Flying ‘Trump’ flag doesn’t make you more American
I have an observation and question. Do Trump supporters who fly his flag and the American flag think they are “more” American than citizens that don’t display the Trump flag? It sure appears that way! This is truly alarming if it is the case, and all it does is divide our country even more if this is what Trump supporters feel!
Jerry Bauer
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 8/29/20
Trump botched COVID-19 response, deserves blame
When Trump took office as president you could, as a U.S. citizen, travel to nearly any of the 195 countries in the world. Now? Well, not so much. Due partly to Trump’s bungling of the coronavirus pandemic, much of the world us closed to us. There are now only nine countries we can travel to with no restrictions, including the ever-alluring Albania, Kosovo and Serbia. Nine countries!
We can travel to 21 other countries if we adhere to significant restrictions like 14-day quarantines. Most of these countries are in the Caribbean.
The entire European Union is closed to us. Much of Africa is off limits. New Zealand? Australia? Most of South America? Forget it. Canada? Nope.
Remember when Trump said the virus would “go away?” Remember when he told us to drink bleach to fight it off? Remember when he was going to make America great?
Instead we have become the nation with the most COVID-19 infections and deaths. In the entire world. Trump deserves the blame for this more than any other person.
If you vote for Trump after all his corruption, lies and laziness, after his complete failure to protect U.S. citizens against this deadly disease, I feel sorry for you, and for my country.
Philip Knight
Bozeman
Important that citizens get counted, vote early
I skipped a lot of civics classes in high school and am discovering just how much I missed now at age 65. I guess better late than never, especially under dire threat to our democracy. Both the
census — the counting of population — and the postal service have been with us since our nation’s founding, in fact they are mandated in the Constitution as essential components of a working
democracy. The census is the tool for determining the population of each state and territory in order to ensure equal representation and distribution of federal services. During my lifetime Montana had two state representatives and then lost one. Now with population growth we could regain a representative but only if we count accurately. Due to covid we fell behind in our counting of rural populations and instead of getting an extension the deadline was moved up. This is unconstitutional and we need to demand a return to Oct. 31 in order to ensure an accurate count.
The postal service is also a part of the Constitution mandated in order to connect all people wherever they may live with the democratic process. Both the census and the P.O. are designed as
essential working components of our democracy and we need to defend both today. Make sure you respond to the census at www.census.gov or call 844- 330-2020 and call your representatives
about funding the postal service. Stand up and be counted today and vote early!
Eleanor Wend
Livingston
Refusing to wear a mask puts community at risk
“Men who wish to know about the world must learn about its particular details.” So said Heracleitus, the first rationalist western philosopher. What “particular details” do we know about COVID-19? We know it can survive on surfaces and can be transmitted by air. It can cause severe respiratory distress, often leading to death, in any age group. It has been identified as causing permanent neurological damage in children (as well as adults). It can cause unusual blood clotting in some cases, causing additional damage. It can cause a super immunological response damaging organs throughout the body.
That certain age groups and conditions are more vulnerable, but that no age group is invulnerable to this disease. That someone can be an asymptomatic disease carrier for up to two weeks.
These facts have been established over the course of the last several months. We also know from testing, and the experience of other countries, that mandatory masks combined with social
distancing measures can reduce the outbreak to the point where it is no longer perpetuating itself by community transmission.
Against that we have claims that requiring masks and social distancing is unconstitutional. Really? Nowhere in the Constitution does it say you have the right to be an asymptomatic virus
super-spreader. Quarantine laws have been upheld as constitutional – including requiring masks and social distancing – on multiple occasions. No constitutional right is absolute.
You can’t shout “fire” in a crowded theater. The privileges and immunity clause of the Constitution allows you to cross state lines, but you have to obey local speed limits (and local quarantine
laws). Under standard constitutional analysis, all a local quarantine law needs to show to be constitutional is a “rational basis.” Something Heracleitus would appreciate.
Protect yourself, your friends, family and community. Wear a mask.
Brian Close
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letters to the Editor 8/29/20
President has little in common with most in U.S.
Just how much do you, the common man, the patriotic, flag-waving American really have with Donald Trump? You think you relate. But truly, have you much in common with a president who sits on a gold toilet, has a personal hair dresser to color his hair and keep it sprayed in place? I can’t imagine the average American male can pay off mistresses with thousands of dollar payoffs?
The work ethic of most Americans supersedes this man’s. His time is spent watching TV shows when you are working to feed a family. Yet, you proudly vote for a man who has not read the Constitution and as commander-in-chief won’t read his national security reports if not in outline form with graphs.
Do you really consider journalists enemies of the people? Trump pretends he is one of you, but his friends are all millionaires. He is a TV personality with a talent for duping others. Our democracy is on the line, one he hopes you want to cross and eradicate, by convincing you that those who oppose him are your enemies too.
What other president ever, only considered himself leader of 41% of the nation? Just how much are you like him? Really?
June Safford
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 9/1/20