Opinion
A4
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
OUR VIEW
Virus taking
toll on health
care workers
T
he picture local health care professional
Danita Thamert painted in a recent
front-page story was a bleak one, yet it
was a necessary view, and we hope it sheds more
than a little light on the struggle facing the men
and women we entrust to care for our community.
It isn’t an easy task. As Thamert related in the
story, health care workers are burned out and
often — inexplicably — fi nd themselves in the
front line of the war between anti-vaxxers and
those who oppose mask mandates.
While many of us can debate the COVID-19
pandemic and the measures to address it in a
philosophical manner, our health care providers
don’t have that luxury. They’re faced with one
crisis after another, nearly every day.
The descriptions from Thamert of working
with patients who seem to get better, only to die
from the virus, were especially disheartening.
The fact is the virus is killing people and it is
putting many in the hospital. It isn’t a philosoph-
ical concept to our health care professionals. It is
a deadly, serious infection that is still here.
We often take our health care workers for
granted. We understand on one level that they
are trained and prepared to address our med-
ical emergencies and to help us get better. But we
really don’t know what they go through. We don’t
— and really can’t — understand the toll the
COVID-19 virus takes. Many are worn out, suff er
from PTSD and are probably discouraged.
We can’t allow those who we depend on the
most to fall off the map in terms of recognition.
Their job is impossibly diffi cult, especially now
as they struggle to meet the needs of a commu-
nity that is awash in the virus.
Good debate about political issues is good
for democracy. There has been plenty of debate
over the virus and the mandates handed down by
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. There have been pro-
tests too. Those are all actions allowed under our
form of government.
Yet, we cannot forget those of us in our com-
munity who are on the front lines of this battle.
They don’t deserve to be attacked for wearing a
mask or to be dismissed. Their job is far more
important.
So, if you know a health care worker, tell them
that you appreciate what they are doing. You
might not agree with the politics of COVID-19,
but our health care workers are not part of that
equation.
EDITORIALS
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opinion of The Observer editorial
board. Other columns, letters and
cartoons on this page express the
opinions of the authors and not
necessarily that of The Observer.
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LETTERS
Nothing good so far
from Biden administration
After nine months of Biden and
his administration, it’s diffi cult to
fi nd an accomplishment that benefi ts
our country.
He has further helped split our
country along political and racial
lines, caused unchecked infl ation
leading to higher fuel prices, thus
higher prices for everything moved
by trucks, most everything from
food and clothes.
Our continued open borders
allows hundred of thousands of
unknown migrants from many coun-
tries to come to the United States
during a time of COVID restrictions
for U.S. citizens, perhaps bringing
other health problems as well.
Many are not apprehended, thus
more drugs are entering, causing
unknown deaths as a result.
These illegals are being sent all
over our country with no vetting
to help protect citizens from harm.
We do know as a result that the car-
tels are making millions of dollars
on human suff ering. There is a huge
amount of violence in large cities
and small as well, leaving fami-
lies wondering where to turn for
protection.
More recently we have the sad
Biden fi asco of leaving Afghani-
stan without a plan or purpose. He
has left behind unknown numbers
of American citizens (as well as 13
U.S. soldiers dead) at the mercy of a
violent Taliban regime who are now
well armed thanks to Biden’s lack of
planning and purpose.
We have always been the leader
of the free world, but now even our
allies have found us to be untrust-
worthy. They are having second
thoughts as to whether they can rely
on the U.S.
Biden has managed in a short time
to let the American people down and
also the rest of the free world.
Ed Ater
La Grande
Community safety should
trump individual rights
Our county commissioners and
sheriff all reject eff orts to push vac-
cination rates up by requiring proof
of vaccination for employment and
event attendance. They claim that’s
in our community’s best interest.
Yet the unvaccinated are responsible
for the resurgence of COVID cases
resulting in spiraling infection rates,
sickness and deaths.
Economic and social costs of this
insanity is evidenced by the can-
cellation or diminution of beloved
annual events. Many vaccinated
people are choosing not to shop, eat
out or return to work because of lax
COVID requirements and enforce-
ment. Hospital beds are in short
supply for procedures unrelated
to COVID, and unvaccinated staff
make the hospital itself a dangerous
environment.
What’s this about? Individual
freedom? Politics? Selfi shness?
Whatever the reason, our leaders are
prioritizing individual rights over
community safety.
Meanwhile many individual
rights folks opposing vaccination
and mask mandates also oppose
abortion rights. Refusing to vacci-
nate, denying an abortion.
Mary McCracken
Island City
Let us support one another’s
medical freedom of choice
I am a concerned health care
worker. I am alarmed by the recent
vaccine mandate to all health
care workers in Oregon by Gov.
Kate Brown. This mandate is
unconstitutional.
We live in America, the greatest
country in the world where we
still have God-given freedoms. We
should have the freedom to choose
whether or not we receive a vaccine.
I am a free-thinking American, I
can look at all the science, consider
my options and conduct my own
risk benefi t analysis and make an
informed decision.
We now know that vaccinated
individuals can be infected, spread
and die from COVID-19 just like the
unvaccinated. Their risk of severe
infection may be less but that doesn’t
exempt them from playing vaccine
Russian roulette of possible side
eff ects of clots, neurological prob-
lems, myocarditis and even death.
How is it legal to force a treat-
ment on someone that could cause
their demise? Vaccine companies
don’t care. They make millions
and bear no liability for injuries or
death. According to the CDC, I have
a 99.97% survival rate in my age
group and that’s without the vaccine.
I believe in freedom, and as a free
American I should be able to make
my own decision, one that was not
forced upon me by fear and coercion
of elected leaders. Freedom is what
America was founded on and is what
so many people died for. Let’s honor
their sacrifi ce and keep America
free.
Hospitals across the country are
experiencing staff shortages and
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EOU and new fi eld house a
bright spot
What an exciting time for Eastern
Oregon University, for students and
our local communities. I enjoyed
reading the recent article about the
progress of the new fi eldhouse being
built on campus.
On behalf of the board of trustees,
we have been a part of the project
as it developed over the past several
years. We are excited to see this new
building, the fi rst in many years,
expand capacity and access for all
our students, including our Health
and Human Performance depart-
ment and the EOU Outdoor Adven-
ture Program as well as Mountaineer
athletics.
We were very appreciative that
the funding for the fi eldhouse comes
from state lottery bonds, adding to
the state’s investment in EOU and
the region. In a time when many uni-
versities are struggling in various
ways, it is so uplifting to be a part
of an institution that is able to reno-
vate current academic buildings like
Loso Hall and build much-needed
new facilities, while not raising tui-
tion for on-campus undergraduate
students.
The possibilities and potential for
this new structure are endless for
our university while also reaching
well beyond the geographic region of
Eastern Oregon. The fi eldhouse will
serve as a recruiting tool, an oppor-
tunity for hosting myriad sporting
events, and allow for space that will
provide outreach programs to touch
many diff erent lives.
EOU is a bright spot during these
challenging times.
Cheryl Martin
North Powder
EOU alumnus
EOU Board of Trustees
vice chair
STAFF
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fatigue. Is this really the time to
put a vaccine mandate on all health
care workers that could potentially
result in worse shortages and a dete-
rioration in patient care and safety?
I encourage the citizens of Union
County to stand behind their local
health care workers, who work tire-
lessly every day to care for the sick
in our community.
I have seen the pandemic bring
the worst out in many of us. People
are angry and people are fearful.
Let’s not fi nd one more reason to
divide us. Let us instead love one
another and support one another’s
medical freedom of choice.
Lilly Roe
Island City
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