'Unsettling' sight
Dear editor:
We live in Fountain Lake and on Saturday morning my husband and I drove through downtown Hot Springs on our way to breakfast. Bathhouse Row was very crowded with visitors. I noticed that very few had masks and there was little social distancing. I found this a little unsettling since I would guess that many of these visitors are from out of town. No wonder our COVID numbers are up here in Garland County.
Renee Puskas
Hot Springs
Still no perfect solution
Dear editor:
Jim, I really enjoy a good debate concerning something I have said and also advocated. But I don't enjoy it when I am accused of saying something I didn't, especially when it leads to a personal attack.
You accuse me in your letter of advocating for a certain solution (stopping all mitigation except for those at risk) by stating: "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!"
First, the title of my letter was "Two Lousy Solutions" implying I was not in favor of either and both had problems. I also stated that stopping all mitigation "is probably effective, but to most, unacceptable" since some would recommend this. I never wrote that this was what I advocated. What I did scientifically was to give two actual theories on how to end this pandemic -- that's not me being evil, it's me being intellectually honest.
You then impugn me as a physician for not following my oath. And then throw in that I'm a Republican and you attack President Trump despite my never bringing up either of those in my letter.
You then imply in your letter that some countries have done better than others by "taking and enforcing COVID prevention practices."
Let me state again that statistically, no country has really done that much better no matter what they've tried compared to the U.S., which I assume you think has done poorly (a few seem better but their reporting systems are poor). Of all major countries, the U.S. ranks eighth in the number of deaths/million (and the U.S. would be even better if you exclude New York City/State).
Let me also not forget to point out that the present mitigation solution is still leading to many more deaths per day/week/month as would solution two.
Finally, to be objective in pursuit of truth rather than emotion, Sweden from the beginning has used the second solution. Their deaths/million are 570; not much worse than the U.S. at 499 and better than Spain (610), U.K. (686) and Italy (582). So, without me personally advocating for the second solution, shouldn't our leaders, scientists and doctors consider it since it doesn't objectively produce worse results but allows life to get back toward normal relatively quickly?
Jack Sternberg, MD
Hot Springs
Too numerous to count
Dear editor:
"Too numerous to count." This phrase can refer to the number of the stars in the sky, the grains of sand on the beach, and sometimes to characterize the number of Trump's misrepresentations to the American public. This last characterization, of course, is unwelcome to some and seems to justify vilifying the reporters of such facts as the puppets of Satan.
According to one writer (Mr. Lloyd Hoffman, Sunday, Aug. 9), anyone referencing unassailable facts in an effort to enumerate President Trump's misleading statements is serving Satan. First, in his letter to the editor, Mr. Hoffman criticizes Kate Jones (Thursday, Aug. 6) for relying on The Washington Post's reporting of Mr. Trumps' misleading statements because, as he says, that newspaper has no validity. He supports his argument by citing to former Gov. Huckabee's belittling nickname for the Post; the "Washington Compost." Apparently, for Mr. Hoffman, the former governor's opinion transcends that of other mortals because he was a Baptist pastor (well, yes ... decades ago before becoming a politician turned TV celebrity and multi-millionaire).
Next, Mr. Hoffman criticizes Ms. Jones for failing to cite her sources when subsequently conducting research to verify the Post's reporting of Trump's lies. But Mr. Hoffman himself offers nothing, other than an unflattering nickname, to support his maligning not only of The Washington Post, but the "great majority of news sources" available to the free world. Oddly, he seems to say that even if Ms. Jones had cited her references, he wouldn't believe them because "(m)ature, discerning Christians know that all of the liberal mainstream news media are controlled by God's enemy, Satan!"
I am not certain who among us is serving Satan when unsubstantiated attacks are launched against the free press. But I do believe that undermining the credibility of the free press for reporting incontrovertible fact is an attack on our democratic principles and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. And because my Bible teaches me to love my neighbor, I decline to resort to it as a weapon to bludgeon my neighbor when he says something offensive to me.
Ellen Carpenter
Hot Springs