Sounding off: Covid is what 'ruins lives'

I have seen many dumb statements made on this page, but the letter by Michael Arnone is quite possibly the winner (“Don’t worry about the unvaxxed,” Dec. 2, TribLIVE). He says vaccine mandates are “ruining people’s lives” and that, since the vaccine works, the vaccinated shouldn’t care if others get the same protection.

Mr. Arnone, very possibly it will be covid that will be the ruin of your life, and by refusing the vaccine, you are ruining the lives of others. Have you heard of breakthrough infections or herd immunity? The vaccine isn’t perfect, but if enough take it, it will lead to herd immunity.

The omicron variant is now upon us, and more than ever, we all need to work together. Covid has already killed nearly 800,000 Americans; the vaccine has killed none. So what’s your problem? Donald Trump? He’s a charlatan, not a doctor, and he told you more than 35,000 verified lies in the four years of his presidency, so why would you believe his nonsense about covid? If you broke your leg, would you go to Trump for the fix? He even suggested you inject poison, among other bogus cures he was peddling. And I would bet that if you actually got covid, you would go to a real doctor.

We are in a war, and the experts are saying the fix is easy. If it weren’t for stubborn people who think they know better, we might have been past this pandemic by now.

Wear a mask and get vaccinated. It’s your civic duty. Please don’t act stupid.

Fred Durig, Delmont

Mask mandates and rising crime rates

Remember the days when only criminals wore masks to hide their identity?

The current mask mandates are the perfect cover for those wanting to rob, rape, murder or commit any other nefarious crimes. Is it a surprise that crime rates have risen dramatically?

Why is no one talking about this?

Ron Kowach, Southwest Greensburg

Live reindeer should not be part of holiday displays

My concerns about the reindeer display at the Sewickley Light Up Night were realized when I went to observe and document the conditions for myself.

The deer — a mother and her daughter named Ginger — were standing for hours on concrete, with no hay or soft substrate underneath their sensitive feet. They were held on leashes by two handlers in a pen no larger than a single car garage. These deer, who naturally migrate over vast distances, could barely move.

A handler stated that Ginger was being “displayed” for the first time and that the young reindeer “has a mind of her own.” To me, Ginger appeared stressed and uncomfortable. Being in close contact with people and unfamiliar sights and sounds is an entirely unsuitable environment for a reindeer or any wild animal.

This cruel display had no place at the Sewickley Light Up Night and has no place at any other holiday event.

Melissa Stammely-Park, Franklin Park

Biden’s sleight-of-hand

Magicians use sleight-of-hand and distraction to do their tricks. They instruct you to look at one hand and use the other one to fool you.

I believe President Biden is using the same tactic. When domestic and foreign affairs get too bad, it is a strange coincidence that a new strain of covid-19 is discovered. We are urged to fight the new strain, and Biden will take care of other problems later. Later doesn’t come. Is covid-19 a serious threat or a distraction?

While Biden is busy working on subversive policies that will destroy this country, we are told covid-19 is the most important issue. Keep your eyes on Biden’s second hand.

Kathleen Bollinger, Fawn

Advice for Steelers leadership

The Steelers are disgusting to watch. Week after week, fiasco after fiasco, it’s clear to me that Art Rooney is the problem. His grandfather and father are probably doing backflips in their graves.

The NFL is a business; start running your team like one. Starting at the top: Your GM Kevin Colbert is not all-in operating on a one-year contract. Coach Mike Tomlin should have been fired years ago, with his lack of locker-room control, among his many other deficiencies as a head coach. Your “hall of fame” quarterback is a toxic, self-serving diva and de facto GM that has set this franchise back light years. Don’t get me started on the culture.

Ding, ding, ding, is Art home? You owe them nothing; they’ve been paid handsomely.

Rob DiSanti, O’Hara

Christmas TV offerings leave Jesus out of the picture

Reviewing the Christmas television offerings listed recently in the Living section left me with a feeling of disgust. Believe me, I’m not a Grinch and enjoy celebrating the holidays as much as anyone, but who, I ask, are we honoring?

There seems to be only one true, legitimate story reflecting the birth of Jesus Christ, and quite frankly, I feel a bit put off by some of the selections offered to viewers. Stories such as benevolent snowmen, flying reindeer, the Grinch who stole Christmas and other such trivialities dominate the airtime.

Have we completely abandoned the true meaning of Christmas, or are we blatantly and deliberately ignoring the one who lovingly offered the first true gift of Christmas to the world? It only goes to prove that we are indeed existing, or like it says in the Scriptures, living, in Satan’s — oops, should I have said Santa’s? — kingdom.

I guess what I am asking, personally as a believer in Jesus Christ, is this: As a Christian nation, whom do we truly serve?

Asia Mathews, Murrysville

Countering ‘consequences’

Leonard Stanga’s diatribe “Predictions have consequences” was sort of over the edge. He starts by asking, “How can BLM or antifa or anyone get away with these threats?” Then he proceeds to make a few threats of his own. How does that work?

Then he goes off on the “socialists in the media, blue cities and states, and the federal government.” OK, Mr. Stanga, name one of these socialist boogeymen you seem to be so afraid of.

”They have to declare all in opposition to their leftist agenda as ‘domestic terrorists.’ ” Has anyone called you a domestic terrorist lately, Mr. Stanga? No? So what was your point?

His right-wing propaganda goes on about liberals’ “intent to push critical race theory on students and impose gun control, and calling the unvaxxed ‘killers.’ ” First off, no one “pushes” critical race theory in middle or high school anywhere in this country. The only people spouting race theory today are neo-Nazis claiming that Aryans are the “master race.”

Then he moans about “President Biden linking Kyle Rittenhouse to white supremacists before the facts were even in.” No kidding. Who came up with Rittenhouse’s bail or paid his legal fees? News flash: It wasn’t the Little Sisters of the Poor.

All of this, Stanga states, affirms his and our “God-given right to be free.” Didn’t Jesus enjoin us to “turn the other cheek”? Didn’t God command “thou shalt not kill”?

You wouldn’t know a socialist if one came down your chimney on Christmas Eve, would you?

Jim Harger, New Kensington