COLD WATER OF REALITY

Friday's letters: Falling short on COVID measures cost lives

Edmonton Journal - 

Nurses prepare to treat a COVID-19 patient on the intensive care unit at Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary on Nov. 14, 2020.© Provided by Edmonton Journal

Re. “Hinshaw deserves a medal for her handling of COVID,” David Staples, Oct. 19

Mr. Staples says of Dr. Hinshaw and Mr. Kenney, “… both times Hinshaw and Kenney resisted the outcry for yet another full lockdown … and both times the virus burned itself out … .” No, the virus didn’t burn itself out. Burn means it killed dozens of people a week, sometimes dozens each day.

My dad was one of those who died because government couldn’t inconvenience their base enough to wear a piece of filter paper in front of their mouth. Mr. Staples, a full lockdown wasn’t the only tool, and people dying, unable to breathe, are not just a number, or a euphemism. His name was Robert, and I miss him every day.

R.T. McKay, Edmonton

Smith shouldn’t act like a radio host

It’s one thing to be a radio commentator spouting a right point of view to a willing and like-minded audience. It’s another to be the premier of Canada’s fourth most-populated province. So far, we’ve seen Danielle Smith walk back some of her policy statements, “clarify” past comments, and eventually apologize for past comments.

What she should do is call a general election to legitimize her mandate. 

But she won’t. Instead she will seek a safe riding and pretend she has been duly elected and not show even a hint of embarrassment. I presume one of her first acts will be to take care of MLA Michaela Frey who surrendered her seat.  Loyalty has its rewards.

John Campbell, Edmonton