‘Spectacular failure’ in U.S.

Dear Editor,

The way to effectively deal with a pandemic is actually quite well known: a coordinated nationwide effort including comprehensive testing, tracing, and isolation when needed to nip outbreaks in the bud; consistent physical distancing and mask-wearing in public; and a careful stepwise re-opening of the economy after the initial shutdown.

Over the past four months, most other nations in the world have used these approaches to successfully manage the COVID-19 virus and move their economies forward. But America’s effort to do so has been a spectacular failure, with more than 120,000 deaths, 2.4 million known cases thus far, 30,000 new cases per day (and rising), and a second surge now raging through more than half of our nation’s states where their medical resources now on the verge of being overwhelmed. We are essentially treading water at high tide as a tsunami approaches, while other nations view us with a mixture of bewilderment and pity.

But rather than trying to do everything in his power to get this pandemic under control, Donald Trump is instead focusing on himself and his re-election efforts, telling us that this pandemic is now “behind us” thanks to his “beautiful” handling of it, and that it is now safe to rapidly re-open the economy (obviously thinking that a good economy is his best ticket to re-election) although his relentless pressuring of governors to do so is now backfiring horribly. He mocks physical distancing and masks, insists on holding indoor rallies providing perfect “super-spreader” conditions for triggering major outbreaks, and states that he wants testing to be “slowed down” because the resulting numbers “make him look bad.” He is ending federal funding for such testing as of June 30, and is currently asking the Supreme Court to end Obamacare, which would result in tens of millions of people losing health insurance and end protection for pre-existing conditions for everyone — in the midst of this pandemic.

According to real experts, this situation is bad and rapidly worsening. Trump’s blatant self-centeredness, ignorance, and incompetence is resulting in unimaginable devastation and suffering, revealing with painful clarity that he lacks what it takes to lead us through this crisis successfully. This is an epic failure in leadership, breathtaking in its scope and depth.

So now it falls on us to restore capable leadership to our nation come this November.

Dale E. Buonocore,

Warren

Fuming over fireworks

Dear Editor,

Fireworks — it is absurd that our Pennsylvania Fireworks Law (Act 43 of 2017) is deficient in not setting fireworks launch distance restrictions from other property owner’s boundaries, or from streets and roads. This law is thus omitting consideration for the value of property owner’s landscaping (trees, shrubs, etc.), for the value of vehicles parked in their driveways, and for the hazard this poses to motorists. The current law only restricts fireworks within 150 feet of an occupied structure.

As a consequence, again this year, another’s fireworks shell casings and debris were strewn all over my car, all over and 100 feet deep into my property and near and next to my house, posing a real fire risk in drought conditions, in addition to littering my property. Littering is a chargeable offense in Pennsylvania.

So what did I learn? Don’t do as I did. Don’t waste your time calling State Police. People often do less than the least they could do. Police easily too — prove this “finding” is true.

So what can you do? At least, do the least you can do:

¯ Send photos and videos of fireworks littered onto your property to Pennsylvania state representatives and senators and demand that the current fireworks law be “fixed” to set fireworks launch distance restrictions based on the ceiling height of the largest shell casing to be launched. A 3-inch shell (the largest allowed for consumers) will travel approximately 210 feet. These 3’s landed far into my property. See keystonefireworks.com for more info. No shell launched should be able to reach another’s property or a street or a road — even if the launcher falls over — period.

¯ If others litter your property with their “property,” pick it up and, while avoiding trespass, return it to their property, so they can “enjoy” picking it up as much you did.

¯ Contact a lawyer.

To all those readers unopposed to launching fireworks in drought conditions, or to littering a neighbor’s property with shell casings and debris, do write a rebuttal. Indeed, do write, so that other readers may learn your names, your anti-social, sociopathic tendencies, and your obvious intellectual deficiencies.

Lastly, this caution to motorists — on July Fourth next year, and maybe year after year, maybe don’t have your windows down at or near prominent, high-traffic intersections in Wetmore Township — or wherever you live.

Tony Stovic,

Kane