opinion
Stop complaining, be thankful for vaccine
Sometimes it seems that complaints are all we hear or read about these days. One of the latest complaints I am hearing is about the speed of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution and vaccinations.
Hey, I have an idea – just be thankful we even have a vaccine. Wasn’t it just a few months ago that the ones saying we hope to have a vaccine by the end of 2020 were being criticized and ridiculed?
Well, it’s here and instead of complaining, we should be thanking all of the people who made this happen.
Take a few minutes to think about the countless hours by thousands of workers in the scientific and medical fields to first develop the vaccine. Then, the brave people willing to participate in the trials.
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And the incredible logistics involved to distribute the vaccine to hundreds of millions, involving semitruck drivers, dock workers, local distribution workers, etc.
Finally, I ask, now that the vaccine is available, how on earth do you find enough medical staff to administer the vaccine to everyone?
I, for one, hope and plan to complain less in this new year and be thankful for all the blessings I do have.
Tom Allman, Sarasota
Shots not distributed equitably
COVID-19 has killed thousands of African Americans. Our livelihoods have been destroyed and our children’s educations disrupted.
Now there is a vaccine. Priority has been given to congregate facilities, people over 65 and health care workers.
Sarasota County began vaccinations in December. The county, whose population is increasingly diverse, should have created a plan designed to reach diverse communities.
It did not.
I saw the announcement because I can afford internet service. I asked people at the vaccination site how they were informed. Some received texts and others received calls. I asked a nurse if she had seen any Black people receiving vaccinations. “One or two” was her answer.
Many Newtown residents cannot afford internet service. Officials should have known that distribution could not be one-size-fits-all. They should have designed a plan to reach diverse populations.
They did not.
This is what systematic racism looks like. Authorities believe the public looks like them, gets news like them and has internet access like them. They don’t consider that the Black community might get news from different sources.
The vaccine must be equitably distributed. The people standing in line should look like the populace, which by definition means they can’t all be white.
Gwyned Simpson, Sarasota
Techie world leaving elderly behind
“Seniors left out of vaccine distribution,” a Jan. 5 letter, illustrates the plight of many seniors in our technological society.
I am 87 years old. I do not have a smartphone. I do not know how to text. Yet I am increasingly being asked to communicate by text, rather than by email or telephone.
The state Department of Health recently informed me, by telephone, that updates to the available coronavirus vaccine distribution dates would be by text message.
Obviously, I must buy the most simple-to-use smartphone I can find and learn how to text. I do not want a smartphone; I do not wish to text. But do I have a choice?
Even the Herald-Tribune assumes that everyone has access to current technology. Letters to the editor are no longer accepted by postal mail; they must be emailed to the editor. But there are many people in this country who do not have access to the internet or email.
Technology seems to be controlling us, not the other way around.
Naomi Noit, Venice
Set criteria to run for U.S. president
As I approach my 89th birthday, I realize one never stops learning. I have learned from the past four years of chaos in the Trump administration, which was unlike any other that I can remember in the history of America.
This has brought me to one conclusion. And that is, there should be some criteria for anyone to be a candidate for the powerful job of president of the United States. The candidate should have previous experience in government; a law degree; and a past that reflects good character, integrity and moral values.
Above all, the candidate should understand and protect the Constitution and the laws of this country.
The outgoing president had none of these qualities. Donald Trump was elected by supporters that he lied to and he enabled violence at his rallies.
He threatened the 2020 election returns, enabling more violence by not having the decency to concede defeat. His immaturity has presented a danger to our country, our people and the world.
I welcome and trust the Biden administration. Hopefully, although it will take time and a lot of work to undo the mistakes and disgrace of the past, Joe Biden will bring stability back to America.
Norma DeLuccia, Bradenton
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