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Chamberlain hit the mark in his letter
I could not agree more with Gary Chamberlain’s comments regarding accountability. Thank God we live in a country where there is freedom to express our discontent, even while some groups prefer to not call it rioting. It seems our world has gotten so thoughtless and people have become so motivated by uninformed peers, they are now tearing down statues of people who helped abolish slavery; all in protest of a slaver. Definitely an act of ignorance but something they should be held accountable for nonetheless.
Our statues are here to remind us of what was — good, bad or indifferent. They remind of what we accomplished and of what we did wrong. Removing them doesn’t change anything. As the old saying goes, “Those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.”
Tearing down statues under some misguided notion of doing good is a collision course with recreating the past, don’t you think? How will our youth ever learn? Good article Mr. Chamberlain and thank you for your service.
Randy Harris, Hiawassee
Now is the time for healing
It is time for America to put aside partisan politics and to act for the common good. The rhetoric coming from both sides of the aisle is filled with anger and bitterness. Each side tries to vilify the other and each side seems so entrenched in their viewpoints that proving that they are right is more important than doing what is right.
How did we come to this? The only way we can ever solve the monumental problems of our day is to treat each other with respect and dignity. We all want what is best for America and I believe we are all basically good people. We share common values of believing in human dignity, the value of hard work, the need to care for all our people, fairness and wanting a better life for our children.
It almost seems that we have forgotten that we are Christians and as such we are called on to love all people, even those we consider our enemies. I hope we can return to the Christian value of loving our neighbor and we are all neighbors. We ask you, our representatives, to talk, listen, compromise and begin the process of healing.
Vernon Dixon, MD
Safety guidelines part of restaurant’s reopening
As businesses in Clay County continue to reopen in the wake of COVID-19, Huddle House is welcoming back the community to its dining room.
Huddle House, located at 180 Old Highway 64 East, will officially reopen its indoor dining room to the public on Tuesday, July 21. The restaurant will continue to accept takeout and delivery orders.
To ensure that customers can enjoy their meals safely, the Huddle House team has adapted the dining experience to meet all local, state and federal guidelines for health and safety, including enhanced sanitation and cleaning processes, single-use silverware and reduced in-store capacity to maintain social distancing.
There are currently more than 400 Huddle House restaurants open or in development across the United States.
Cole Koretos
Wearing a mask benefits everyone and the economy
From March to May the United States was in lock-down, using physical distancing and hand hygiene to slow the onslaught of COVID-19. Much of the economy shut down, millions became unemployed overnight, businesses closed, many for good. We did it because the alternative was to let the virus rage unopposed, with a death toll projected to exceed 1 million.
Using the only tools we had to slow the epidemic, we bought time to ramp up widespread testing and contact tracing, which would then allow us to gradually restart the economy in a controlled way as we carefully monitored our communities. In short, we each sacrificed precious personal and financial capital to buy time for our government to mobilize our national resources against the epidemic but that time was frittered away. We paid a hefty price but we got stiffed.
Virtually every western industrialized country developed a coordinated national response to COVID-19 and consequently infection rates have been falling even in countries like Italy, which was extremely hard hit. In contrast, we are setting records day after day for new cases. Texas, Arizona, California, Florida and Georgia are surging and their hospitals are within days of being overwhelmed. Other states, mostly in the south and west, are close behind. Our own state is trending in the wrong direction.
This is not the result of increased testing. Last month, the rate of positive tests in New York stayed steady at around 1.2 percent while Texas, with fewer tests had a positive test rate that increased to 24 percent by month’s end.
Those states that relaxed their precautions and reopened early saw an initial surge of economic activity, which put pressure on other states to reopen. The economic surge has been followed by a viral surge, followed by hospitals and ICU’s at near capacity. And then the economic surge collapses. Open the economy as much as you want but unless people feel safe the economy will go nowhere fast.
We are not facing a second wave of COVID-19. We are still in the midst of our first wave, and it’s getting worse, not better. As the virus goes, so goes our economy. It did not have to be this way.
