We need a Christmas Miracle

This Christmas we need more than a little magic, we need a Christmas Miracle. COVID-19 has caused record levels of death and pain in our state. We must unite as one Maine to avoid further illness and death. In my mind, losing one more Mainer to COVID-19 is one too many. That is why I got vaccinated three times and wear a mask in public. I owe you nothing less. It doesn’t matter where you live or who you voted for, we must find a way to get all of our friends, our neighbors, and our loved ones vaccinated by this CDC-approved and time-tested vaccine.

We all understand what is happening. It is simple math and daily news. If you are not vaccinated you are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and six times more likely to catch the disease (CDC). In addition, this decision unfairly puts all of us at risk of illness and death. This is especially true for our senior residents (possibly you, your parents, or your grandparents) and those who struggle with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes (possibly you, or more than likely, someone you love and cherish). Not to mention the totally irresponsible burden and risk placed on those professionals whose lives are dedicated to protecting our health and safety.

We are losing twice as many Americans every day from COVID-19 than the daily deaths that we suffered during The Civil War, World War I, and World War II combined. Dear God, what will it take for each one of us to see the light?

This is not a political or geographic game. It is an unnecessary and tragic fight between life and death, with the risk of losing growing greater every day. I can only pray that a miracle will happen as we join together safely at the holiest time of the year to celebrate life. It is time to become one Maine, under God, and indivisible in the fight against COVID-19.

Glenn Michaels,
Brunswick

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We only pretend to care about health

The cartoon that is on the opinion page of the Dec. 7 edition of The Times Record might be one of the most revealing statements ever printed in The Times Record.

While much of the country is still in controversy about abortion and women’s rights while disregarding what is actually required for a truly healthy environment — one that is supportive of life in general — most people ignore the male responsibility concerning procreation.

The responsibility becomes that of the female which is simply yet another symptom of the actual disregard for life while putting males in the proverbial dominant and exceptional position.

Who should bear responsibility for birth control is something not frequently discussed these days. There is much not being discussed these days, however, like birth control. Most people are simply, blindly following whoever shouts the loudest.

Then there is the plight of the unwanted child. Well, at some level, the poor child feels this, intuits this, though intellectually the child may not have the capacity to verbalize what he feels and is experiencing. This is the beginning of sadness and perhaps this one detail contributes to the cause of drug problems and the record suicides in the U.S. today among youth.

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The cartoon held the male accountable, though, in reality we know this is not true for the most part. The inequality that exists today is being manifested in so many forms, and is really one of the true emergencies of our time. Colds, flu, pneumonia are not anything new.

The turmoil manifested in so many forms in the U.S. has nothing to do with a virus. Social problems have existed for a very long time and are exponentially becoming the true health problem. African Americans, Indigenous People have known for a long time what the average citizen today still doesn’t start to grasp.

What does it say about a people that poisons the air, the water, the soils, the food systems every single day? Rachael Carson warned us in 1962. We have yet to learn anything! And we pretend to be concerned about health.

Joseph Ciarrocca,
Brunswick

 

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