Letters to the editor (Sept. 11, 2020)

Mask mandate

The City Council made the right call on Tuesday when it voted to extend the mask mandate until Oct. 21, in spite of the marathon of protest speakers. It’s disheartening to see how many nut jobs, kooks and idiots there are in Wichita who have no regard for their safety or for the safety of others.

What is so difficult about wearing a mask? It’s the easiest thing one can do, and it does work well to keep the coronavirus from spreading in spite of all the complaining.

Are masks inconvenient? Yes. Do they get hot in the summer? Of course. Do they save your life? Without a doubt. Everyone needs to pay attention to the science. This is not a conspiracy. It is not a plot to take away your freedom. The numbers of COVID cases and deaths have not been misleading; sadly, they are real and accurate. To the people who are complaining about wearing masks: It’s time to grow up. Start accepting some responsibility and do your part to help get this virus under control. The only reason that the United States is so far behind other countries is because we have people who won’t pay attention and think they know better than the doctors and scientists. Well, you don’t, so stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution. Your life and my life depend on it.

COVID orders

It has been suggested that ending the virus-related mandate will release suspected criminals onto our streets (“Murder, child abuse suspects will walk free if COVID emergency order ends, DA warns,” Sept. 6, 2020).

Hogwash.

Judges and DAs release criminals onto our streets every day, virus or no. It’s an excuse for local officials not to relinquish powers they should not possess long-term.

I submit that if suspects are being held for no other reason than they might possess a virus, then they are being held unjustly. Bureaucracies around the world have seized far too much power over populations as it is. Will it happen here? Are we going to sit still for it?

End the orders. If you fear catching something, take the sensible precautions, but take them at your choosing — not with a gun held to your head.

Humble leadership

2020 has been a shared awakening of our mortality, of our frantic pace and of lingering injustices. We find ourselves in a collective huddle considering what to do next.

This is a time of great consequence. We will look back in a generation and pray we engaged with our best and fullest selves.

Let us first embrace self-leadership and our freedom to model the change we want to see in this world. We can complain about the speck in the eye of our neighbor, but it is more vital to remove the log from our own. Our faith guides us to grow in our grace and strive for authentic change.

Let us next prepare to serve, with patience, in areas where our heart and conscience compel us. Volunteer and serve where you see needs. Honor and absorb the lessons of those that have gone before you. And for existing leaders, hear and serve the new voices in the room. When we dismiss, we are easily dismissed.

Leadership is as an opportunity to lift others and create environments where they can flourish. By modeling humble self-leadership and embracing patient service, we can lift one another and take a step forward together.

COVID jail outbreak

There has been no update on the jail’s COVID-19 outbreak since two weeks ago. What is happening? How many have symptoms now? How many have been hospitalized? How many tested? There is no public information.

The jail is not a closed system. Unlike prisons, this will not burn itself out. This outbreak will not end until the jail can effectively quarantine, which requires significant depopulation. Meanwhile, I have had four patients since July jailed for drug use, despite assurances that there are few non-violent offenders in jail.

The Kansas Supreme Court suspended the right to a fair and speedy trial. With few trials taking place, what is the DA, sheriff, and judges’ plan for managing the already-overcrowded jail population? Inmates who can make bail will do so. Those who can’t are stuck with the choice: Take a plea deal just to get out, or wait, indefinitely, for your day in court, with the ever-increasing likelihood of contracting COVID-19 while waiting.

We deserve daily updates about the outbreak at the jail. We also deserve to know what the plan is.