Signs of conspiracy
Dear Editor,
While I have been walking my dog around Harriston (Minto) in the last few days, I have been bemused to encounter tiny posters, stuck to poles in the downtown area, which suggest that the pandemic is actually some kind of political conspiracy and that people should be wary of government policies which have been implemented.
Comment added – Messages questioning COVID-19 restrictions have been added to some signage advising of the measures in downtown Harriston. Submitted photo
The authors of these poster messages conveniently (for themselves) do not reveal their names, the names of their organizations (if any) and do not suggest any source materials for their implied claims.
As a retired, professional epidemiologist, I urge everyone to get their information on COVID-19 from trustworthy, well-resourced, accountable institutions like Health Canada, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. The information and recommendations provided by these groups are based on decades of scientifically verifiable studies, observation and experimentation.
All of this science can traced back to its creators, and their organizations, through the literature in the medical journals. Health science is continually being improved, reviewed and challenged by scientists, making the process transparent.
The lessons learned from confronting SARS, H1N1, chicken, swine and bird flu events, have all been collected and analyzed to do one thing: prevent a recurrence of the outcomes of the 1918 flu pandemic. In 1918, the flu killed about 50 million people world-wide (nearly as many as World War II) and it infected a third of the world population. If unchecked, a rate like that would kill 175 million people, today.
In 1918, health workers knew that distancing should have been practiced. But, because of confusion and political interference associated with the First World War, useful information was muddled and suppressed in the nations at war. In the U.S., 675,000 people died and some were buried in mass graves because their response systems were overwhelmed.
In Canada, 17,000 people have died from COVID-19. The U.S., with a population about 10 times that of Canada and a similar age and economic structure, should experience around 10 times as many deaths as Canada. Instead, partly due to the buffoonery of the Trump administration, the number of deaths in the U.S. (380,000) is 22 times that of the number in Canada. Bad information and implementation can have tragic consequences.
The purveyors of conspiracy theories, sticking tiny posters on poles downtown, are not capable of thinking clearly about the spectre we face.
Of course, we should always be suspicious of the motivations of politicians, but confronted with COVID-19, our leaders have been attempting to implement World Health Organization guidelines.
We need to listen to them as if our lives depend on it.
Richard N. Fry, Epidemiologist (retired),
Harriston
Let’s try to be peaceful
Dear Editor:
During these challenging times, let us not forget we are fortunate to live in a country where there is freedom of speech and we can choose to live here and have plenty of what we need to survive.
It is sad, we do have folks living without, for whatever reasons. During this past Christmas season, it was disappointing to only see a few decorations outside, revealing what we believe is the true meaning.
As we enter 2021, let’s try to be peaceful – a friendly phone call to a person living alone, if able, shovel their driveway or just a friendly wave. If we show the above example, many more folks will be happy & feel peace.
Mary McIntee,
Mount Forest
‘Unsettling’ pattern
Dear Editor:
RE: The power of words and danger of lies, Jan. 14.
This editorial is unsettling. It uses the recent riot in the American Capitol to justify increased censorship here in Canada. Specifically, they say the newspaper says they will renew their “efforts to ensure misinformation, conspiracy theories and hateful, divisive rhetoric never appear on our social media pages.”
This issue isn’t just a one-off, Wellington Advertiser-only, position; indeed, it seems to be in line with the federal government’s plans to introduce legislation this spring that will regulate social media and “promote a safer and more inclusive” online environment. So, it’s a policy movement to be concerned about.
It appears as though the plan of the current Canadian government, and its funded media, is to cherry-pick stories from around the world, to justify further restrictions on our free speech until there is nothing left. What started as a few, reasonable limitations on free speech, such as the oft-quoted “you can’t yell fire in a crowded theatre,” has somehow evolved into “you can’t hurt someone’s feelings” and also “you can’t disagree with me.”
If this distinction might seem trivial, it isn’t. We are heading towards a Soviet-style, thought police: if there’s a disagreement, the government will be brought in to adjudicate, and the person with the least virtuous, non-government approved position, gets sanctioned. It’s already happening: political correctness is being enforced as law. We need to stop this madness.
It wasn’t that long ago when everyone in Canada had the freedom to think and speak their mind, and the government only concerned itself if the physical actions of the person broke the law. And when we were exposed to these wonderfully diverse, and often controversial viewpoints, everyone had the freedom to do their own critical thinking, and decide where they stood.
Oh, and about those rioters that stormed the U.S. Capitol buildings? Lock’em up of course.
But it’s pure political opportunism to use this event to justify passing more, over-reaching censorship laws.
Brant Watson,
Centre Wellington
*Editor’s note: The social media changes made by the Advertiser and alluded to in this letter were not made in response to the U.S. Capitol insurrection of Jan. 6. The Advertiser decided some time ago to implement the changes early in 2021 in response to increased misinformation and vitriol contained in comments on our social media pages and in correspondence sent directly to us.
‘Unfair’ to blame Trump
Dear Editor:
RE: The power of words and danger of lies, Jan. 14.
