I spent many years working for a power company, I can tell you, unknowingly, we are trusting a whole slew of people. People like engineers, powerhouse operators, mechanics, linemen, and linewomen. We are also trusting the government regulators who oversee and enforce standards set forward by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
What about the gasoline we put in our automobiles? How do you know you are getting the octane you paid for, or did you really get a gallon of gas? Once again, we trust the science of refining the crude oil into gas, and government regulators, too, like the EPA, FERC, and the National Bureau of Standards.
There are regulations that set standards for the food we eat, the medications we take, the soap we use, our toothpaste, and even the containers the aforementioned comes in. We trust those regulations without any hesitation.
So, why don’t many people trust the science behind the coronavirus vaccine or listen to the experts regarding the warnings about COVID-19? Doesn’t it make sense to trust people like Dr. Fauci over some unknown person who is posting on social media?
At first blush, I can understand why there may be some hesitation over the COVID-19 vaccine. After all, it was developed in record time, and using RNA is a new approach to vaccines. However, one must also recognize scientists have been studying using RNA as a base for vaccines for over 20 years. Plus, this is the first time we have faced a worldwide pandemic in 100 years. Fortunately, governments around the world recognized the world’s economy depends on the vaccine. So, they funded Warp Speed and other fast-track developments. Fortunately, several pharmaceutical companies, universities, government regulators, and others stepped up to the plate and sped up the development of these very promising vaccines. At least in the United States, the above mentioned did this following standard protocols and without cutting necessary corners.
Just like I trust my local utilities and the government agencies that regulate them, I will be trusting the scientific foundations for the vaccine and the Food and Drug Administration. That’s why I gladly rolled up my sleeve and got the first jab of the Pfizer vaccine, and in a couple of weeks, I’ll once again gladly get the second jab.
Marcel LaPerriere, Sitka
Stop the Steal
Dear Editor: The presidential election was stolen from the American people. The Declaration of Independence states that “All men are created equal.” The U.S. government should make no law or let a policy exists that diminishes that right that we uphold most dear.
However, my vote for president of the United States that I cast in Alaska is worth more than a person voting for president in California, Texas or New York. This is a diminishment of people’s rights.
A person with less votes under our present system of democracy has more right in a less populated state. This may be fine to keep the states independent but when voting for a leader of all the people in the United States is a far cry from a true democracy. In a ‘‘true democracy’’ the majority should rule. Not the minority. This minority rule is more closely related to a dictatorship than a democracy, where in a dictatorship the minority rules or has power over the majority. The electoral college is in line with this diminished democracy. In the days of the Pony Express I can see how this is beneficial and a handy tool, but in the 21st century it is obsolete and restricting people’s rights. Therefore, the election of 2016 was STOLEN from the American people where the person with the minority of votes was declared the winner.
If we are a democracy of the people, by the people and for the people of the United States then the person with the most votes must be declared the winner.
Let’s stop the steal and get rid of the electoral college. Give the presidency back to the people of the United States.
Mike Mayo, Sitka
