| Letters
to the editor from this week's Chronicle
COVID Numbers Translated As I write this on September 25, 2020 the United States has surpassed 7 million cases of the COVID-19 virus and 203,481 people have died from it. What do the numbers mean? Look at it this way: It means the entire populations of ten regional counties would be gone, adults and children alike. Everyone in the five counties of north central Idaho (Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Clearwater and Lewis Counties) would be dead. Everyone in five counties contiguous to north central Idaho (Asotin, Whitman, Valley, Adams & Benewah Counties) would have also died. Per 2018 census reports, these ten counties have a combined population of 206,592. By the time you read this, the death toll will probably exceed that amount. Imagine no one living in this vast area we call home. That's what 203, 481 people gone today would look like. How to see the meaning of 7 million cases? It means every person in the States of Idaho, Oregon & Montana would have contracted the virus. The future? Add in the entire population of Kootenai County of 161,505 people dead, too, as, per recent statistical models, at least 168,000 more deaths are predicted by the end of the year if America doesn't get a handle on reducing infections. As the months of 2021 progress how many more counties of death equivalents will be added? It's staggering as well as relatedly evident we must do better to curtail this contagion. Frances Conklin Cottonwood Letter to the editor In the Chronicle school board meeting report for September 21, 2020, a number of claims were made concerning the coronavirus that need to be addressed. For instance, an increase in the number of positive COVID-19 tests is largely irrelevant. Coronavirus related hospitalizations and deaths have remained statistically insignificant even with a sharp rise in COVID-19 positive tests. Indeed, according to the CDC data, there have been no excess deaths in Idaho this year. In other words, all cause deaths in Idaho have been unaffected by the “pandemic.” Also, the claim that “masking up” will slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 is not supported by relevant research. Prior to the politicization of public health, the literature concerning the subject was nearly unanimous in finding that face-masks did nothing to mitigate the spread of viral disease. In fact, just a few months ago, the New England Journal of Medicine, reported, “We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. . . .In many cases, the desire for wide-spread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic” (Michael, Klompas et al., “Universal Masking in Hospitals in the Covid-19 Era,” New England Journal of Medicine, May 21, 2020). It also seems irresponsible to report the fatality rate for the COVID-19 as ten time higher than the seasonal flu. The infection fatality ratio data (the number of people who die from a disease among everyone who has the disease) provided by the CDC paints a different picture. People between the ages of 0 and 19 who contract the COVID-19 have a fatality rate of 0.00003. That means if they catch the caronavirus they have three one thousands of a percent chance of dying from the COVID-19. For those between the ages of 20 and 49 the fatality rate is 0.0002 – one fiftieth of a percent. People 50 to 69 years of age who are infected by the caronavirus face a 0.005 fatality rate; one half a percent chance of dying if they become infected. None of this reflects a “ten times higher” fatality rate than the seasonal flu. For the majority of the demographic represented in the school system the chance of dying from the COVID-19 is virtually zero. It is only among the elderly and infirm that the risk of dying if infected with SARS-CoV-2 rises sharply. We have known this for months; it has little bearing on the best practices in the educational system. Rather than participate in fear mongering among the school age population we should focus our coronavirus control efforts on the demographic actually at risk. Let us protect the aged and infirm; the young and healthy should simply get on with life. D. Eric Williams Cottonwood To the Editor The same old same old no wonder our world is in trouble We keep asking God to heal us and better yet just heal our land. WHILE YOUR at it Lord I could use some help with my spouse. God is not our candy man not even our sugar daddy. HE just gave up HIS sons life for us so that we could IGNORE REJECT , RIDICULE, DENY, BLASPHEME, HIM AMONG other things. I know you read your bible most every day. You go to church most Sundays you even pray for other peoples health needs. Do you pray that they hear God calling them to repent, to change to give up those things that are displeasing to our Father. Let alone dangerous to our health. Most everything we say and do affects One or more people. Let me see maybe since we all have free will and God does not control us. Maybe we should change. Repent. Acknowledge Him get down on our faces and worship Him. We need to change our hearts. Be kind to others. We need to change our attitude. We need to put value on what is valuable to God. We need the help of God not a handout. We need to take responsibility for what we have/have not done. .We need to heal our hearts, our minds and our attitudes not by ourselves but with God’s help Your first step is to repent .Second step ;ask God to forgive you Third step ask Him to help you make the changes that you need to make. Our land can be healed but with each person taking one step forward. I am taking my first step forward. All I have said points directly at me. .What to you plan to do is between you and God.. May God bless us all . PS: Tell me what you think Jane Burgess To the Editor, I have some questions for the Idaho County Democrats. What is an equal opportunity compassionate inclusive society look like; is rioting, looting and burning our country as endorsed by current National Democrat leadership the beginning of this vision? Does this include the endorsement of the Black Live Matters organization; who’s founders declare they are trained in the ways of Marxism? For those who are not familiar with Marxism, here are some quotes from a couple of avowed Marxists. “Communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion and all morality, instead of constituting them on a new basis: it therefore acts in contradiction to