We still do not have a coordinated national response to COVID-19. So we have to fall back on the few tools that we can each control. If we want to reopen our local economies in any meaningful way, we have to make it safe for the people who work in those businesses as well as the people who patronize them.
It’s pretty simple. Keep your distance from others especially indoors, practice frequent hand hygiene and yes — wear a mask. Wearing a mask can keep you from infecting others if you have the virus. It also reduces your chances of catching the virus from someone who has it. Communities where most people wear masks have a lower rate of coronavirus infection compared with communities where most people don’t.
These are the facts.
Stone Altman, RN, BSN
Stunned by condition of summer home
There are undoubtedly good people in Hayesville I wish I had them for neighbors. It is a shame because we buy a nice place to enjoy the summers and people move in who make life hell and enjoy doing it.
I came back from Florida late this year due to the conditions of the world. To start with, someone had changed the lock on the gate so the yard man could not get in to mow and the grass was 10 feet high. My place had been broken into — a window was open and I always close and lock windows. The place had been ransacked, pictures taken off the wall and smashed, broken glass everywhere. It looked like a big bag of garbage had been thrown around in the living room. There were egg cartons and old bottles and cans.
Lines to the phone and internet had been cut. Yes, cut not chewed by a mouse. These were on the wall where no mouse could reach. This was not someone breaking in to steal — this was someone bent on deliberate, hateful destruction of property hoping to drive me out.
I know who did it but of course cannot prove it but next year there will be sensor lights.
Ruth Newsome
Stop the spread of COVID-19
Back in the early 80s it became law to wear a seatbelt. I felt it was up to me if I wanted to put one on or not because I felt this was a free country and I can do what I want but it was made a law. Highway funding would be cut off to states who did not comply. It took a $25 ticket to get me to wear one and now it is a habit and I do it automatically.
Among other states like Gov. Roy Cooper made an executive order to wear face masks in public and everywhere you go a lot of people don’t wear one. Federal funding should be cut off to states who do not comply. Seat belts were to save lives and so are face masks. Follow the law, wear a mask. Businesses who do not enforce this should be fined and told to comply or be closed. Enforce the law and stop the spread of coronavirus — this is serious. I don’t like them but I wear one to protect myself and others. Do the right thing and follow the law. In one state the governor said “no shoes, no shirt, no mask, no service.” Why have laws if we are not going to enforce them? The life you save might be your own.
Ronnie Foster
Wonderland Animal Sanctuary has been devastated
We were without insurance for the barn and its contents of our more than 100-year-old barn that was hit by lightning and burned to the ground.
The blessing was no animal or person was hurt, but it was two story and more than 2,000 square feet. It was completely filled with necessities for taking care of our 6.5 acres of land and needs for animals, cages of every size, feeders, horse tack, travel tent enclosures, electric fencing wire and posts, building supplies, all of our art festival equipment and accessories that we used to make money for our rescue, household improvement items, my partner’s auto parts and machinery, tools, lifetime of the best camping equipment, sports items, boating engine, paddles, bow and arrows and much more.
Also, hard for the heart was losing family heirlooms, furniture and collectibles.
All of our holiday decorations. We decorated up inside and out for every holiday. Last year, we were in the Clay County Progress for our Halloween decorations. The most important was Christmas decorations. We are Mr. and Mrs. Santa for Hayesville and the surrounding area charities.
I have collected Christmas decorations my whole life, inherited, gifted and hand made purchases of more Christmas than I can say. We finally filled our yard with a complete Wonderland and put up more than 40 trees inside and out — all gone.
We have been here 9 years trying to give all we can to this beautiful community. We are now in desperate need of help. Our address is 6658 Old Hwy. 64E, Hayesville, N.C. 28904 and PayPal is under robbin.sinay@gmail.com.
We are beyond grateful for any help we can get and we are a 501c3 tax write-off. God bless.
Robbin Sinay