Letters: Can there be a safe Election Day?; Keller wasting ‘our precious time and money’ during pandemic

Can there be a safe Election Day?

In these times not experienced in our lifetime, the upcoming federal election for the first Tuesday in November may be something to prepare for. Given the concerns raised with public safety to interact with each other, due to coronavirus, our days to vote at the polling place may need some adjustment.

A successful form of voting would be so easy to use the recent U.S. Census format. In concept, a ballot form gets sent to each recipient from the census mailing list. The options to vote with returning mail-in form, or online, or going to poll in person take place. A location with more than one voter in the residence happens to need further effort, but that can be figured out by the federal election commission. Or not. Our continuation of government on a successful Election Day depends on us. Then again, the day to vote could always be delayed. Could it be canceled altogether?

Keller wasting ‘our precious time and money’ during pandemic

Central Pennsylvania, like the rest of the U.S., is facing unprecedented unemployment, food insecurity and inadequate coronavirus testing. So what is U.S. Rep. Fred Keller doing? He is: introducing bills to prohibit the transport of federal inmates, a population that has about 300 cases nationally, whereas the unincarcerated people of Pennsylvania have more than 20,000 cases and introducing measures to hold China and the WHO accountable for inadequate responses. In other words, his own house is on fire, and he’s busying trying to sue the lumber company because the wood burns.

Meanwhile, the WHO recognized the outbreak on Jan. 5, and China publicly shared the genetic sequence of the virus on Jan. 12. Meanwhile, our own leadership declared the “coronavirus very much under control” on Feb. 24 and that “life and the economy will go on” on Mar. 9. There’s a reason that we have more cases than any other country by an order of magnitude, but it’s not somebody else’s fault. This is what a laissez faire response looks like, and it’s not good, for our health or our economy.

But blame is not the issue, despite what Rep. Keller would have us believe. The issue is using the power of your position, whatever that position is, to help. Whatever help there may be is drowned out by these pathetic and irrational demands, which he has been proud to make on TV. Keller is proving himself to be just another vainglorious politician blowing hot air and wasting our precious time and money.

COVID-19 offers ‘lessons in appreciation’

It’s bittersweet to recognize what I take for granted in life.

It took time overseas for me to appreciate among many thing, the health and safety of family and friends, the gift of safe communities, clean water, functioning sewage systems, tradespeople who keep the infrastructure working, small details in the beauty of flowers and forests.

This pandemic reminds me that despite already having learned to appreciate these people, and the natural world around me, there are more lessons in appreciation I haven’t learned yet. Grocery store workers, sanitation workers, truck drivers, agricultural workers, nursing home and hospital staff. Journalists who bring these people’s concerns to public attention.

I have a college degree. I know folks mean well in public policy discussions emphasizing the importance going to college. I think I’d benefit from hearing more in policy discussions about what I can do to better honor and somehow compensate in a sustaining way all these people who are essential to my life, my community and the broader society. Maybe I’m contributing to a polarized society because I take for granted so many aspects of who and what makes it function? Maybe my neglect for the people, animals and the natural world that don’t have a voice, or don’t get recognized until an emergency brings them to my attention is the lesson that I’m going to learn from this pandemic? If or when life returns to pre-pandemic times, will this lesson recede to the back of my mind until the next crisis?