A healthy community
Dear editor:
COVID-19 has shown that a healthy health care system is critical to the future of our community.
Whether in response to a national pandemic, a routine check-up, a local hospital visit or the availability of Medicaid and Medicare, health care services are important for our community's well-being. Many health care services rely on population statistics collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. That is among the many reasons your response to the 2020 Census is so important. By responding, you help lawmakers decide how to fund health care and other programs, including new hospitals and health clinics, medical research and health insurance for children in our community.
So far, 55.9% of the households in Hot Springs and 57.1% of Garland County have responded to the 2020 Census, but we need to count everyone! Your response to the 2020 Census is also important for hospitals, health clinics, and other healthcare providers. Census statistics are used to decide where facilities should be opened and help providers apply for important grants.
I encourage you to respond promptly to the Census before the deadline of Sept. 30, if you haven't already. Respond today online at 2020census.gov, by phone, at 844-330-2020, or by mail and remind family and friends to respond, as well.
Those that have not responded to the Census by the deadline will be visited by a census taker in person at their home. Please respond to them when they knock on your door. They will have Census ID, will be wearing protective face masks, and will be following safety guidelines. Your response will help protect our community's health as well as ensure funding for many other federally-funded programs and critical public services for the community.
Esther M. Dixon
Justice of the Peace, District 3
Chair, Hot Springs Local Census Committee
'Jaw-dropping' idea
Dear editor:
Dr. Sternberg, did you take an oath when becoming a physician? Your published theory on letting herd immunity run its course -- that many, many more will die but normalcy and the economy will return more quickly -- is jaw-dropping! As the local Republican guru, I assume this reflects the views of many of your followers.
It would be so easy to list the temporary practices available to greatly slow this virus but the problem is not the practices but the stubborn, non-caring section of our country that does not believe and will not follow the practices. Your Republican president is greatly responsible because he cares much more about the economy and re-election than our citizens' lives; directly influencing those of you who blindly follow him.
P.S.: Many nations, taking and enforcing COVID prevention practices, have established very good track records to help contain the virus. Enforcing emergency, pandemic health rules is not a violation of anybody's civil rights; it is a right for all to have a safer nation until the medical solution is in place. We could do a lot better with national leadership!
Jim Pumphrey
Garland County
Credibility questions
Dear editor:
This is a response to the letter by Kate Jones (Thursday, Aug. 6) who attacked Ed "Rick" Cherry's letter (Monday, Aug. 3). The first thing with which I strongly disagree is how Ms. Jones repeated the falsehood that Noah Little put in his letter.
Mr. Little and Ms. Jones stated that "The Washington Post had determined that Donald Trump has told over 20,000 lies or misleading statements. ..." To that, I point out that The Washington Post has no credibility as far as reporting the truth! That rag of a newspaper habitually lies, deceives, and distorts the news. Therefore, what they have "determined" about President Trump supposedly telling 20,000 lies has no validity as all!
Gov. Mike Huckabee (who used to be a Baptist pastor) refers to The Washington Post as "The Washington Compost"! That clearly tells us what this honorable and truthful man thinks about that dishonest newspaper. So don't use this kind of newspaper as a reference against President Trump any more because it proves nothing with their so-called "facts!" The same thing applies to The New York Times (Slimes!).
Ms. Jones, you also stated that "a little research shows numerous news sources have determined the same thing (about Trump) in their own 'fact-checking.'" I noticed that you did not give us any of the names of all those "numerous news outlets!" Just who are they? Even if you should give us the names of these other news outlets, that still would not prove any of those false charges against President Trump. And why is that? Mature, discerning Christians know that all of the liberal mainstream news media are controlled by God's enemy, Satan!
The great majority of news sources habitually lie and deceive in their reporting. The people who work for many of those news outlets don't even realize that they are being controlled and used by the devil. Satan is known as "a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) There really is no in-between position spiritually speaking. A person either belongs to God (through Jesus Christ) or to Satan. The Bible tells us in 1st John 5:19 that "We (Christians) know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the power and control of the evil one." Did you get that? The Bible is telling us that everyone except Christians are under the power and control of Satan! The only one who can liberate someone from the bondage of Satan is God's Son, Jesus Christ. Until a person turns to Christ in repentance and faith, they are blinded by Satan's great power!
Still don't believe this? 2 Corinthians 4:4 says "The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel (God's Good News). ... "
The gospel is revealed to everyone, except to those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ. Turn to Christ today!
Lloyd Hoffman
Hot Springs
Truth is the issue
Dear editor:
"I am the way the Truth and the Life" – Jesus. I believe those words. Jesus is my teacher, my mentor and my savior.
On July 29, a letter reported that there was a rally scheduled for the following Saturday. It was called the "Jesus, Truth and Trump Movement." I was truly offended. I never saw a story that it was held so I don't know that it was held, that is not the issue. Truth is the issue.
It is a well-known fact that Trump consistently lied in his business dealings before becoming president. It is a well-known fact that he continued to lie while campaigning for office and the day he became president and to this day he continues to twist the truth, exaggerate and is deliberately dishonest.
America has changed drastically since Donald Trump won the office. He has reversed policies protecting the environment, he uses the military for his political objectives. He puts "America" at risk in our relationships with Russia and claims China and North Korea are our allies. He has no respect for "Law & Order" and provokes conflict and violence for political gain. When his lies are exposed, he denies he said it even when it's on his Twitter feed.
It is frightening and sad to see this emotionally and mentally ill man trying to deal with COVID-19. Once again, his lying and constantly rejecting what communicable disease doctors Debora Birx and Anthony Fauci and many other infectious disease scientists are telling him. He refuses to believe facts and lives in his own reality.
The issues are too numerous to mention them all in this limited space, most critical are: The spreading virus, the worsening economy, the absence of honesty and decency, the "Congress" that is neglecting its duty to function as it should, systemic racism, police brutality, schools fearful of opening and the list goes on and on.
Life will not get better by chance; it gets better by change. A change of governance is desperately needed. If we fail to bring about change by electing people to serve in public office with integrity, gifted with the abilities to bring about change we will lose the America we once knew. Our Democracy is in peril and our Republic is in danger of being lost.
Truth matters. Moral character and integrity matter. Competence matters. Elections matter, On Nov. 3, 2020, we the people are responsible for choosing change. The choice is ours to make. What kind of world do you want your children and grandchildren to live in? We owe it to all the future generations to give them a healthy and safe future. The question is what are you and I going to do? The choice is clear. Stay with the status quo and an authoritarian leader, heading toward a "dictatorship" or sensibly chose to keep our "Democratic Republic" from going over the cliff and losing all our hope for a better tomorrow.
George Lindholm
Hot Springs Village