I can’t defend all of President Donald Trump’s actions leading up to the assault on the U.S. Capitol. However, I believe it is unfair to put all of the blame on Trump.
If you look at what Trump actually said, he never called for the violence that occurred. Being a “law and order” man, he was likely as shocked as most conservatives were by the actions of a segment of the Trump supporters. Violence isn’t what reasonable conservatives do – we expect it to come from the left.
The 2020 riots resulting from Black Lives Matter, Antifa and other protests were widespread, resulting in destruction across the country, with even the White House perimeter being attacked.
The attack forced the White House to go on lockdown and President Trump having to go into the bunker. An estimated $1- to $2-billion of property damage was done during those riots, multiple people were killed and injured, and scores of businesses were destroyed.
Yet most Democrats and their media supporters downplayed or justified that violence. They described the protests as “mostly peaceful,” as did one CNN reporter standing in front of a burning building that had been set aflame by rioters. Small wonder that a recent poll found that six out of 10 Americans trust the media either “not very much” or “not at all” when it comes to reporting the news fairly and accurately.
The Big Tech monopolies’ censorship of Trump and other conservative voices, using the pretext that it will stop violence, is extremely hypocritical and likely to only exacerbate an already volatile situation.
Violence needs to be condemned whether it comes from the left or the right, no matter how just these people say that their cause is.
Henry Brunsveld,
Puslinch
Vaccines work
Dear Editor:
Don’t believe everything you read on social media! For those people who are considering refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine, this is not the time for protesting.
A vaccine is the only thing that can produce antibodies for long-term protection – short of catching the disease itself (not recommended here).
I am a certified homeopath and I understand the concerns about vaccines. But I also understand that they work! And a pandemic is when vaccines become invaluable. We must maximize compliance with respect to vaccinating the population.
There will already be people who won’t be able to take the vaccine for valid reasons (ie.- immuno-compromised). And the vaccines are only about 95% effective.
So, it’s important for every able-bodied person to accept vaccination. Note that if enough people refuse the vaccine, the virus will likely mutate. The current vaccines may not be able to protect against certain mutations. That would require the development of a new vaccine, adding years to the process.
Even after being fully vaccinated, it is still possible to become infected by and spread the virus. The vaccine only prevents us from becoming sick (developing symptoms) if we contract the virus.
This is why it’s important to continue following protocols (wearing a mask, etc.) until Health Canada deems it safe to stop. Please cooperate.
Marg Gollinger,
Mapleton
‘Ignorance, conceit’
Dear Editor:
RE: Protestors from Toronto stand with Arthur gym defying lockdown rules, Jan. 7.
I was appalled when I saw the picture of the Toronto protesters in the parking lot of Futuristic Fitness. How dare they come into our community during lockdown and without the decency to wear masks. By looking at the picture they weren’t even protesting, but just milling around drinking coffee and yakking while not standing six feet apart.
They came from a COVID-19 hot spot to our relatively quiet community with zero regard to the health and safety of Arthur’s citizens! If they thought they were helping Futuristic Fitness they are wrong. All they accomplished was to show their ignorance, conceit and total disregard for anyone but themselves.
They should have been escorted out of town promptly and arrested if they refused to leave. I certainly hope each and everyone of them received a summons at the least.
After all, Futuristic Fitness received a summons and they at least followed some of the COVID-19 protocols, where these people honoured none.
It would be shear hypocrisy to let them off scot free!
Lesley Morris,
Arthur
‘Iron ring’?
Dear Editor:
The performance of the government in regards to our residents in long-term care (LTC) homes is shocking. The data shows that this virus is most devastating to elderly persons, especially those with underlying conditions. The obvious course of action is to protect our most vulnerable. Has this been done? Not by a long shot.
In March, April, May, long term care homes were hit hard. In June, Premier Doug Ford said it was unacceptable and he would “get to the bottom” of it, and place an “iron ring” of protection around these facilities. And now, again, after eight months to prepare, some LTCs are in a similar or worse situation.
What has Mr. Ford done to protect the most vulnerable? He introduced Bill 218, which became law on Nov. 20. Bill 218 prevents any nursing home director or facility from facing any legal action resulting from the devastation in the LTCs, provided they followed public health guidelines in “good faith” and made an “honest effort”.
Any legal proceedings which were started after March 17, 2020, have to be withdrawn. This is Doug Ford’s “iron ring” of protection – not around the most vulnerable in our society, but around these facilities to make them immune from legal action.
Any families seeking some sort of justice for their loved ones due to the abhorrent conditions the army reported on have been snubbed, adding insult to injury. Should we have expected anything else?
Geoff Hotson,
Mount Forest
Dear Editor:
Last week I watched a series of ads on TV. The first ad, by the province of Ontario, again berated us to isolate. We were also told that we would be fined if making non-essential trips. The second ad, by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission, urged us to purchase lottery tickets. The third ad pleaded with us to visit an animal centre and adopt a pet. I give up!
Jim McClure,
Crieff