In defense of Leonard Pitts’ column
The Dominion Post commendably maintains a forum for myriad ideas and opinions. I look forward daily to the columns and viewpoints of writers with whom I may/may not agree, and I especially value the columns of Leonard Pitts, an award-winning journalist who grew up in the impoverished South Central section of Los Angeles.
A successful student, he skipped several grades and entered USC at age 15. As a black journalist, he speaks out against all forms of injustice, hatred and bigotry.
In his letter to the editor on May 31, Michael Callen wrote: “… one of the major problems this country faces is the bigotry of white-collar elitists who lack respect for blue-collar people…” By definition, bigotry is the stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief or opinion that differs from one’s own. I saw no evidence Mr. Pitts is intolerant of others’ views. And what makes one an elitist? Is it the perception of an observer?
Unlike Mr. Callen, I saw no “… bigotry and prejudice in this man’s editorials that so frequently trash West Virginians …” The column fails to mention West Virginia and could describe many regions of this nation; not once did Mr. Pitts mention blue-collar workers.
As to the allegation of not showing “… consideration at all for the economic suffering of so many blue-collar people …,” I saw no indifference to the plight of working people. In fact, he stated, “I get that businesses are suffering.” However, Mr. Pitts said rightfully he needed to hear from serious, credible voices that sufficient testing has been conducted, and the virus is no longer a threat. I concur. Anything else would be irresponsible.
I concluded Mr. Pitts was taking aim at TV analysts touting like a “carnival barker” treatments meant for malaria and other conditions but defying medical experts who ascribed no known effect on coronavirus. As for political hacks? It doesn’t get much “hack-ier” than suggesting Lysol or Clorox could be ingested to prevent coronavirus.
To quote Don Wood: “Ignorance can be fixed; stupid is forever.”
Jane C. Michael
Morgantown
Justice can’t blame Obama remark on coal
At a time when the nation is in unrest over racially motivated police actions, our governor felt compelled to make a derogatory remark about our first and only African-American president. Fortunately, Gov. Justice assures us it has nothing to do with race but with President Obama’s attack on coal. But I do not believe the governor!
The whole “attack on coal” meme is nonsense and a cover to attack an African-American president while claiming that race plays no role, just as our mis-named governor is doing. Coal has been in decline in Appalachia for some time and for a variety of reasons. Coal has also been in decline elsewhere, such as in Germany and Great Britain. In Indonesia, the world’s second largest coal exporter, the government considers coal a source of energy during a transition to other energy sources and to be eventually phased out.
Coal mining employment in West Virginia started to decline a long time ago and, in 2018, was slightly below 14,000. This is a large number in our small state but accounts for less than 2% of the civilian labor force. Thus, bringing back coal employment, even if it were possible, would not dramatically revitalize the state’s economy.
There are reasons why West Virginia’s population reached its peak around 1950 and has been declining during most of the time since then. The decline did not start with and was not initiated by the Obama administration. Let’s not allow the governor to hide his racism behind a bogus claim!
Peter Schaeffer
Morgantown
Riots, looting won’t bring George Floyd back
Stop all the violence, rioting and looting. We are all Americans. Black, white, red — color doesn’t matter, but lives matter.
We all pray with George Floyd’s family for the loss of a loved one. The burning of businesses is only putting other families out of making a living. This is not right, and it was not right for those police officers to take George Floyd’s life.
There are bad apples in police departments all over America, and a lot of them have not been caught. The people need to let the justice system do its job.
Yes, the people have a right to protest but not destroy their towns. No amount of destruction will bring George Floyd back. Our nation needs to come together as one nation under God, and we need to ask God to heal our nation.
Ralph Correll
Morgantown
Buy products made in America, not China
There is a ground swell movement sweeping this country to divorce ourselves from products “Made In China.” This is a daunting task. Start checking things you purchase and you will be astounded by the results.
I have been halfheartedly trying to do this on a personal basis for the last couple of years. I am inspired that there are growing thousands thinking the same way.
