Flu Shot: Yea or Nay?

Experts recommend vaccine, but some still stay far away

Fever, runny nose, sore throat, coughing. Those aches and pains, a feeling like you just can’t get out of bed and face the world.

The flu.

It’s that time of year again. The influenza virus is coming to town, bringing with it symptoms that can range from mild to very bad indeed.

The flu is one of the most common infections in the world. And each year a flu vaccine is made available for those who want some extra protection against the virus.

The flu shot is recommended for just about everyone older than six months, but according to the Texas Department of State Health Services it’s especially crucial for pregnant women, young children, the elderly and those with chronic health problems.

Still, many Americans, including many right here in Texarkana, avoid the shot.

Some think it’s a waste of time and prefer to take their chances, saying if they get sick the flu will just run its course. Some maintain they get the flu from the shot. Medical experts say that can’t happen but side effects such as low fever and muscle aches are possible.

But many see the yearly flu vaccine as a vital part of preventative health care.

What about you? Do you get the flu vaccine every year? Or do you have a reason to avoid getting the shot?

Send your response (50 words maximum) to opinion@texarkanagazette.com by Wednesday, Sept. 13. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 East Broad St, Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday’s paper.

Last Week: Sheriff Joe

Last week’s question was about President Donald Trump’s controversial pardon of former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio after his conviction for criminal contempt. Was President Trump right to pardon Joe Arpaio? Or was it the wrong thing to do?

This man was a law enforcement officer enforcing the law that liberals don’t like so they went after him and a liberal Federal Judge told him to stop enforcing the law. He didn’t stop so the Judge wrongly charged him with contempt of court. Since when do we go after law enforcement for doing their job? Liberals want to flood the US with as many illegals as they possibly can and this man was slowing that process down.—D.J., Simms, Texas

Trump was correct in pardoning Sheriff Arpaio. My husband was a police officer for 20 years. My youngest son has been a Marine and police officer for 20 years. When people are sentenced by a jury to serve time in jail they should know it is punishment and serve their time.—R.P., Winthrop, Ark.

What a waste of time pardoning Joe Arpaio. Why not release more drug dealers as Obama did to kill more Americans in the opiod crisis or release more terrorists from Guantanamo to kill more American soldiers? Surely then the media would approve of something Trump did.—F.T., Texarkana, Texas

No, President Trump should not have pardoned ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The pardon was unusual since Arpaio was awaiting sentencing. The pardon had not gone through the normal pardon process, which includes long review by the Justice Department and the White House Counsel’s office. With this first pardon under his belt, Mr. Trump will be primed and ready to pardon anyone charged with crimes as a result of the Mueller investigation.—M.M., Washington, Ark.

No—Judge Arpaio’s treatment of prisoners in his “tent city” was horrifying. If Republicans cared half as much about the living as they do the unborn this man would never have been pardoned.—C.R, Texarkana, Texas

The pardon was deserved. Politicians and federal judges have stymied police and sheriffs who have tried to protect their citizens for many years. Making laws from the bench, and interfering with law enforcement by politicians with the result of criminals going free and continuing their crimes to the detriment of the public has gone on too long. We finally have a law & order president who recognizes this problem and has done something about it.—J.C., Texarkana, Texas

Pardon, right or wrong? If you are Obama, a terrorist qualifies (e.g. Oscar Rivera), or a traitor, (e.g. Bradley Manning). If Bill Clinton, Mark Rich-indicted for 65 criminal counts, including the largest tax evasion case ever, pardoned after his wife made $450,000 donation to the Clintons. Trump pardoned Arpaio for defying Obama’s puppets, demanding he stop enforcing state and federal immigration codes.—D.H.M., Texarkana, Ark.

I like that the president pardoned him. He was a sheriff who didn’t put up with ‘no’ bull. He treated inmates like you shouldn’t have broken the law in the first place and now you are in prison and it’s not going be fun. Governors have pardoned killers who killed again … one was an Arkansas governor.—B.J., Texarkana, Texas

Criminal inmates of Joe Arpaio’s prison, or any incarceration, worthy of mercy, air conditioned prisons, adequate food, humane treatment? Every day one hears of more senseless killings, robbery, gang violence. Were victims of these criminals treated humanely while dying from the bullets of one demanding “equal rights” and “humane treatment”?—R.&B. H., Texarkana, Texas

From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette

■ I can understand President Trump choosing to make an exception for one public servant who may have made a mistake in judgement. I contend it may be impossible to deal with illegal immigrants in Arizona without some degree of racial profiling. What I cannot understand and what I would rather talk about is all of the murderers and thugs Obama pardoned. As Obamas’ final days in office approached it is said he pardoned criminals at record numbers in an effort to get them out before he had to leave office.

Did we do a “What Do You Think?” about that?

■ Please forgive me while I am a little shocked at the people who are so quick to call out other presidents as there reasoning for why this particular pardon is ok. I absolutely do not feel this is ok. Arpaio is the epitome of everything that is wrong with out justice system. He is part of the problem! There is a reason so many law enforcement agencies refuse to do exactly what he did. And many of them whole heartedly believe in keeping “America safe,” and are as “American” as they come.

■ Trump did the right thing. The man was charged with bogus charges to begin with. People need to understand that illegal means exactly what it says. It’s not legal. Sheriff Joe was hard on criminals and crime as all in law enforcement should be.

■ Did the citizens of Arizona think he did something wrong? I remember hearing lots talk about how he kept them safe and had prisoners wear pink outfits. I think someone from outside came in and stirred the pot then and is someone stirring it now.

■ The people of Maricopa County voted him into office many times, and paid out millions in lawsuits. Matters not at this point that he was in contempt of a court order. He should have been stopped by the courts long ago. He’s been pardoned and that will stand.

■ If he was doing his job as sheriff he has a thin line to walk on the “profiling.” If he is “profiling” illegal immigrants in an area that has high traffic for known trafficking, I do believe he has the right to question anyone he even assumes is not here legally since our boarders are not secure from illegals. Don’t get me wrong I do believe people should be able to come to our country, but it needs to be done legally.

■ Well I don’t know this person or anything about him but I think if we look back on pardons done by other presidents, there’s no doubt in my mind which president supports the people of the United States.

■ Yet another left wing liberal question/ agenda by the TG. Why doesn’t this paper attempt to report on worthy local news, that should be the agenda of a local paper!

■ I think it was rite! From what I have seen of the sheriff he has been a champion of justice for many years!

■ Illegals are not Americans and have no American rights. Good for Sheriff Joe.

■ Was Obama right to pardon terrorist? Nuff’ said. Leave Trump alone and shut the hell up.

■ The President has the legal authority to pardon anyone. His first pardon was an outstanding selection. The prosecution was a Democratic political agenda. Thank you President Trump for looking out for Americans.

■ Absolutely he was right to pardon Sheriff Joe, the whole thing was political.

■ Definitely wrong as are most of the things that happen in the White House.

■ It’s done… move along to something worth fretting.

■ I miss the old days when presidents only released terrorists from Gitmo.

■ I think he simply undid something Barry set in motion.

■ Wonderful thing!

■ This man is dirt!

■ Wrong thing to do.

■ Wrong

■ Love the “whataboutism” here when folks have no defense for Arpaio’s actions.