Letters: Callousness is a disheartening part of pandemic; Vaccination is a path toward normal life

Callousness is a disheartening part of pandemic

One of the most traumatic aspects of this pandemic has been witnessing the catastrophic collapse of empathy and compassion toward other people.

A certain segment of Americans has shirked their responsibility to care for their neighbors by opposing pandemic mitigation efforts at every turn, making up excuse after excuse not to do even the bare minimum necessary to contain the virus.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died, among millions who have died around the world. And some folks can’t be bothered to help in even the smallest of ways. The absolute callousness is extremely disheartening and won’t soon be forgotten.

Vaccination is a path toward normal life

I was told at the start of this pandemic that because I am 80, I had to self-isolate. But my daughter lives in a care home and she visits me one day a week. That makes a big difference to her, so was I going to forbid her to come? I decided to risk it. Nothing happened – so I started doing research. I discovered that Centre County has 162,000 people, and has had 229 deaths with or from Covid. Three quarters of those were in care homes, and far the most happened in homes that took Medicaid patients. That ties in with the national picture where most people who died are poor, have no health insurance, live in crowded conditions, and have to keep working to live. For middle-class, Penn State-insured me, the risk was not very high. So, I took basic precautions but kept on with normal life and only got vaccinated to help with herd immunity.

Now we are panicking about the delta virus, but the experts assure us that vaccinated people rarely get sick enough to go to hospital. Also that antibodies from the disease are more effective than vaccination. So, isn’t the best way forward to encourage vaccination and get back to normal life? Of course, those with pre-existing conditions should keep shutting themselves away, but healthy, normal, vaccinated people have no longer any need to be afraid.

COB is not needed

To COB or not to COB? County GOP Chair, Kris Eng, has every right to call out the liberal left wing State College council regarding the implementation of a Community Oversight Board to control the actions of the State College Police Department due to the feckless recommendations of the 3/20 Coalition and other misinformed and biased individuals. Osagie’s tragic death was due to his own action; i.e. attacking a police officer with a knife, after having been warned. If Osagie’s medical condition been known in more detail, and if this had been understood by the police, the results of this confrontation would have been successfully resolved. Facts were reviewed that determined proper police protocol was followed. Instigator Tierra Williams falsely claimed that Osagie was murdered. Perhaps she would feel better if a policeman had also died of stab wounds. All lives matter, including blue lives in the process of carrying out their duties. She should pray that she is never in a situation where she requires the protection of genuine protective help from a police officer, but alas, there are none available. Any suggestion of defunding any police department is ludicrous. In summary, State College Borough Council, cannot by fiat, declare themselves to have the authority to control the legal interface between the community and and any police department. This is a matter that must be considered at and above the county level. Not from “left” field!