An appreciation for essential workers
Editor: Words are utterly inadequate to express my appreciation for each and every essential worker: fire, police, medical, and grocery store worker.
You did not sign up to be a hero, yet a hero you are. Putting your life on the line day, day out — and more so during the germ warfare.
My prayers are that you stay safe and healthy.
CARMELLA BRINK Lodi
Warped priorities
Editor: To Donald Trump bacon is more important than the health and lives of meat processing plant workers.
FRED DANIELSON Woodbridge
Exercising our rights shouldn’t hurt others
Editor: Mr. Portal’s letter published on April 28 contained a number of inaccuracies. He states that “Santa Clara County took random samples.” The study he cites was done by researchers from Stanford University and subjects were not random, but rather were recruited using Facebook ads from various zip codes and demographics. Thus, it not clear that this is a representative sample of Santa Clara County, let alone other areas.
Although the research suggested COVID-19 may not be substantially more lethal than flu, this particular research has not as yet been peer reviewed suggesting the need for some caution in drawing conclusions. Despite this, it is tempting to extrapolate from this result to suggest that COVID-19 is no worse than the flu. However, COVID-19 is considerably different from the flu. It is more contagious and because of lack of prior exposure and/or inoculation, without efforts at social distancing, far more individuals are likely to become infected. Thus, even with the lower projections, the death toll will be far greater.
The Constitution allows for the suspension of some rights in the event of a national emergency. I would suggest that a pandemic that has infected over a million of our fellow citizens could be considered a national emergency. I agree that health guidelines should be reasonable and there is certainly some room to debate what is reasonable. Parishioners participating in church while sitting in their cars sounds reasonable.
Those who insist on gathering in close proximity endanger themselves but also the rest of us. The exercise of our rights should not negatively impact the rights of others, particularly the right to life.
ROBERT STILLWELL Lodi
Letters invited
The Lodi News-Sentinel welcomes opinions from its readers. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address and phone number for internal verification purposes. All letters are subject to editing. Letters from local readers dealing with local issues are given priority. Letters longer than 350 words will be cut to fit or returned to their writers. There is a holding period of 30 days between publication of letters by the same person unless no other letters are queued. Send letters to P.O. Box 1360, Lodi, CA 95241-1360; or email to