Preventing the spread

To the Editor:

I just re-read the letter to the editor recently submitted by Char Kahler. I applaud her statements concerning wearing masks and social distancing.

Her statement: “I have heard comments like, ‘If I get COVID, I get it,’ ‘It’s in my car, but I only wear it sometimes’ and ‘I’m not elderly nor do I have an underlining health issue.’ Where is the consideration for others?”

At best, unless a face mask is an N95, face masks are not about keeping you from COVID; they are about you protecting others from you. Just remember to wear it whenever around others. The sooner we show some responsibility, the sooner we can be back to enjoying life pre-COVID.

Two weekends ago, our three daughters and their families (all five grandkids) ventured home to Iowa, the first time all have been home together prior to Christmas. It was awesome, but also scary. Each family member extended extreme priorities to prevent any exposures of sorts. The sad part about all of this was our son-in-law from Michigan had to make a quick trip to Fairmont for a couple of needed items for their 10-month-old that they had forgotten. While there shopping, he was beside himself and when he got back to Ledyard, he told our daughter, other than the Hy-Vee and Walmart employees, who are required to wear masks, he was the only person wearing a mask. He told our daughter he was “scared to death.” And this 6-foot-4 guy isn’t scared of anybody or anything. He couldn’t believe people could be so, so stupid.

His wife, our oldest daughter, is a nurse who works in a residential home with older citizens who are susceptible to COVID-19. She is worried about exposing herself and her family to this disease. A requirement of her nursing job is being tested every other week for COVID-19 (which she is happy to conform to). Besides testing, she and her husband are also true believers in wearing masks in public. They have never even taken their son into a store or restaurant since the beginnings of the first scares due to the pandemic. One of them always remains in the vehicle with him.

My husband and I were thrilled to have all our family home. We see our family from Waseca on occasion but those from Brainerd and Michigan were a first. And it was great, but despite the many tears shed, we were happy (but unhappy) to see them leave for home, due to the pandemic fears.

So please help prevent COVID-19, remember to wear masks, practice social distancing and hand washing. Not only for yourself, but for all others also. And thank you Char Kahler for your letter stressing the importance of protecting family and the public from COVID-19. We all need to heed this advice.

Pam Karels

Ledyard, Iowa

We are your neighbors

To the Editor:

On June 23, Congressman Jim Hagedorn of southern Minnesota wrote on Facebook:

“The Democrat ‘Black Lives Matter’ Party, along with armies of rioters, are at war with our country, our beliefs, and western culture. Their radical movement is orchestrated and growing. We must never let them take power. We must stand up and defend our country, our nation’s identity, our Judeo-Christian values, and our American way of life.”

As members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Faribault County, we take issue with how Mr. Hagedorn has characterized us. We are your friends, your neighbors and your co-workers. We are fellow members of your churches, your service clubs and your community. We care for your elderly, educate your young, serve your towns, feed your hungry, and contribute to our communities, just as you do. We are all one community.

But Mr. Hagedorn wants you to see us as your enemies. He wants you to fear us because he believes fear is good for his campaign. All he can see is a battleground.

Aren’t you tired of the battleground? Won’t you join us in seeking common ground?

We believe in this common ground and the common good. While there may be disagreement among us, there is no need to villainize those we disagree with. The only monuments we want to tear down are the edifices of division, fear-mongering and intolerance under which Mr. Hagedorn fights his Twitter battles. We believe Black Lives Matter because we believe that all people have value and that “justice for all” should be more than just a line in a pledge. Is that really so hard to agree with?

We would like to invite you to consider Dan Feehan for Congressional District 1. He is committed to ending the political ugliness that is threatening America. Our country needs courageous leadership. Dan Feehan has shown that courage as a U.S. Army Ranger, and as a teacher in the inner city. More importantly, he has the courage to say no to lobbyists and corporate interests. Take a look for yourself — he is not about dividing us into us and them, he doesn’t weaponize fear, and he doesn’t blow dog whistles to hate-groups on Facebook like Mr. Hagedorn. His campaign is positive, community-oriented, and people-centered.

The divisions in our nation and our state are only getting worse. We need to say no to politicians like Mr. Hagedorn. Our values and way of life are about putting people first, not villainizing them. Dan Feehan represents those values. Hagedorn does not.

Dan Woodring

Wells

and 16 other DFL

friends and neighbors