Let me get this straight. This movement is not about Chinese people. The movement is about the Chinese Communist Government cleaning our clocks for the last few decades. The Chinese Communist Government is not our friend. They want to bring us to our knees. Made in the USA is what I say!
Larry D. Efaw
Morgantown
Half of Republicans favor universal basic income
A piece of research has been presented by The “Data For Progress and the Justice Collaborative Institute” which shows that over 50% of Republican voters are in favor of a bill proposed by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (a member of AOC’s “The Squad”) which would give every American a monthly “Universal Basic Income” check of $2,000 while the pandemic is ongoing. Then it would provide every American with a monthly “Universal Basic Income” check of $1,000 for an additional year.
For over 40 years, I have had to listen to conservatives and Republicans rant and drone on and on about how we should never add to the national debt and the federal budget deficit and why we should cut and reduce spending on Social Security to demonstrate that we have “fiscal responsibility.”
And now, all of a sudden, they want to ride the big, bad federal government “gravy train.” I thought that they all believed in limited government? I thought they believed that the federal government is incompetent and wasteful? I thought they believed that social programs really don’t help anyone, and that they make people “dependent” upon “government hand-outs”?
So now, after listening to their cold-hearted, “Survival-of-the-Fittest” Social Darwinist ideology and propaganda for 40 years, I find out that they not only are a bunch of hypocrites and posers, but that they have turned into “crazy socialists.”
Stewart B. Epstein
Rochester, N.Y.
‘Science’ regarding COVID is ever-changing
Scientists don’t all see science as “settled science.” Every theory, every experiment, must stand up to repetition and confirmation challenges.
WHO and CDC don’t or can’t always agree on mask use and its significance. Fauci statements were changed and modified on masks, on likelihood of a COVID-19 resurgent second wave, on open exposure safety vs. closed quarantine/nursing home safety, on models’ reliability and shutting down the economy.
Fauci stated COVID-19 would not just die out, but SARS did without scientific explanation or expectation. Merely questioning Fauci is not trying to discredit Fauci or “science.” Sen. Rand Paul rightly said, “As much as I respect you, Dr. Fauci, I don’t think you’re the end all.”
When COVID-19 surfaced, the CCP and WHO were not fully honest nor openly transparent. Disease experts were not agreed, in unison, (nor even free to speak out in China) on prevention and failed to contain the pandemic. Trump enacted travel bans before disease “experts” were in uniform agreement with him.
Drs. Fauci and Birx both credited Trump for listening and following their recommendations. As with Trump, they circumscribed each viral epidemic to be unique in its expression and to our own lifetimes.
It appears to be an exaggeration to infer that Trump and other elected leaders disregarded or disrespected experts in disease science disciplines. No one gets to choose their own “facts,” whether science-based or economic-based.
Every person must exercise their own best judgment. It remains the option of journalists and reporters to question and present experts’ opinions and of practitioners to apply current available information in the best balanced, unbiased way, including judgments on zinc and its ionophores as a treatment even before CDC, FDA or NIH do.
Maurice Baker
Morgantown
The military belongs to the American people
Better tell those in the white supremacist White House Trump is doing the wrong thing, threatening Americans with military rule and pushing white supremacist ideals instead of following the precepts all men are created equal. Threatening to strong arm any protests and riots because of his dictatorial stupidity isn’t going to placate the American people. This is not Russia.
All along, Trump, Pence, McConnell, Barr, etc., have been trying to convince the military and veterans they’re the ones financing and supporting those segments of America. It’s a lie and a ruse aimed at securing loyalty for their selfish Trump/GOP endeavors to establish a communist authoritarianism over the American people and lessen the independence of the free world.
The military belongs to the American people — taxpayers — and since people like Donald Trump and his wealthy cronies pay nothing in proportion to the average and poor of America in taxation, they have no right to claim the military as their enforcer of dictatorial intent upon Americans, whether it be to subdue equitable health care or for their destructive white supremacist ideals.
Delmar Hagedorn Jr.
Morgantown