all past historical examples” Karl Marx. Vladimir Lenin told his followers, “Violence will be the inevitable accompaniment of the collapse of capitalism”. History records not only these revolutionary words but also the fact that communism is responsible for the death of over 100 million people who would not comply to Marxist demands. Communists wish to erase history and rewrite it with a narrative that undermines the foundation of our country’s founding principle that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Today’s National Democrat Party platform has removed the words “Under God” from the pledge of allegiance and is embracing the violence and destruction we are witnessing. The Idaho County Democrats cannot hide behind the narrative that you are like me unless you denounce the violence these radicals are wishing to impose upon our nation. We should all take the time to read our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution and also read Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.” These works remind us that our founding was a promise that needs to be kept and fought for. King’s example also reminds us that violence is not the solution. The tearing down of these ideals that we are divinely created and replacing them with man’s vision, is to live in an everchanging society subject to the next tyrant and the destruction they will bring to enforce their vision of utopia. Jim Chmelik Cottonwood Dear Editor There have been several letters and ads in the local papers lately telling us the great things the Democratic Party represents. One writer wonders why he has seen so many Trump flags "flying all over Idaho" and no Biden flags. Anyone who claims to be a Democrat must, at some level, accept and believe in the policies of the national Democratic party. How can citizens of a natural resource dependent state like Idaho vote for any candidate who supports this party's principles? Stop mining, stop logging, stop farming/ranching, tear out the dams, open the borders, bring on the wolves, lock up more acres for wilderness, abortion on demand, more crippling labor laws, more environmental laws to accomplish some of the above, defund police, support BLM tearing up the cities, apologize for America, take or limit guns, increase taxes, more government power and controls............. Today's Democratic party seems intent on destroying our American system of capitalism and freedom that has been an example and the envy of the rest of the world. Don't be fooled. Trump/Pence 2020! Thanks Lucky Brandt Kooskia Redneck Review! No. 283 - 9/28/2020 October! An interesting month! Especially in the year 1917! Last review we traced back to that year when Marxist Communists managed to take over the country of Russia, replacing by force the temporary government which had just earlier overthrown the czar. Led by Lenin, this new atheistic group, small in number at the time, has relentlessly taken control around the world of nation after nation, each falling for the promise of equality of living guaranteed by socialist governments. Now we are told by polls that the advocates of this failed system are ahead in their efforts to take over the national government in our own country! Last week we were reminded that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat the disasters of the past. That review closed with several quotations from their followers that prove that Communism is atheistic, that they hate religions, especially Christianity, and that they advocate SOCIALISM as an intermediary step in replacing Capitalism with Communism. They brazenly advocate CONFLICT, based on HATE and VIOLENCE as the way to achieve final goals. The Socialism they use boldly promises equality of living based on the elimination of property ownership, and government guaranteed free medical care, education, and even "food on the table!" But on October 13, 1917, a well documented event in Fatima gave a hint to the world that this was going to happen. And the methods that could be used to stop the tragedy! On that date, as predicted earlier, three small children were told by a "Heavenly Lady, " that a miracle would happen that would convince everyone that the visions were real. The "Miracle of the Sun" occurred in front of an estimated 60,000 rain drenched witnesses, and was reported on by newspapers 50 miles away. The sun began to whirl, then seemed to plunge towards the earth. Panicked observers began to cry and to pray, only to be amazed by the sun going back to its original position, and the ground and people all around was instantly dry! To this day, millions of people visit annually the shrine which was built there, and many miracles have occurred to visitors who went there to pray and seek help! What else were the children told during the six meetings? That they should pray, especially the rosary, and they would suffer much, so poor sinners would not go hell. The children were shown a brief look at hell, and souls already there! So unnerved by the vision, they later refused to disown their claim of her visits, even when Communist authorities threatened to throw them into boiling oil if they continued to insist the visits were true. Rebelling friends eventually forced the release of the children and the return to the visits ending in October! What else did the Virgin Lady tell the children? First, that WW I would end soon, but that a much larger and more serious war would follow if her requests were not heeded. And that Russia would spread her atheistic errors around the world. That some nations would even disappear, and millions of people would suffer and die as the new Godless movement went from one country to another. And the requests made to stop this horror? Prayer, sacrifice, the praying of the rosary, and the celebration of "Five First Saturdays" for the intention of the conversion of Russia back to God. A request was made that Russia be consecrated to the visiting Virgin Mother by the pope and all Church leaders To this day, much controversy is involved in the claims made by some that this last request has been fulfilled! Hey! This story is fact and well documented! Recently, a Fatima movie was shown both in Lewiston and Grangeville, though the new one is not as complete as a 1952 original. But to the curious, the challenge is issued to do your own research, on Google or Apple's Siri! Jake Wren |
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