Letter to the editor: First hydroxychloroquine, now ivermectin

First, it was hydroxychloroquine, and now it is ivermectin. People all over this country, particularly those in red states, are taking the livestock version of this medicine to ward off covid-19 and poisoning themselves in the process. Thousands of our fellow Americans, acting on the advice of right-wing media and politicians, are exposing themselves to illness and death.

As mentioned in S.E. Cupp’s column, “Tucker Carlson’s disgusting new low” (April 29, TribLIVE), some on Fox News deliberately lie “just to get people fired up, angry and afraid.” We find ourselves in a position where some of our news sources and some politicians lie to us while their cronies profit from it.

However, we have the power to change this situation. We can demand that our politicians and our news media, whether print, airways, cable, satellite or internet, use due diligence in checking the accuracy of their statements. This does not infringe on First Amendment rights. We have the right to free speech. We do not have the right to lie for profit.

We should not tolerate politicians and news media who lie to us. There should be consequences for those who do. We must bring the old-fashioned virtue of honesty back into our discourse. Honesty, integrity and character should be more important than money and power.

Without truth, we will not only lose our democracy, we will be pushed into another dark age.

Michael Garing

North Huntingdon