It’s time to move on from vaccine debate

Re “Some 160 SDPD officers could face termination unless they comply with vaccine mandate” (Dec. 3): Painted on the side of San Diego police vehicles are the words “To Protect and Serve.” Would the police chief and the police union officials please tell me how officers’ refusal to get vaccinated protects me as a citizen and how doing so serves me?

Perhaps those words should be painted over and replaced with “Doing Our Own Thing.” I am not a believer in defunding the police, but I am in favor of terminating those officers who don’t get vaccinated.

Samuel M. Ciccati Downtown San Diego

Yes, we are all concerned about all the public servants who have refused to get the COVID-19 vaccines and will possibly be terminated early in 2022.

My concern is that, what if there is a major layoff and these police officers and firefighters are terminated? What is the mayor’s plan if this happens? Are there plans in effect now to ramp up hiring and recruiting? If there is such a plan, we hope there are incentives such as a financial bonus to attract new applicants. If not, the city should initiate one and let us know what it plans to do. We desperately need these critical personnel to protect and aid us.

And thanks, UnionTribune. Let us know what reaction you get from city officials.

Patricia McFeaters Oceanside

Re “Majority of vaccine exemption requests denied by Marine Corps as mandate deadline passes” (Nov. 30): Drafted in 1966, within two days of induction, we walked through a line as we were injected with various vaccines in both arms with pneumatic guns. A few months later, we were injected with more vaccines as we headed to Vietnam.

I do not recall anyone asking my permission. Since when has the military ever given a member any choices? The wimp factor of this country is increasing at an alarming rate.

Steven Quinn

North Park

Somewhere around 40,000 Americans died from COVID-19 in November, more than 1,000 a day, about 93 percent of them unvaccinated.

A child asks, “Why did mommy or daddy have to die?” During 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the answer might have been they died fighting for freedom from terrorism, to keep people from dying in our country. What’s the answer to a child whose parent died from COVID-19? In fact, what do parents tell themselves when a child dies from the virus? That they died fighting against a vaccine that would save their lives and protect the lives of family members and friends? That they died

standing against, what, a city’s mandate intended to insure the well-being of all citizens or the other political party’s policies? It is too sad.

Ken Ramsdell

Tierrasanta