Be a part of that hope

Dear Editor,

Ever felt out of heart to the point of giving up? Yes, haven’t we all?

No matter how bad we have it, though, in life, there’s always someone who has it at least a little bit worse, if not more.

I have been furloughed for 30 days. I’m not complaining, though. I have sometimes in times past complained when I really shouldn’t have. I’ve complain about my feet hurting and about being tired all of the time. Although I’ve been furloughed, I’ll be retiring in five months and am looking forward to resting then. Just as I was getting ready for that day, the coronavirus broke out.

Still, I have a lot to be thankful for. I saw on the TV where a young doctor who had been working on the front line of the coronavirus was home resting when a tornado hit his home. He survived by the grace of God. When I hear things like this, I know somehow I just don’t have anything to complain about.

I’ve found out, at least for me, making others happy brings me happiness.

Simple things can be worth more than silver and gold to people. A few kind words of encouragement when they’re going through troubles mean more than you will ever know. I bring candy to work and leave it in a bowl for anyone passing by to enjoy.

You probably never thought about it, but it’s hard to be mad or frustrated when you have a sweet taste in your mouth.

People enjoy something as simple as finding candy to share. I’ve learned not to think I’m the only one in life who suffers heartbreak and sorrows, too. So many think why me, what did I do? It’s not always something you’ve done wrong. It is just the way life is to one and all. Whatever it is, just remember this, too, will pass. Making others’ burdens just a little lighter will make the world a better place not only for you, but for all. All we do in life, I believe, be it good or bad, returns to us someday.

Hold on, for as long as there is life, there is truly hope. Be a part of that hope.

Eddie Boggs

Westminster

Did the dog really eat the homework?

Dear Editor,

“The dog ate my homework” was never a good excuse in school. No teacher I ever knew swallowed that one, although that fact never prevented any unprepared pupil from offering it as an explanation.

It makes us wonder, what happened to the 69-page pandemic response playbook produced during the Obama administration as part of Homeland Security’s plan to deal with a pandemic in our country? It was provided to the Trump administration in 2017 and was created by experts based on what was learned following the ebola crisis.

Our leadership was told this was coming. Several months elapsed between when the administration was first notified and when any kind of response began. Unfortunately, nothing was done. We’ve heard it said that we’re confronting a war.

Unfortunately, the war is being waged by each state, independent of each other and without an organized united federal effort.

People would have died no matter what the timeline response was. But if advice from pandemic experts had been followed, many who are either dead or dying could have been spared.

We can’t rewrite history and go back to January, when there was a chance of reducing loss of life.

It is April, and too late to remedy the shortcomings and missed opportunities of January. All we can do now as individuals is to heed the advice of the experts.

But first we must acknowledge who the experts are. Heed the medical experts, the first responders, the doctors and nurses, the hospital administrators and pandemic specialists.

Identify the bad actors responsible for continuing to discount and minimize the seriousness of the pandemic and who continue to misinform the public for whatever reason.

Don’t try to find any unproven medication and risk vision or life by taking it. Even though the recommendation from the Oval Office is that there is nothing to lose by taking hydroxychloroquine, that is unfortunately not true.

It may be of interest to some that the Trump family trust managed by J.P. Morgan does have some investments in two companies that produce hydroxychloroquine. The holdings do not make up a large portion of these investments, but still, it doesn’t appear in a positive light when the president continues to promote the drug during press conferences.

During World War II, the Japanese had Tokyo Rose, whose nightly broadcasts to American troops were designed to demoralize and misinform Americans. During the pandemic, we have Fox News continuing to broadcast toxic and untrue information to the public.

We have been given many excuses for the federal response, or lack thereof, to this health crisis.

Everyone under the sun has been blamed, and many of the truth tellers have been dismissed.

So far, the only one who hasn’t been scapegoated is the family dog. And perhaps that is because the family in the White House doesn’t own a dog. So, no matter what they tell you, the dog could not have eaten the homework.

Olivia Fowler

Liberty