To the Editor:
Re “Idaho Imposes Its Covid Crisis on a Neighbor” (entrance web page, Sept. 14):
Tales like this infuriate me. We all know now that the majority of these Covid circumstances which are overstuffing Idaho’s hospitals and spilling over into neighboring states contain those that refuse to be vaccinated.
Folks with coronary heart assaults or strokes and victims of auto accidents are dying or having their lives threatened as a result of there is no such thing as a room in a hospital for them due to the anti-vaxxers filling the wards.
My spouse and I adopted all the principles, however obtained contaminated anyway. We toughed it out at dwelling, surviving on Tylenol. Admittedly, we had been among the many fortunate ones who survived with out hospitalization or the medicines that the well-known and wealthy have obtained, and we have now had few aftereffects. However I would need it on nobody.
So, when you consider Covid is a hoax and that the vaccine is a plot towards you and also you get contaminated, do the clever individuals a favor and keep out of our hospitals. In any case, you’re robust and you understand it’s all a hoax.
Edward Gallardo
Solar Metropolis West, Ariz.
To the Editor:
As a household doctor and educator for greater than 30 years, I’ve come to equate the continued Covid pandemic with battle. Amongst well being care suppliers there are experiences of ethical harm just like these reported by veterans.
I see it in myself, my colleagues and my trainees. I’ve all the time tried to mannequin and educate resilience. Covid has challenged my skill to take action. There may be a lot struggling and loss of life that had been preventable if solely our authorities had targeted on public well being.
How will we reckon with a dysfunctional, underresourced public well being system? How will we reckon with native, state and nationwide leaders who don’t act in one of the best curiosity of these they serve? How will we reckon with group members, colleagues, neighbors, family and friends who don’t make the alternatives to guard themselves and others? How will we reckon with our personal ongoing anger, worry and grief? How then will we preserve, mannequin and educate resilience?
Amongst my many, many fears about this pandemic and people prone to observe is a surge of psychological well being issues and suicides throughout the well being care employee group.
Hearken to our cry for assist. Do every thing doable to cease Covid and provides us respite.
Nancy Bermon
New York
To the Editor:
Re “Covid Hospitalizations Hit Crisis Levels in Southern I.C.U.s” (graphic, Sept. 14):
In Southern intensive care models, care is clearly being rationed. Life-sustaining companies are being delayed, diluted in high quality and even denied due to staffing and mattress shortages.
Questions surrounding the Covid-19 vaccine and its rollout.
The query is whether or not this rationing is going down in an advert hoc, covert and suboptimal method. Will I.C.U. and E.R. docs and nurses turn into what the political scientist Michael Lipsky calls “street-level bureaucrats” going through restricted time and sources, but possessing huge discretion over life-or-death companies? The end result can solely be an exhausted, demoralized and morally distressed hospital employees.
Though there’ll all the time be a spot for particular person skilled discretion, it’s as much as hospitals and in the end state governments to offer clear, clear and legally supportable tips for making the robust decisions concerned in affected person triage. To this point, few have accepted their duties.
Martin A. Strosberg
Schenectady, N.Y.
The author is a former professor of well being care coverage at Union Faculty and Clarkson College.
Senator Sherrod Brown, on the Baby Tax Credit score
To the Editor:
Re “Some Parents Say No to a Bigger Child Credit,” by Patrick T. Brown (Opinion visitor essay, Sept. 16):
Speak to any dad and mom and they’re going to inform you: Elevating youngsters is figure. The kid tax credit score is all about honoring the dignity of that work.
For many years, Wall Avenue and Washington have perpetuated a system that doesn’t worth work or the individuals who do it. Wages have been too low, and fogeys can’t sustain with the excessive price of elevating children, irrespective of how onerous they work. We’re altering that, and making dad and mom’ onerous work repay.
Most of the Ohio dad and mom I hear from are utilizing these tax cuts to afford baby care, to allow them to go to work and supply a greater future for his or her children.
Sherrod Brown
Cleveland
The author, a Democrat, is a U.S. senator from Ohio.
Counterterrorism Is Counterproductive
To the Editor:
Re “A War Rages On in the Shadows” (entrance web page, Sept. 11):
I used to be interviewed for this text, however my viewpoint that these wars are counterproductive was hardly touched on. As an alternative, the article highlighted that “specialists” argue that counterterrorism actions past Afghanistan and Iraq have been successful.
Costs of War Undertaking analysis means that it might be onerous to search out proof to again up this declare. Since 9/11, U.S. counterterrorism overseas has been one of many main drivers of Islamist militant recruitment.
U.S. counterterrorism operations, particularly drone strikes, trigger blowback. Worldwide, there are more Islamist militant groups, and extra recruits to these teams, than there have been earlier than 9/11. Historical research exhibits {that a} navy method has infrequently been efficient in addressing terrorist violence.
It’s alarming that this text gives the look that the US ought to have interaction in these counterterrorism operations in lots of international locations, simply because the U.S. is drawing down in Afghanistan.
Stephanie Savell
Windfall, R.I.
The author is co-director of the Prices of Battle Undertaking at Brown College.
A ‘Disappointing’ Democratic Tax Plan
To the Editor:
Re “Plan to Tax Rich Aims at Incomes, Not Big Fortunes” (entrance web page, Sept. 14):
The Democrats in Congress have offered some particulars about their plans to revise the U.S. tax code which are very disappointing. Specifically, they plan to proceed to tax capital good points at a decrease fee than they tax wages and to proceed to keep up an especially complicated tax system, each of which profit the wealthy who finance the political campaigns of those that write our tax legal guidelines.
The revenue for many wealthy individuals is in actual fact capital good points, and there’s no good financial cause to tax that revenue at a decrease fee than the identical revenue earned in wage. The complexity of our tax system is for one goal and one goal solely: It provides Congress the chance to provide advantages to some taxpayers that it doesn’t give to others and offers a approach to cover these advantages from most of the people.
Democrats ought to really feel ashamed about lacking a possibility to simplify the federal tax system and make it honest for everybody.
Russell A. Simpson
Laredo, Texas
The author is a retired lawyer and a former assistant dean of Harvard Legislation Faculty.
Medicare for All Is the Ticket to Good Well being Care
To the Editor:
In “Pediatric Cancer Shouldn’t Bankrupt Families” (Opinion visitor essay, Aug. 6), Andrew Kaczynski relates that though he misplaced his daughter to most cancers, given their “ample financial savings and wonderful medical health insurance,” his household “was one of many fortunate ones.”
Not each American is lucky sufficient to have ample financial savings, however what they need to have — and what the residents of each different superior nation have already got — is well being care that’s each common and reasonably priced.
Well being care specialists right here have for many years been pushing for simply such a system, particularly, single-payer “Medicare for all.” This might be government-funded however privately delivered well being care, with contributions primarily based on revenue, with not one of the out-of-pocket prices that forestall so many people from getting well timed, vital medical care.
We’ve got a medical health insurance system the place you should purchase solely the well being care you’ll be able to afford. What we want is a medical health insurance system the place you will get all of the care you want to get higher: Medicare for all is the appropriate prescription for the nation to do precisely that.
Jay D. Brock
Fredericksburg, Va.
The author is a retired household doctor.
