The Editor:
I write in response to Ms. Starr’s letter about the military-grade gun ban. Her letter contains misinformation about these guns.
I’ve no idea what she means by a “military grade weapons” ban by the state of Washington. I am guessing she is talking about the AR-15 (modern sporting rifle) and other semi-automatic rifles the state recently banned. The AR-15 is not a military grade weapon and never has been even though it looks a lot like its close cousins, the M-16 and M-4 military rifles. The difference is military rifles can fire fully automatic or in some form of burst whereas the AR-15 fires one bullet for each trigger pull. The AR-15 is incredibly popular as it is a great gun for home defense and marksmanship/target shooting.
Ms. Starr is correct that guns are sadly now the leading cause of youth deaths. Modern sporting rifles and other semi-automatic rifles are not the driving factor of these deaths. Are they deadly when used with bad intentions? Absolutely. Just as is any weapon (knife/club/car).
The AR-15 is not really suited for hunting larger animals (deer) mainly because the bullet is small and has difficulty penetrating the thick hide. The .223/5.56 bullet does not make an animal inedible unless it is a squirrel or rabbit I suppose as there would not be much left.
As a veteran I take issue with her statement that “many veterans” suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from seeing or hearing these weapons fired. I certainly do not. No doubt some may have issues but not “many.” Please do not label veterans this way.
As we have seen throughout recent history, tyrannical governments first come after the citizens’ ability to defend themselves. I highly recommend that Ms. Starr read more on the history of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Blue states continue to punish lawful gun owners and let criminals who use guns run free. Washington state’s ban on these guns will rightly be overturned.
Mike Harkleroad
Blaine
The Editor:
Look at House Bill 1144. The Democrats erased in the bill any reference of all semiautomatic rifles and added the addendum semiautomatic “all firearms.”
This is out of the Communist playbook to disarm the populace. They will settle for rifles now but creep into handguns; Inslee is a Communist sympathizer. Ergo the Green New Deal. Please pay attention to politics, state, federal or local. Democrats want disarmament and obedience to their rule. Please pay attention to votes.
All representatives for Whatcom County, including U.S. representative Rick Larsen at the federal level, are all Democrats. I asked each how they voted on HB 1144 over two months ago and none of the representatives have responded. I also asked if they believed that criminals would obey this law. Again, no response. I also asked if this was against the U.S. Constitution. Again, no response.
I am moving out of Whatcom County at this time for personal reasons, and I hope people living in Whatcom County wake up.
Bruce Kay
Birch Bay
The Editor:
I want to thank some very special and dedicated healthcare professionals and staff who have been providing critical and necessary palliative care to members of our community, including myself.
PeaceHealth recently made major cuts to this program that employed specialized services for individuals with complex and challenging care needs who do not otherwise qualify for hospice. The palliative care team includes medical, nursing, pharmaceutical, spiritual and social services.
As a consumer of these services, I am truly saddened and frustrated by PeaceHealth’s decision to terminate the care and support provided by this program.
This team has assisted me with invaluable support related to my comfort, medical and emotional needs due to my illness. It is concerning that this local care team will no longer be here when other members of this community and I next need them.
To all of you wonderful healthcare professionals and staff at palliative care, thank you.
This inglorious ending to a much-needed program, without any community input or consideration, is a disgrace. This is just one more example of our broken healthcare system.
Karen Lerner
Bellingham
The Editor:
PeaceHealth management in Vancouver, Washington is well known for making decisions that run counter to the common good.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began, a St. Joseph Medical Center emergency department physician voiced concerns about inadequate personal protective equipment and the need for better triaging of ER patients to avoid infections. What did PeaceHealth do? They fired him.
PeaceHealth’s decision to cut outpatient palliative care services is the latest example that they are tone-deaf to the communities it serves. They claim cuts are necessary because of lost revenue during the pandemic. It is true that hospital revenues throughout the U.S. decreased.
However, relief of suffering for seriously ill patients should be PeaceHealth’s North Star. Slashing the outpatient palliative care program illustrates the lack of insight into the heart and soul of our community. It was community members who provided generous and vital seed money to launch the program, which is considered essential to quality healthcare.
Palliative programs show outcome improvements across the spectrum – better patient experience scores, lower 30-day readmission rates, fewer ER visits, shorter ICU stays, decreased hospital mortality and less cost per Medicare beneficiary. These measures are all part of how hospitals get ranked and paid. On that basis alone, how can PeaceHealth justify its decision?
Hospital-based and community-based palliative care avoids unnecessary costs. These avoided costs may not show up immediately, but it is penny-wise and pound-foolish for PeaceHealth to deny that the best organizations offer palliative care.
Obvious from legally mandated, publicly available 990 forms, the increased compensation that hospital executives received, during the pandemic, could cover the cost to maintain this vital service to the sick and suffering who have nowhere else to turn.
I suggest that locally, PeaceHealth invite the community to an open forum in which patients, donors, caregivers and all stakeholders be given the opportunity to express their concerns and get answers. That would be the honorable way to address the discontent that PeaceHealth’s actions created.
Micki Jackson
Bellingham
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