Letters to the editor June 14
Kindness and compassion
I want to send a message to the outstanding staff at the Brendan House, specifically the doctors and RNs, the LPNs and the CNAs of the 100s and 200s units. My words will fall short of how truly grateful I am for you all. It is so hard to place someone you love and care for in a nursing home, but sadly sometimes it’s a choice that must be made.
The care, kindness and compassion that you all gave to my friend, was outstanding. Please know that there are people who see and truly appreciate the tough job that you do. The dedication you have to the souls in your care is amazing. Thank you.
—Dee Hermann, Kalispell
Weather-maker
It seems like the weather reporters are stuck on the phrase “weather-maker.” They use it to refer to any low pressure system moving into the valley.
Whether they realize it or not, high pressure systems also have weather associated with them — nice weather. We have weather every day and night, whether they realize it or not, and it happens whether they say a “weather-maker” is moving in or not. They need to start acting like meteorologists and quit using terms that make no sense.
—Fred Frost, Whitefish
Side effects
Are vaccine related deaths and other adverse side effects under-reported?
Yes. Here’s why:
- Many health care providers are not aware they are required by federal law to report adverse effects of vaccines.
2.The VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) form is arduous, cumbersome, time consuming to use…with glitches that can halt the process mid-stream.
Patients often don’t report vaccine adverse side effects to their health care providers because they do not recognize the side effects, don’t want to complain, think it will go away soon.
VAERS limits the adverse side effects considered reportable. Many of my patients and their family members have had miserable side effects from the COV 19 injection that aren’t included on the arbitrary VAERS list.
Cause and effect can be difficult to ascertain. According to the VAERS website…health care workers report and VAERS workers decide.
The VAERS reporting site states, “Other than rare reports of severe allergic reactions, analysis of VAERS reports has not detected any patterns that would indicate a safety problem with COVID-19 vaccines.”
VAERS cannot accurately make such a safety statement based on data known to be grossly inaccurate. You can improve the VAERS reliability and accountability and thereby benefit public health by reporting even potential adverse side effects to your health care provider. Truly informed consent cannot occur unless patients have accurate knowledge of the risks of the COVID-19 injection presented to them.
—Annie Bukacek, Kalispell
Voting laws
There has been enough written - much of it in the national press - about Montana’s new restrictions on voting. These laws have been taken to court, and will be decided there. Meanwhile, we might reflect on how critical the right to vote is to our democracy and our lives.
Our form of government requires the participation of all its citizens. If we are not actively involved, those with more power or money (be they corporate or members of the government) will step into the breach. They can become strong enough to change the rules, and do what they want, regardless of the will of the people.
Montana has seen this before, in the days of the Copper Kings. These wealthy men owned newspapers, politicians, banks and police. They ran Montana to the extent that they could live extravagant lives above-ground, while workers toiled beneath, barely able to make enough money to feed their families. This was clearly not what the people wanted, but it took a long time, and many lives, to change. Considering our history, Montana, of all states, should protect its citizens’ right to vote.
Aside from this, voting empowers the people. We not only decide issues, but those in power learn that they must come to us for the votes they need. They simply have to keep us in mind.
If the courts do not reverse these laws, we will need to make voting as easy as we can, despite them. We will need to make sure people have access to the ID they need, and that they can make it to the polls. We will need to make sure people are able to mail in their ballots in time. And we will need to make sure people understand how critical it is that they vote.
—Marilyn Trenfield, St. Ignatius