Marin IJ Readers Forum March 5, 2022 – Marin Independent Journal

Those who protest against the vaccine mandate are not patriots

On February 24, a small group of people, some waving large American flags, gathered outside the Marin Civic Center to protest the county’s mandate that public health officials, law enforcement, firefighters , paramedics and probation officers must be fully immunized against COVID-19 by April 15 or risk losing their jobs (“Marin rally backs first responders resisting vaccine mandate,” February 25).

The pandemic, now entering its third year, has claimed the lives of more than 977,000 Americans, including more than 84,700 Californians and at least 224 people in Marin. Without any irony, these demonstrators waving flags that display their patriotism, express a profound refusal to do their part to help stem this insidious and extremely contagious disease.

Waving a flag doesn’t make someone a patriot. Protecting your neighbors and fellow citizens by getting vaccinated, however, does.

The IJ article on this squeaky little protest cites a few first responders citing a personal health reason for not getting their shot. People with legitimate prior medical conditions should be exempt from the county warrant. The others, whose claims are politically based, can exercise their “freedom” by finding work elsewhere.

According to the Marin Department of Health and Human Services, recent outbreaks have been traced to unvaccinated first responders. Who among us, especially the elderly, would choose to be treated for a sudden illness or accident by a paramedic who might be harboring the coronavirus?

Fortunately, the vast majority of our first responders and frontline healthcare workers have chosen to go the vaccine route – as they should. These are the people who not only deserve our respect for adhering to the latest scientific guidelines, but also for honoring their commitment to serve their community, their state, and their nation. The word “patriot” should not be affixed to someone who can simply afford to buy a large flag. It is reserved for those whose actions demonstrate respect for the rights to life and freedom of their fellow citizens.

—Norm Levin, San Rafael

Don’t compare the vaccine mandate to the yellow star

I take offense at the shameful false equivalence that Robert Foti used in his recently published letter to equate the mask mandate for unvaccinated people with the Nazis forcing Jews to wear yellow stars.

There is no relationship between a horrific event (the Holocaust) and a mask mandate. One of them led to the death of millions of Jews. The other is a function of people who are unwilling to take precautions to minimize the spread of COVID-19 to frail people who, due to their age and state of health, could die from contracting coronavirus.

—Steve Ziman, San Rafael

No mask wearer will be sent to the gas chamber

It has become popular among some people to compare a mask mandate that protects people from coronavirus with the yellow star mandated for Jews during World War II in Germany, as Robert Foti did in his letter to the recently published editor.

I am fully vaccinated, but I always wear a mask in crowded places, as many other vaccinated people do. We are not afraid of being arrested and sent to gas chambers. Most of us don’t see the mask as a threat to our freedom, but rather as a way to free us all from the ongoing threat of the virus.

The best way to protect yourself and everything around you is to get vaccinated. Recent statistics show that 98% of people hospitalized with coronavirus are unvaccinated, many of whom resist wearing masks. Unvaccinated people are also the most likely to die from the infection. Such a waste.

—Martin Russell, Mill Valley

Masks are doing an important service during the pandemic

In his recently published letter to the editor, Robert Foti used a very misleading comparison by equating masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus to the Yellow Stars of Nazi Germany.

It has been said that the argument is lost when Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany are invoked. For my part, I see no correlation except as a desperate distraction from a more accurate comparison, such as bells on lepers to warn others or quarantine notices where infectious diseases are contained to prevent their spread to people in good health.

Indeed, I think the masks appropriately provide a visible sign of the “impure”. They recognize the potentially infectious nature of unvaccinated people as a warning to others.

—Stan Hutchings, San Anselmo

The status of mask wearers is not questioned at Le Marin

Robert Foti’s recently published letter states that people not vaccinated against coronavirus forced to wear masks indoors will lead to unclean stigma like the yellow star used by Adolf Hitler’s Final Solution. However, here at Marin, I can say almost everyone I know is vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. We all continue to wear masks in stores and other indoor places.

I don’t feel like anyone questions our vaccination status when we walk into a building. Nobody cares. But I care that others have chosen not to get vaccinated and we are happy that they are wearing masks as requested. No yellow stars will appear on the unvaccinated. These people should relax and wear a mask.

—Bonnie Page, Greenbrae

Don’t compare mask mandates to the Holocaust

I am appalled by Robert Foti’s thought process in a recently published letter to the editor titled “Unvaccinated People With Masks Are Like Yellow Stars”.

Over the past two years, it has become a constant cry from segments of the American population to compare public health mandates to the inhuman tyranny of the Nazis. If I had to be charitable, I would say that people who espouse such comparisons are, at best, utterly ignorant of Nazi atrocities.

The harassment, imprisonment and murder of 6 million Jews can never, ever be compared to mandates designed to prevent people from dying of a virulent disease.

Ironically, I believe it is highly likely that those choosing to remain unvaccinated are the same people who will ignore the current mask mandate. Many of us who are fully vaccinated, however, will voluntarily continue to wear masks in public and indoor places.

—Jennifer Goldfinger, Novato

Legislation targeting doctors restricts free speech

I am outraged by the attack on free speech by Sacramento lawmakers proposing bills targeting doctors who share information about COVID-19.

Who, and by what authority, decides what is or is not disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic? Do some people deserve to have a platform and others don’t? I believe freedom of expression means that all voices should be heard.

New information about COVID-19 seems to come out every day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cannot track.

— Basia Crane, Kentfield

Let Europe lead the discussions with Putin

US President Joe Biden must take a step back to react to the invasion of Ukraine. He should let European leaders engage in dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I think it’s clear that Putin sees the United States as a threat as it expands its military bases and missiles closer to Russia. Many nuclear weapons belonging to the United States are stored in NATO member states. If Ukraine became a member of this treaty organization, it would be a step closer to allowing the United States to install military bases and missiles on this territory. I think the Biden administration should let the American people know about this.

To reverse the roles, how would American leaders react if Russia installed military bases and missiles in Mexico? Perhaps if Putin is assured that no military bases or NATO missiles will be installed in Ukraine, some form of peace can be achieved.

Putin is a dangerous dictator who cannot be ignored, so I hope European leaders find a solution soon. My thoughts are with the people of Ukraine who find themselves in the midst of this disaster.

—Ivonne van Buuren, San Rafael