Letter to the Editor - We used to be better than this

Editor,

There is an old cabinet in our shop building with the letters “VA DAY” on the front. It’s a reminder of a time when Americans came together and made personal sacrifices for their country. Many joined the military, others went to work in weapons factories, but every American made a personal sacrifice. Rations were imposed on everything from meat and sugar to firewood and penicillin. The first thing to go was the family car. There was no gas and the government needed the rubber from your tires.

Now, facing a crisis with an unseen enemy, America has failed. Months into a pandemic that has killed over a quarter million people, we are still arguing about whether this is real or not, whether masks work, and whether or not someone’s “personal choice” gives them the right to endanger the lives of everyone else. In a morass of disinformation and outright lies, we have taken a left turn into an alternate reality where everyone is their own expert – or at least their neighbor or “friend” on Facebook is. We have lost the idea of the common good, and we evidently don’t understand exponential numbers or science either.

Masks can reduce the spread of the virus by up to 80 percent and they can protect both the wearer and those around them. Save a life. Wear a mask. But, be forewarned, our inability to assess risk and listen to the science has already cost us. We have, to date, failed to do what is necessary. Let’s not continue on this path. Once upon a time, we were better than this.

Carolyn Anderson

Havre