Don’t let history repeat itself
Lessons learned
Regarding “It can’t happen again,” (A19, Oct. 5): Yes, to be prepared for the next pandemic, or even another wave of this one, we now know to have plenty of masks for everyone, protective gear for the front-line medical people, and enough respirators for those who will need them. All of those already should be widely deployed.
We know to act early to take the preventive steps and not wait until the disease is already here and spreading in order to slow the spread that likely will occur anyway, just at a more manageable pace.
We also know that we should not shut down the whole economy. Wearing masks and safe distancing, etc., should suffice. There is little need to close businesses. An informed public will take the steps necessary to manage their individual responses.
As for economic relief, forget relief to businesses, but give the money to the consumers. They will spend it on necessities (food, household supplies, utilities, rent or house note, auto maintenance — whatever they needmost. That money will trickle up the economic chain, keeping those businesses and the economy afloat. I never got the $1,200, but if I had,
I certainly would have spent it on something important. Oh, well.
Gene McFaddin, Houston
Dropoff votes risky
Regarding “Suit fights order on ballott dropoff,” (A1, Oct. 3): I am an 81-year old white man with significant physical limitations. Because of my vulnerability to the coronavirus and being unable to stand or walk for any distance, voting in person is not possible for me. I have relied on voting by mail for many years but now am very concerned that the USPS may not be able to deliver my ballot in time to be counted. Being able to drop off my mail ballot at the local courthouse — 3 miles from my home — was a godsend and solved my problem. Now you want me to drive into Houston, park, walk and contend with crowds just to make sure my ballot is delivered in time to be counted! Where is the sense in that?
You are supposed to be helping me to vote, not putting me at risk of a lifethreatening disease or forcing me to drive into the heart of the fourth-largest city in the country just to do something that could have been done in 20 minutes close to home. Please change your mind and help us to safely and easily vote.