Give others a thought

Having recently been informed of my positive test for coronavirus, I spent several days dreading whatever trajectory the disease might take with my husband and me. After a few days, I was counting myself amongst the lucky ones whose symptoms seemed rather mild — not life-threatening at all.

Then, a few days before I was to be through with my quarantine, I began to get debilitating headaches. Nothing I took seemed to help, and last night, I spent the night on the couch with a heating pad wrapped around my head. Sleeping is impossible and the headaches linger throughout the day to a lesser extent. Needless to say, I dread the nights — with no idea how long these might last. I have heard anecdotal tales of the headaches lasting for months--along with the accompanying weakness and dizziness.

I am someone who thought I was being very careful — wearing a mask most of the time and always when I was in a public space. I, however, made the mistake of being lax when I was among the few friends and family I have encountered in the last few months — and, unfortunately, contracted the virus — most likely from my son who visited for my birthday mid-October. They don’t seem to take the mask thing very seriously in Wyoming.

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why people are so against the minor inconvenience of donning a mask to protect others. There is plenty of documented evidence that masks do help control the spread of the virus. The virus is not political! It doesn’t care if you are a Trump-lover or not. You do not want to give this to your friends or your mom or your grandpa. They might not survive!

I will probably survive, but some nights, I wonder. Please, people, give others a thought. I know masks are not fun to wear, but they are a small price to pay to help protect others who might not be as “tough” as you are. Have a heart.

—Cheryl Lee, Kalispell

Argument for diversity

Last December, the Flathead County Commissioners chose to replace two experienced and very capable physicians on the City-County Board of Health in the interest of “diversity.”

I was one of those physicians. Diversity has not existed on the commission since Democrat Joe Brenneman was a member and who ably served the residents of the county.

Perhaps today’s residents would be better served by the introduction of diversity into the county commission. Recall, members of the Health Board are appointed by the commissioners and one of them serves as a voting member of the board.

— Dr. Wayne Miller, Kalispell

Senseless masks

So the state and Gov. Bullock are really suing our beloved Sykes restaurant? Say it isn’t so!

They are not looking at the truth and are ignoring the true science that indicates that masks don’t work.

Dr. Brosseau from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy says these cloth and paper masks we are wearing are only 3% effective on stopping tiny Covid aerosol particles. Your average coronavirus particle is 160 nanometers in diameter. That’s nano, as in nine decimal points to the left. I cannot imagine a particle so small.

By comparison, a red blood cell is 6,000-8,000 nanometers in diameter. If a red blood cell was the size of a baseball stadium, the virus particle would be the size of a baseball — they’re that tiny.

Health experts think the true numbers of positive Covid are at least 10 times the posted numbers. So these daily positive numbers are senseless and only scaring people.

Our left-wing media is using these scare tactics to turn the virus into an attack on our sitting president, which is so wrong. Politics should have nothing to do with this medical issue.

The Covid virus is indeed deadly, no question about that. But it mainly affects the elderly, the obese and those with pre-existing conditions. The media has stopped mentioning the fact that the vast majority of people experience mild to moderate cold or flu-like symptoms.

And don’t forgetaerosols linger in the air and extend for beyond 6 feet. They are emitted 15-20 feet from normal exhalation. You don’t have to cough or sneeze.

These masks we are told to wear will soon be compared to bomb shelters we were told to build back in the 50s to protect us from nuclear bomb blasts. That was a joke, and so are these senseless masks.

I will soon be expressing myself at the ballot box. And Gov. Bullock — leave Sykes alone!

—Joseph Apple, Kalispell

The grown-ups’ table

We currently have two crises in the valley, one the Covid-19 pandemic and the other the hysterical rejection of medical norms at an intensity level usually found in frustrated 3 year olds. With the Montana and Flathead Valley daily infection rates continuing to climb we may soon end up where other U.S. communities already are: with our health-care system overloaded to the point that not all who have contracted the disease will be able to be treated.

Regardless of how we came to came to this point, going forward with the intention of keeping our schools and businesses open while simultaneously slowing the progression of C19 is our highest priority. Blunting this effort by rejecting 100 years of medical science and experience regarding the use of masks to avoid the spread of infection will not be to the benefit of the good people of Flathead County.

Political whims and personal fashion preferences should hold no sway against medical, governmental, and public health efforts to save lives, businesses, and our children’s educations.

No matter the issue in our society today there is always a lunatic fringe selling aluminum hats. Please, giving these people a place at the table with the grown-ups is not in Flathead County’s best interest.

—Leslie Brown, Kalispell

We want to support our businesses

It appears, the servants of the people, the Whitefish City Council, plan to, once again, flex their muscles to stop COVID.

Frank Sweeney says, “It’s a disservice to this community and the businesses that they don’t attempt to assist in this problem so that schools and businesses can stay open!”

On the contrary, Mr. Sweeny, it is a huge disservice to the community when you limit businesses to run at greater potential and disallow children to return to school. Never mind the increased drug use, child abuse, hunger, bankruptcy, suicide and loneliness as a result of these tyrannical measures. We must ruin your lives so we can save them. The single mindedness of the council is mind boggling.

Just to refresh everyone’s memory, our government (servants) do not give us permission to exercise our liberty, nor do they give us permission to be free. The state constitution declares: All political power is vested in and derived from the people.

All government of right originates with the people, is founded upon their will only and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.

Some council members might add that in Section 3 of the state constitution on inalienable rights “clean and healthful environment” is license for government servants to usurp the power of the people and exercise their limited power as servants. Who ever heard of a servant making demands?

Finally, in the Montana Human Rights Act: The right to be free from discrimination because of race, creed, religion, color, sex, physical or mental disability, age, or national origin is recognized as and declared to be a civil right. This right also includes the right to the full enjoyment of any of the accommodation facilities or privileges of any place of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement.

When the Flathead County death rate is 0.86% and the survival rate is 99.14% while the infection rate is 2.5%, we, the people want to patronize and support our businesses because, dear servants, not all believe in the creed of “fear.”

The Great Barrington Declaration signed by thousands of doctors from around the world, recommend an approach called Focused Protection. “The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk.”

I suggest, Whitefish City Council, that you explore this same approach with our lovely town of Whitefish.

Happy Halloween! May all locals and tourists experience good health, great joy, and prosperous business in our quaint little town!

—Catherine Owens, Whitefish