Letters to the Editor: Feb. 4, 2022

Lucky to have her

Having watched the recent Yamhill County Board of Commissioners meeting, I am very thankful for the leadership provided by Lindsey Manfrin, the director of Yamhill County Health and Human Services. She provided a clear, concise and intelligent report of her department’s programs and its website, with a highlight of thoughtful changes made following the recent recommendations of the Yamhill County Board of Health.

Her job of overseeing the vaccination of Yamhill County citizens, thus saving them from themselves and the COVID-19 pandemic, could be compared to herding a bunch of stray cats while being pestered by a couple of rabid pit bulls. She has a tough job, but she performs it with grace, intelligence and persistence, while adhering to current scientific data as the virus evolves.

We are fortunate to have her.

Michael P. McCoy, MD

McMinnville

Informed consent

In response to the Jan. 28 commentary on ensuring freedom in health care:

Many of us are resistant in complying with the government. We should have informed consent and not be bullied into these mandates.

In addition, we have serious concerns about this particular vaccine.

Instead of pointing fingers at one another, perhaps we should stand together and ask some questions, such as: Did the worldwide mandates of masks, lockdowns, and vaccine stop this virus? How can we stop future viruses from being released? Are there more effective ways to treat viruses? Is there something I can do for myself to safely build my own immune system to resist future viruses?

Standing up for freedom in our health care choice is not about resisting just for freedom’s sake. It is about wanting to be able to make informed and educated health decisions for ourselves, without the threat of losing our jobs.

Complying with the government just to get it off our backs does not guarantee freedom, life or good health, especially when there is no compensation or accountability to the pharmaceutical companies.

Michael & Cindy Allen

McMinnville

Time to go

Have you ever had an unpleasant discourse with a rude agency representative who was gruff and autocratic? Well, we have one of those misanthropes ensconced in the McMinnville Police Department — the chief, Matt Scales.

For a month, I had been trying to arrange a short audience with Scales concerning a safety issue on Hembree Street. Finally, after repeated attempts, he returned one of my calls.

After a few minutes, I began to realize I might as well be talking to a brick wall. He is adept at stonewalling.

Perhaps it’s just me that he’s rude to, I don’t know. But he still refuses to meet with me.

When I tried to explain to him about the racing on our street, he repeatedly interrupted. He said he didn’t see a problem — even though a reckless driver recently careened out of control, drove over the curb and sidewalk, and took down 25 feet of fencing.

Children often walk home from school on our side of the street. The city could be liable if a fatality occurred there.

I also would like an apology from officer Cody Williams, who suggested I sell my home and move out of McMinnville if I couldn’t tolerate the noise from cars whose owners deliberately make them backfire. Is this kind of attitude that is prevalent in our police department?

Perhaps the department needs new leadership — a new representative, someone who is more flexible and accessible in order to maintain good public relations. It’s time to go, Matt.

Dan Hilbert

McMinnville

Show some respect

When I get angry about a political leader’s words or actions, I often remember an incident from the 1970s.

Gerald Ford was president, and someone made a critical comment about him in the lunchroom at my work. My boss, Richard, exploded angrily, basically told him to shut up, and went on to remind us about his history.

Richard was of German descent, but was living in Lithuania when the Russian communists took over there. It was really bad, so when Hitler and Stalin negotiated a treaty, he moved his family to Munich.

That ended up turning out even worse. He ended up in a Russian POW camp at half his normal body weight.

Finally released, he returned to Munich to find his family, who thought he had died. They pulled up stakes and moved again, this time to Seattle, Washington. “You people don’t know what bad government is!” Richard shouted. “No one badmouths America or the president of the United States in front of me!” Now I appreciate the value of freedom of speech, so I have to disagree with somewhat on that. But he was right about the need for us to appreciate our country and be more respectful of our leaders.

An important corollary is this: Our leaders need to be more respectful to their opponents. I say this as someone who didn’t vote for Biden, didn’t vote for Trump either time and have major disagreements with both of them on many topics. I was prompted by a “Let’s go Brandon!” sign in a neighbor’s yard.

Ken Watson

Yamhill

Fed up with lies

Anyone else sick to death of the outright lies? I sure know I am.

What’s the latest gem of a lie told last week by our two extremist county commissioners? Threatening e-mails regarding, yet again, masks, vaccines and good ol’ American freedoms.

But said threats are actually non-existent in the e-mails of county record, free for all to look up for themselves.

I’ve looked at them. I’ve read them. There are no threats.

So let’s discuss where these “threats” could possibly be. In personal e-mail?

If either commissioner received threatening e-mails in their personal accounts, with regards to their official paid duties, those threats should be made public so we can all review and evaluate them ourselves.

Specifically to Mary Starrett, I say: If there are threats, pony up the goods. Show us.

Personally, I’m willing to bet it’s all lies.

Lisa McCracken

McMinnville

Eve of destruction?

In 1965, Barry McGuire released a song titled “Eve of Destruction.” It framed the problems facing us this way:

The Eastern world it is explodin’

Violence flarin’, bullets loadin’

You’re old enough to kill but not for votin’

You don’t believe in war but what’s that gun you’re totin’?

And even the Jordan river has bodies floatin’

But you tell me over and over my friend

Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction

Don’t you understand what I’m trying to say?

Can’t you feel the fear that I’m feeling today?

If the button is pushed there’s no running away

There’ll be no one to save with the world in a grave.

Take a look around you boy, it’s bound to scare you boy.

But you tell me over and over again my friend

Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

Yeah, my blood’s so mad, feels like coagulatin’

I’m just sitting here contemplatin’

I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation

Handful of Senators don’t pass legislation

And marches alone can’t bring integration

When human respect is disintegratin’

The whole crazy world is just too frustratin’

Think of all the hate there is in Red China

Then take a look around to Selma Alabama

Ah, you my leave here for 4 days in space

But when you return, it’s the same old place

The poundin’ of the drums, the pride and disgrace

You can bury your dead but don’t leave a trace

Hate your nextdoor neighbor but don’t forget to say grace

And you tell me over and over again

You don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

Except for the voting age, it could have been written for today. Fifty-seven years, and most of the identified problems are worse than they were then.

Fred Fawcett

Lafayette

Remains to be seen

We recently observed the holiday of the MLK march to address their right to present their grievances.

The same occurred on Jan. 6, but this demonstration was labeled an insurrection. To read an unbiased version, The New American, published by the John Birch Society, fills the bill.

There are also sources for eye-opening exposure to the issues confronting us. It remains to be seen if that research will enlighten us more.

As Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Mary Novak

Yamhill