Letters to the Editor for January 2, 2021

Canada got it right, the U.S. got it wrong

Canada, with a population of 38 million, has had 15,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19. That's one death for every 2,500 Canadians.

The United States, with a population of 330 million, has had 330,000 COVID-19 deaths. That's one death for every 1,000 Americans.

In the beginning, Canada and the United States faced the same problem, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the bull by the horns and tackled the problem at the national level.

Meanwhile President Donald Trump wasted weeks doing nothing, claiming that the virus was a Chinese hoax that would magically go away all by itself.

The states had to pick up the slack, but most Republican governors followed Trump's lead and did nothing, not even wearing a mask or social distancing themselves. Doing the math, it's clear that had Trump taken Trudeau's proactive approach from the start, 132,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19 would still be alive.

That is President Trump's legacy.

Rich Dunn

Carson City

‘The most diverse cabinet in history’

President-elect Biden promised the most diverse cabinet in history, and he's delivering on that promise. For example, he nominated former mayor and former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg to be his Secretary of Transportation. Buttigieg has no experience in the transportation sector. He couldn't even get potholes fixed in his own hometown. What are his special qualifications for this job? Perhaps it is the simple fact that he is married to a man.

Biden has nominated Denis McDonough to be the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Usually this post goes to a veteran so that veterans have some respect for the secretary, but not in this case. McDonough is not a veteran, but simply a player who is getting his political payback.

Biden has nominated John Kerry to be the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change. Kerry knows something about carbon emissions as he owns 12 mansions, 16 automobiles, two yachts and a jet aircraft. Kerry will want you to reduce your carbon footprint, however.

There was a time when we sent the “Best and Brightest” to Washington, D.C. to work on the nation’s problems. This has been replaced by identity politics and political payback and this trend must be stopped.

Ron Landmann

Carson City

Deaths could have and should have been prevented

In a recent TV appearance, Gov. Sisolak said; “At the University of Washington, they estimated that as of Nov. 30, 74 percent of Nevadans always wear a mask when leaving their home. More importantly, the report noted that if we got that number to 95 percent compliance, we could potentially save 1000 lives by April 1”.

If wearing face masks could save the lives of a thousand Nevadans, what is preventing the governor from making them mandatory? Of course the “Trumpsters” would scream that he’s trampling on their civil liberties but I’m sure they're already unhappy being required to have a drivers license, forbidden to park in front of a fire hydrant or having to vaccinate their children before they are allowed to attend school.

The death toll from the pandemic is now over 300,000 nationwide; I wonder how many of these deaths could have been prevented if everyone had put the public welfare ahead of their personal comfort and vanity?

John O’Neill

Minden

Looking forward to a better 2021

In the past, we have used the holidays as a celebration of being together, of the end of a year. With the year 2020, we have all faced our personal limits and found strength in making it through them. While the challenges we face as a community, a state, a country, and a world may seem positively overwhelming I would urge us all to take a moment and look back at the challenges we have already overcome.

In many ways this year has proven that we are all human and that in order to make it through this we need to work together, not apart. (And by together I do mean socially distanced and/or wearing a mask!)

While we all know that the end of 2020 will not be the end of our problems let's use the holidays to look back on and look forward to better times. Let's use this time to video chat with loved ones and remind each other that it is OK to not be OK. Let's use this time to donate to causes that help families affected by this virus as if they are loved ones; because as a matter in fact, they are.

So many lives have been lost this year it is hard to feel hope, but I personally think the holiday season is all about reflecting on and looking forward to the hope that was and the hope that is yet to come. So Happy Holidays to everyone and from my family to yours, may you find that hope again in 2021. I look forward to seeing everyone in the new year.

Caleb Schadeck

Carson City

More coordinated effort needed to fight virus

I seriously doubt that a sufficient number of Carson City residents are cognizant of the fact that one out of every 12 Carson City residents has been diagnosed with the coronavirus. Our community is the most seriously impacted area in Nevada and undoubtedly is one of the worst localities in the nation. This is not a time to criticize city and state officials, but more appropriately a time to ban together in a constructive manner to ascertain what can be done to alleviate the disaster that is upon us.

I feel strongly that with the proper assistance and support of our governor, city leaders, physicians and hospital management we should be able to immediately help this critical situation.

In essence, I feel a coordinated effort must be strategically organized with the objective of creating a realistic plan to help Carson City better survive the upcoming months. I certainly realize the possibility exists that many of our local businesses would be negatively impacted and that proper sensitivity should be shown to all of them. However, that does not mean that serious steps and proper action should not be taken in order to make the lives of Carson City residents safer.

I realize that our governor has the primary responsibility for all aspects of the pandemic relating to Nevada, but further direction is needed with the entire community informed and involved.

Martin J. Fischer

Carson City