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In 1996, when my brother passed away due to a work-related accident, I met a wonderful friend of his, Charles. Charles was in the late stages of AIDS; his ravaged body was skeletal and his face was marked with multiple open wounds. Almost certainly, his lifestyle was the cause of his illness. Meeting Charles and observing his dire situation, it never occurred to me that I should for a moment condemn and ostracize Charles for any actions that may have caused him to contract a terminal illness. In fact, most of us who recall that period cannot reflect on a worldwide campaign to single out AIDS afflicted individuals and treat them as outcasts, quite the opposite.

Yet here we are in the age of COVID, and we find a very abrasive populous who feels it is their duty to condemn those of us who refuse to wear a mask or get the shot. Not to mention, proclaim righteousness when an unvaccinated conservative falls victim to COVID.

We’re called uneducated conspiracy hucksters. We are to realize our own ineptitude and bow to elected officials and their unelected board cronies. We are to be compliant and complacent and obey people who have high opinions of their own opinions.

The August 17 Board of County Commissioners meeting regarding the board of health was in fact to address the blatant disregard for the public’s ability to comment at a health board meeting, for which a formal complaint was filed with the county. True enough, many folks in attendance at the subsequent commissioner’s meeting did voice their opinions of the ongoing tiresome COVID saga. Most were well organized with facts, figures and printed materials. They provided information that the commissioners were completely unaware of and had to, at times, acknowledge their own misinformation.

The truth is, there is much still unknown about the virus, the variants and yes, the vaccine. Look only to Israel with a 65%+ vaccination rate and yet their hospitalizations due to COVID, even among the vaccinated, is rivaling last year’s numbers.

Patriotism and liberty have a long-married history in our country, and it is most patriotic to protect not only your liberty, but the liberty of ALL our fellow citizens. Attending and speaking at meetings, especially against tyranny, is and will always be, an American value.

Question the commissioners, the county health board, the school board and any other entity who believes for a moment they can and should control your individual freedom and liberty.

Mary Baker-Halling,

Plains