Letters to the editor Oct. 4

Contact tracing

The recent explosion of active COVID-19 cases is undoubtedly due, in part, to our failure at adequately tracing contacts.

According to CDC guidelines, I had direct personal exposure to the virus — almost one and a half hours sitting in a small car with someone who is confirmed to have COVID-19, and who is now hospitalized.

It was almost 94 hours following my original exposure that I was contacted by the Flathead County Health Department. As a former RN married to a retired physician, I know exactly what I need to do to quarantine. But I wonder how many others go on to expose even more people before they are contacted by our health department. This concerns me, as I believe it should concern everyone.

—Sheryl Johnson, Whitefish

Sad and embarrassed

Where are we? Who are we?

I feel profound and sorrowful shame for my country, formerly a beacon of hope and light to the world. Now, after four years under Donald Trump, is there a person on the planet who still looks up to the United States of America?

Last week’s debate was a travesty and a disgrace that should make no one proud. It was characterized by one interruption after another; yelling, name-calling and finger-pointing, and behavior unsuitable for a dog fight, let alone a presidential debate.

Our “emperor,” spewing hate and anger and looking like he was about to explode, appeared without his clothes – totally naked for all the world to see and playing the role either of a churlish and totally out-of-control 6-year-old — or a clown. Take your pick. He attempted to dominate the debate, spending much of his time (and Joe Biden’s) arguing vociferously with the moderator who lost complete control of the debate early on.

And Joe Biden, who initially attempted to stay “on point” and maintain a modicum of cordiality and decorum, eventually lost his patience and was forced to resort to some of the same tactics as the incumbent — just to get a word in edgewise.

Once deeply admired among the nations of the world, the United States has become the object of pity – and our President, Donald J. Trump, has once again made of us a laughing stock.

—Darlene Frahm, Columbia Fall

Replace Chris Wallace with a robot

Amazon “employs” 100,000 robots that would have been a better debate moderator than Chris Wallace. He would not shut up after he asked a question. Viewers wanted to hear the candidates, not his squeaky Donald Duck voice talking over the candidates.

As for future debates: Robot controls the clock and the microphones. Robot would not talk. Robot would display the question in no more than 10 words. No need to repeat a question. Robot would never interrupt a candidate because Robot did not like the candidate’s answer.

Robot would allow 5 seconds for everyone to read the question. Then Robot would point an arrow at one candidate, turn on his microphone, and start the countdown clock. At the end of the countdown, Robot would switch the arrow and the open microphone to the other candidate.

What do I think of Trump’s answer to the climate question?

President Trump should have said, if squeaky Wallace would have allowed him:

“Economist Bjorn Lomborg - in his book ‘False Alarm’ - shows no amount of money spent on trying to control global temperature would have any measurable effect. He agrees that my plan to adjust to any effects of climate change is the most economical and moral.

“But new discoveries in climate science change the picture. Now we know nature controls CO2. Our CO2 has little effect. We are not responsible for climate change. We don’t need to fix it. There is no climate crisis. We should not spend money on a delusion.”

Of course, that quick statement will need much more explaining. Trump would have to do that explaining in his following news releases.

—Ed Berry, Bigfork

Resort’s uphill policy

Whitefish Mountain Resort charging walkers and hikers to pay a fee on public lands is a crazy concept.

If this can happen to people hiking up the mountain on the front side why can’t the skiers be charged a fee to use the snowmobile trail on the backside when returning to the lift?

It’s called public lands for a reason. Stop this nonsense.

— Sen. Dee Brown, Hungry Horse

Use common sense

Does it really matter where a person running for office was born? They are grown adults who have worked hard for the privilege to work for the good of the people.

Can’t we use our common sense to decide who is most worthy of our votes. Look at their abilities, education, accomplishments and past voting records. Listen when they speak, get what they say, not what is said about them.

If they spent years working for their millions and wants to share their wisdom to help our country or state, great! That is the kind of politicians we need; not the career politicians that do not have the know-how to run a business or earn a living the hard way. Again, I say let’s use our common sense.

—Fran McCarrel, Kalispell