COVID-19 and school reopenings: Letters to the editor, Aug. 7, 2020

Reopening schools is way too risky

As a retired teacher, parent of a teacher and grandparent, I was alarmed that local school districts expected students to return to school in August, with a minority allowed to learn online. It is not safe.

A county health officer said that if schools opened, there will be COVID-19 in schools. Vulnerable teachers will be in danger, and students will take the virus home to at-risk family.

COVID-19 cases are spiking everywhere, including here. CRMC and Kaiser are overcapacity, and more health-care workers are getting sick. Oregon has seen young children affected, and some children suffer catastrophic after-effects. Pediatricians are warning of the dangers.

I realize parents need to return to work but can’t with children at home. Children may not have adequate access to online learning. Parents may feel inadequate helping with distance learning. They need resources to cope.

Political and economic pressures are unacceptable reasons to risk sacrificing the lives of children and teachers. This pandemic has been mismanaged at the federal level. Congress needs to provide further aid for affected state and local governments, for the unemployed, parents, the uninsured, and renters and homeowners.

Grateful for congressional help

As a member of the Fresno Armenian American farming community, I want to thank our local congressional members Jim Costa, TJ Cox and Devin Nunes for their support of $1.5 million in demining and rehabilitation assistance to the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh–Artsakh. As our representatives, they understand the importance of a rural economy; their support of this package allows for farmers in Artsakh to develop their land without the fear of death from land mines

The impact of mine explosions is exacerbated in Artsakh, where there is near complete reliance on agriculture for survival and income generation. According to a report by the HALO Trust, in Artsakh, the presence of land mines causes, on average, a 45% decrease in rural household economic welfare.

In many villages, grazing livestock were victims of land mine accidents involving cattle and sheep in nearby pastures, completely shattering that village's economic stability. The loss of a single cow can cost a family more than $600, an economically devastating amount for rural families. Prior to the USAID funding for the HALO Trust’s demining efforts, farmers were afraid to ride their horses on the road, fearing that they could initiate an anti-tank mine. Our representatives’ support helps save lives.

Wrong to tear down monuments

The recent movement to remove statues, names of places, and names of sports teams etc. has gone too far. I agree with the principle that slavery was, and is, wrong. But it must be done intellectually and patiently. Instead of knocking down all statues and renaming places and towns that supposedly had anything to do with slavery, it should be done democratically.

Having the Spanish names of the cities, mountains, rivers, and locations in California and other places in the U.S. renamed seems unfair and absurd. Christopher Columbus did not sail from the United States.. He sailed on behalf of Spain and Italy, which we are not responsible for. The Southwest of the United States was founded and settled by Spaniards with their religion and language.We had nothing to do with that. Let the culpability rest with them.

The missions in California were built by Native Americans, forced by the friars, sent by Spain. The Spaniards also brought African slaves. We are not responsible and have no right to correct other countries’ deeds and mistakes.

We should deal with the authors and direct ancestors of those deeds .

This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "COVID-19 and school reopenings: Letters to the editor, Aug. 7, 2020."