The Editor:
Thank you to all the wonderfully supportive people regarding the desecration of my husband’s roadside marker a few weeks ago. Your gestures, comments and sentiments of care, concern and generosity were very touching. Although none of the original items were returned, mementos placed at the site by anonymous kind souls lightened my heart and lifted my spirits. Thank you again.
Meredith Iaci
Blaine
The Editor:
We are only seasonal residents but always enjoy reading the paper online when we are home in San Jose and when we are at our Semiahmoo home. Happy to support this worthwhile newspaper. Please keep publishing.
John and Victoria Kros
Blaine/San Jose, California
The Editor:
Since moving to Blaine, The Northern Light has been my bright weekly beacon into the people and community in its entirety, but never as bright or as needed since the stay-at-home order went into effect. My closest family is across the now-closed border.
Somehow the words “thank you” seem insufficient for the entire staff of Cost Cutter who do my weekly shopping for curbside pickup with a smile and a wave, or the staff at Rite Aid who have always kindly helped with all my prescriptions and store needs, or my massage therapist who has shopped for me, as well as my hairdresser who has done much more than take care of my hair, or the staff of VW Home and Garden Center who have helped gather plants for curbside pickup to brighten my spring.
Each of these people has made the current situation doable and far less frightening through their consideration, caring and kindness. There really is no way to repay each and every one of these individuals.
As the saying goes, “The worst brings out the best.” I am so very appreciative for all the help and support, as well as the link to my community that thankfully arrives every Thursday in my mailbox, The Northern Light! Thank you.
Beth Tableman
Blaine
The Editor:
I am thankful that the Whatcom County Health Department commented on the grief that is so prevalent at this time. Grief and moral and emotional fatigue are natural consequences of a crisis like the one we are in, where our foundations fall out from underneath us, systems seem to be breaking down and our past expectations are no longer valid. We all feel this stress, yet we can choose to let it lead to anger or blame of others, which only separates us, or we can recognize that all of us are in this together and that this existential crisis is more than just isolation and wearing PPE.
With a lack of context for normal life to go on, we are afraid that our life is being taken away from us. During this time, we may be wise to learn to think differently, instead of being forced to.
Are we able to step back and reflect on events and our lives and ask whether our way of being and living was actually sustainable? How can we rebuild a new way of living that takes into consideration all that we have learned during this time? Are we able to see that we are not an island, that we all are a part of the whole and that possibly, in order to live into the future, we will need a new way of thinking and being that includes recognizing the sacred humanity of us all and the importance of our one earth? How can we shape a future where compassion and working together for the betterment of all shapes our life and thoughts?
“Every person for themselves” is not working, and the expectations for our lives may no longer be attainable unless we work together to solve problems in the future together. With a possible resurgence of the virus in the fall, and as climate change continues to affect our weather and lives, we recognize that great change causes great fatigue. Ignoring it, and the science that tells us there is possibly more to come, is not the answer.
Working together and caring for one another is the beginning of the answer. Whether virus or climate change, we are all in this together and all of us are eager for isolation to be over. But it will not be over if we do not test and trace consistently. So instead of reacting because we feel out of control, we can be in control of shutting this virus down by following commonsense advice. Think about those on the front lines putting their lives at risk for the sake of others.
Opening up communities too early jeopardizes the lives of health care workers, grocery workers and all directly involved with clients in the community. Our actions can seriously impact many others and our environment. This is our only world and if we muck it up there is no plan B.
Sharon Somers-Hill
Blaine
The Editor:
I am embarrassed that Doug Ericksen represents me and our community in the Washington state senate.
He very narrowly won re-election in 2018, but he did win and deserved respect because of it. For the record I did not vote for him.
However, in the middle of a pandemic, which we are all in together, he objects to practical epidemiological practices to test and track positive contacts by posting the following on his Facebook page:
“Now the deep state is proposing Communist Chinese style, freedom destroying liberty crushing techniques to fight the Communist China Virus” (reported by the Seattle Times).
Really, is this helpful? What shred of facts even support rhetoric of this type?
What is even more absurd is that this comment comes from an elected official who has a side job as a registered and paid lobbyist for the government of Cambodia. I urge my fellow constituents to take a minute and Google “human rights and Cambodia” and see what kind of client Mr. Ericksen represents and then ask yourself how he could make these kinds of allegations.
We need to pull together to get through this pandemic, not have our elected officials act like children.
He will ask for our vote again soon; I hope we all remember this time and what he said.
Jay Tyrrell
Blaine
The Editor:
It certainly is discouraging reading about our state senator Doug Ericksen being quoted as writing, “Now the deep state is proposing Communist Chinese style, freedom destroying, liberty crushing techniques to fight the Communist China Virus,” according to the Seattle Times.
These words were taken from Ericksen’s Facebook page, which linked to a story in the Washington Post. Ericksen was referencing a plan for health officials to increase testing and track down the contacts of those testing positive for the coronavirus. This protocol is classic epidemiological practice, according to the Seattle Times article.
Such speech is negative, divisive and certainly not helpful, while also realizing that these words are racist and xenophobic. We really are “all in this together” and need cooperation to be able to return to a somewhat normal time. We need a community “can do” spirit to get this done. We need people working together – while keeping six feet apart.
Naomi Murphy
Ferndale
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