Outside Agitation
Dear Editor: I am disgusted that abuse of the Sitka mask policy has been allowed to go on.
I demand that the city enforce the existing, and when passed, proposed extension of the mask mandate. This means that all persons attending a public meeting will be masked from entry to exit from the building. No exceptions. Enforcement must be in place at both the building entry and in the Assembly chambers.
Further, all of the rules of public comment must be enforced in order to protect the process and the rights of all who have taken the time to attend the public meeting.
No bullying or catcalling can be allowed and violators are to be ejected immediately. One warning at start of meeting. This is required by our charter, and the charter must be enforced.
Failing this you are asking for the violation of the democratic process. Please make the necessary announcements and plan for adequate enforcement personnel.
Help our city return to the political process and do the hard work of enforcement.
Thank you for your time.
Jim Steffen, Sitka
Personal Rights
Dear Editor: I long ago forgot the name of my eighth-grade civics teacher, but I’ll never forget what she said about one’s rights.
She said, “In the USA, one’s rights stop at the end of their noses. When you start stepping on someone else’s feet, your rights end.” Well, over a half-century later, I still agree with her words. So, wouldn’t this also apply to wearing a mask? If you exhale the COVID virus when not wearing a mask, and that makes me sick, then haven’t you infringed on my rights to breathe virus-free air? I sure think so, and I bet my eighth-grade civics teacher would too.
Please wear a mask and consider the rights of people like me who likely wouldn’t survive COVID.
Marcel LaPerriere, Sitka
Letter Response
Dear Editor: I just read a letter from a gentleman asking “if we have a mask mandate, how come we have so many COVID cases” implying a mandate doesn’t work. There is no mandate in some grocery stores, and I saw quite a few maskless people in the one I used to go to. We also have a large influx of cruise ships, and while some visitors are wearing masks, many aren’t. And, unfortunately for Sitka, with or without a mandate, many people just won’t wear one.
Governor Dunleavy just enacted Crisis Standards of Care for all of Alaska, meaning there are so many COVID patients (the vast majority are unvaccinated) that the doctors now must decide who has the highest chance of survival. That person gets treatment, the others get palliative care.
Mask mandates are not the answer – vaccinations are. But masks offer some level of protection. Even if just one person’s life was saved by wearing a mask, if it was your loved one – your wife, your husband or your child – wouldn’t the small inconvenience of wearing a mask be worth it to you?
Kris Hoffmann, Sitka
‘Walk for Recovery’
Dear Editor: September is National Recovery Month and to honor those in recovery, our community is hosting a masked and socially distanced “Walk for Recovery” on Saturday, Sept. 25, starting at 10 a.m. in front of Centennial Hall. Community resources, button making in honor of recovery and a limited number of free purple T-shirts will be available. Purple is the official color of Recovery Month.
Recovery is for everyone because it benefits everyone. In recovery, we build new connections to ourselves, our families, and our communities.
The 2021 National Recovery Month theme, “Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community,” reminds people in recovery and those who support them that recovery belongs to all of us.
We are all called to end gatekeeping and welcome everyone to recovery by lowering barriers to recovery support, creating inclusive spaces and programs, and broadening our understanding of what recovery means for people with different experiences.
While it may be tempting to characterize recovery as a universal experience or single journey, our community is proof there are as many pathways to and of recovery as there are people. Our strength is our diversity and because of who we are, the recovery community has unique opportunities to learn, challenge, grow and dream. By expanding traditional, limited conceptions of recovery, which center on white, heterosexual, cisgender, religious, wealthy perspectives, we enrich everyone’s experience.
Mental health and substance use disorder are not one-size-fit all conditions, nor do they affect everyone equally. Culturally competent multilingual resources and gender-expansive programs should acknowledge and include LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning), BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), and other historically marginalized community members.
Looking beyond our individual experiences strengthens and supports recovery in all its forms. The recovery community has a powerful foundation of mutual aid, peer support, and adaptability. As we grow in empathy and understanding, we save lives by adding protective factors and building resiliency. We honor the incredible contributions from communities within recovery as groups connect and implement resources that serve their unique needs.
The powerful bonds built in recovery are life-altering. To honor those bonds, in every form they take, is a significant factor in sustaining recovery as well as building bridges between our communities. When we connect with open minds and hearts, we learn from one another and create life-saving opportunities.
Loyd Platson, Sitka
