OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: His death not proof | Was good start, but... | One-sided comments

His death not proof

The news of Colin Powell's death had hardly been announced before the foil-hatted anti-vaxxers started pointing to his passing as "proof" that vaccines are useless and potentially harmful.

This is not surprising ... these shameless miscreants thrive on spreading disinformation and outright lies. They damage humanity every day by their actions. They have indelible blood on their hands. Truth be told, while Powell didn't die because he was vaccinated, he may well have died because someone else wasn't.

Vaccines save lives. Disinformation kills.

DREW JANSEN

Little Rock

Was good start, but...

I must reply to the letter titled "That global warming" from Ray Hightower. In his opening paragraph, he credentials himself as having a bachelor of science in geology. I'll see his BS and raise him with my master of science degree in geology.

He gets off to a good start summarizing the fact that climate change is a part of Earth history through geologic time, and reminding us that global warming obviously occurred during the end of the latest Ice Age. The northern half of North America and much of Europe and Asia were covered with ice during the Pleistocene Epoch; now it's mostly gone. He also notes that sea level rose during that time. That's increasing now.

Toward the end of Mr. Hightower's letter, he mentions man-made (anthropogenic) global warming, referring to bonfires built by Neolithic people. He must know that any effect "cavemen" might have had on climate pales in comparison to what we've done since the dawn of the Industrial Age.

Unfortunately, it appears to me that he and some other geologists, as well as many other people, fall into a logical fallacy: that of false dichotomies. They feel that global warming must be due either to natural causes, or to human activities. They forget that both factors can act at the same time. Natural climate change happens, and we are making it worse. Much worse. The planet is warming at an alarmingly increasing rate.

Any responsible geologist should be sounding alarm bells about what's coming. We should move cities and industry inland, develop new agricultural areas and practices, make our water use much more efficient, and finally reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Our children and further descendants are depending on us to act.

ART BROWNING

North Little Rock

One-sided comments

I agree with much of what Mr. Mike Masterson said about common sense. However, his comments were one-sided.

I submit the following as also common sense: (1) vaccinations stop pandemics; (2) global warming is causing climate change on Earth; and (3) people who stormed the American Capitol should not be treated as heroes but as people who were trying to subvert democracy.

Both sides of the political spectrum lack common sense. That's why I am a moderate independent. Please join me in the middle. It's where the common sense is.

DOUG BARBER

Wooster

It doesn't make sense

Nobody seems to have the answer to convince hesitant or anti-vax Americans to get a vaccine, and unfortunately, I don't believe there is one. Some "anti" people dying of covid won't even acknowledge it and get mad at their medical providers for saying so. A now deceased high school friend did this.

Most Republicans used to profess to believe in science and sacrifice. Now I'm not sure if some believe in either, unless it's sacrifice in genuflection to Donald Trump. They wage social media war on doctors who advocate vaccines or masks, and now they're screaming at school boards and anyone else who believes in science. Remember when people bragged their kids were tougher? Now putting a mask on a child is considered abuse. Tucker Carlson literally tells us to report people whose kids wear masks, and rails against mandates. Of course, Fox News has a vaccine mandate, and if you turn the cameras around from Tucker, you'd probably find masks. Tucker won't tell us if he's vaccinated, but everyone on "Fox and Friends" says they are. I'm betting Tucker was at the front of the line, but "anti" sells.

Many of the people who refuse suggest it's a constitutional "right," but since George Washington force-vaccinated his troops for smallpox in 1777, it's unlikely he or anyone else intended such a right. Some people tell us about a religious "right," but in a WWJD moment, it's hard to imagine telling people they have the right to do whatever they want when it risks the rest of the population. Some believe the virus is a Chinese Communist Party bio-weapon. At the same time, they tell us they won't wear a mask or take a vaccine. While our own experts tell us it was not (accidental release is still not clear), it's hard to imagine people who actually believe it was intentional, and yet refuse to take action to stop it. Our response must be an epiphany for Xi Jinping and the CCP!

It's as if our soldiers in World War I had seen the mustard gas coming and decided they wouldn't wear a gas mask. I'm sorry, it just doesn't make sense.

GREG ROUNTREE

Scott

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