The Editor:
Last week, a letter linked Covid-19 mask protection with Orwell’s novel “1984.” I give the writer credit for a reading skill beyond 3rd grade. However, his reasoning skills are definitely questionable. First, the effectiveness of masks has been well-documented in other, more advanced, countries, given the state of the current federal administration’s disarray and ineptness. Second, masks also protect others from the wearer’s physical infections. Third, there are proper techniques for handling masks after use. If eliminating all masks weren’t such a risk for us normal folks, I would say the anti-maskers should all hug and kiss each other and let the Darwin principle do its work, benefiting the future of the human gene pool. Unfortunately, that would clog our hospitals and require the normal population to waste resources on treating anti-maskers until they croak.
Don Starr
Blaine
The Editor:
Football season will be delayed due to the virus. One and five dollar bills will go the way of the coins soon, discontinued. The results of the presidential election will be delayed, chaos will occur. Washington, D.C. will be on fire. Riots all over the U.S. Martial Law will be called. No, I am not drunk, wait until December 1 before you decide if I have lost my mind. September, October and November are going to test our mental strength. Pray that I am wrong.
Edna Oldrich
Blaine
The Editor:
I will be 85 years old in November and do not understand how racism is being tossed around so freely. My father and his parents and brothers and sisters came to this country from Italy and did not speak one word of English, yet they survived and became good citizens.
So called ‘experts’ say racism is embedded in our country and I strongly dispute that. I was raised a Catholic and attended Catholic grammar school, high school and university and we had some minorities attending each level of education and I don’t remember even one incident of racism, arguments or physical encounters. We all got along fine. After I went to work, I went to Torrance, California for Friday night drinking and one of the fellows in our group was Black and one of my very good drinking buddies and friends.
I encountered no incidents of racism then, and from then to today. Being a low-income landlord, I experienced some of the issues of the Black tenants in California and some of the issues were the result of welfare programs causing women to make more money by having more children and husbands living apart from the wives again for more welfare money.
The other issue that I think contributes to the state of affairs of minorities is the single-parent situation being so prevalent and a real burden on the single mother.
But I get upset when these “protestors” burn our flag and vandalize stores owned mostly by small business people being victimized and forced out of business.
Another factor is recently, a presumably young Black woman, posted a one-page article dictating to white people what they can and cannot do or say and of the 400-plus replies all were negative. She said Black Lives Matter over All Lives Matter, which I dispute because if you honor All Lives Matter, it includes all Black people.
I don’t have the answer to all this and wish I did. Just take me back to my earlier days and this country will be fine.
Mickey Masdeo
Birch Bay
The Editor:
This is an invitation to The Northern Light readers over 18 to attend an uplifting and entertaining local event. Now that our weekly meetings are online, we’re open to visitors from around the world. But we’re mostly Whatcom County folks and a few lovely Canadians. We get together on Tuesday evenings for Toastmasters, an organization that empowers people to become better communicators and leaders. It’s really a supportive gathering of interesting neighbors where we learn skills that grow our self-confidence. This may sound like hype, but it’s true, just drop in and meet our wonderful and varied members. We hail from different cultures, ages, religions and different viewpoints, but we all learn from one another, and always share a number of laughs.
Toastmasters is about becoming more confident in public speaking. It’s the perfect way to gradually get comfortable speaking with others; think job review or just sharing about what you do. It’s also great for those needing to make work presentations. Many members practice their presentations before us, so we’ve learned about 3-D printing, petroleum production and Whatcom County history.
One of the great things is you talk about whatever you like to talk about. We always learn so much from each other, often about interests we never knew existed.
Now is your perfect time to check us out, from the safety of your own home via our internet meetings. You don’t have to talk, just be our guest and observe how a meeting unfolds. Each person explains their role so you’ll hear some impromptu two minute speeches and interesting prepared speeches. It’s one of the most enjoyable ways to spend 90 minutes all week.
Join us at Birch Bay-Blaine Toastmasters on Tuesday nights 6:30-7:45 p.m. It’s fun. Call Pete, our vice president of membership, at 360/933-1671.We hope to see
you there.
Laura Sullivan
Birch Bay
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