Letters to the Editor, July 31
Clearly confusing?
Marco Islanders: Wow! I’ve just read the ballot text requesting our vote on whether to prohibit selling recreational marijuana on Marco Island. The language necessarily used can easily confuse the voter into a mistaken vote. Maybe the following will clarify the issue a little:
1. If you do not want recreational marijuana, (“pot”), sold on Marco Island, you should vote “Yes” –
this will permit Marco laws to specify the recreational pot-prohibition.
2. If you want recreational marijuana, (pot”), available and sold on Marco Island, you should vote “No” –this would keep Marco laws silent on selling “pot” locally.
Could be a bit confusing, could it not? I hope the above is helpful to fellow Marco voters.
Russ Colombo, Marco Island
Masks mandated
Front-page headline: 'Collier mask mandate passes.' Finally! Great! At last I can venture out in peace, knowing that everyone will be wearing a mask.
Wrong. The fifth paragraph informed us that the order 'does not apply to the cities of Naples and Marco Island.' What?
To Naples: When are you planning to opt in?
What a disappointment.
Melanie Chadwick, East Naples
‘Not worth the life of one teacher’
Collier County has experienced safe, no-fatality public school instruction during the pandemic. From April until June, remote learning completed the school year. The next semester must continue virtually to keep staff, family members and students safe.
We cannot go back to in-person classrooms until COVID-19 testing is available to every student and teacher on campus quickly. If the president can have people tested in 15 minutes, then so can our school staff.
Rapid testing, contact tracing, distancing, masks and improved HVAC systems are safety requirements necessary before most teachers will be willing to return to classrooms. School employees might be at higher risk of death due to age or other factors and will not be willing to go back to school even with precautions announced by the district.
A slight decline in student success over an eight month period is not worth the life of one teacher or student. That is a reality.
The focus should be on improving the online learning system begun in April, since that has caused zero fatalities. Studies have shown that K-12 students are just as likely to infect others as adults are.
Our governor and education secretary need to focus on safe child care where needed.
Chris Mclaughlin, East Naples
No mask? Try pickup or drive-thru
It should be obvious to everyone by now that the coronavirus response has been grossly mishandled on both the federal and state levels here in the South. They are ignoring the fact that our economy, jobs and schools will not return until the rates of virus go down or there is a vaccine.
Fortunately, businesses are stepping in to do what the government has failed to do: make masks mandatory. They are requiring customers to wear masks and teaching their employees how to deal with those who refuse to. Kudos to them.
If you don’t want to wear a mask, pickup is available at restaurants and grocery stores. Drugstores have drive-thru windows. Or stay home. We don’t need you spreading germs to those of us who are trying to do the only thing that will stop this pandemic, wearing a mask.
By pulling together and listening to the doctors, not the politicians, we will beat the horrible disease.
Lindsey DeRenzis, East Naples
Naples, ‘adopt Collier mask mandate’
To the Naples City Council: I urge you to adopt the Collier County mask mandate. Although some believe it is their constitutional right to not wear a mask, masks or face coverings are mentioned exactly zero times in the Constitution.
This seems to be a war of world views between those who seek the good of many and those who seek the good of the individual.
Currently, those opposed to face coverings have verbally protested a mask mandate despite overwhelming consensus among experts that a mandate such as the one Collier County passed (Tuesday) would greatly reduce the spread of a deadly virus that especially affects the elderly population.
Opponents of face coverings can be likened to a child who throws tantrums at the thought of being restrained in a car seat, even though the action is done to protect his life.
I urge you to do your duty to protect our population, no matter how loud the child’s tantrum might be. It is neither ethical nor dutiful for anyone in government to oppose a mask mandate. Please consider putting it on the agenda.
Anthony Brandy, East Naples