Harrison, Cunningham and other defeated SC Democrats must remain engaged and visible
On SC Democrats
Here is my message to Jaime Harrison, Adair Ford Boroughs, Joe Cunningham, Vincent Sheheen and all of the Democratic Party candidates who fought the good fight — respectfully, honestly and with lots of hard work — during this election season:
Please, don’t abandon us.
Independents and Democrats — and, yes, even a few Republicans who dare to envision a better South Carolina — need you to stay in the fight. We need you to continue to convince others to join our dream of a stronger, more equitable and more promising South Carolina for all.
Rest, regroup and come out swinging.
We’re here for you.
We’re ready to fight the sycophants, the old boys club, the hypocrites who profess they want the best for all South Carolinians and yet are more than willing to sell South Carolina to the highest bidder and betray our trust all for financial and personal gain.
Thanks for giving us hope, the realization that change is possible and the knowledge that there are still those among us with the courage to keeping fighting for a better world for all.
God bless.
Mary Parekh, Columbia
On Linda Bell
I have just read the op-ed by Scott Middleton titled “Bell hasn’t been up to the task of fighting the coronavirus.”
The piece had several seriously misleading or incorrect facts regarding the statements and actions by State Epidemiologist Linda Bell’s and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Regrettably while the author touted his public health background, his statement that “testing is the only way to reduce the (coronavirus) spread” is obviously incorrect.
It is in fact very widely agreed that effective control requires a combination of:
▪ Widespread mask wearing among well over 50% of citizens.
▪ Careful distancing all of the time.
▪ Avoiding indoor crowds.
▪ Staying home when sick.
▪ Frequent and widespread testing.
▪ Hand washing.
If these and other actions were done by the great majority of citizens, we would probably not need the lockdowns that are so damaging to small business and to employment.
Frequent testing by itself without the other actions would result in such high levels of transmission of the virus that our doctors and hospitals could not handle all the sick persons — which is happening now in several western states. Testing does not prevent cases, although it is vital to identify them.
There were several other incorrect statements made by the author.
During April and May the state Department of Health and Environmental Control — and thus Bell — did indeed discourage widespread testing of persons without symptoms of the coronavirus because the only test then available was the polymerase chain reaction, which is expensive.
In addition the polymerase chain reaction test had inadequate lab testing capacity — and a very slow turnaround time for getting test results back to be acted upon.
During that time South Carolina’s limited testing capacity was needed to diagnose clinically likely cases in order to isolate them — and to find and quarantine their contacts.
Beginning in August, the first rapid point of care antigen tests became generally available in our state, and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control could begin to think of doing frequent testing of likely exposed persons without symptoms — such as workers who meet the public — to detect their infection and isolate them before they inadvertently spread the virus to others.
In fact, our state started receiving shipments of these rapid antigen tests in July, and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control immediately began working to train and empower nursing homes to use them to identify patients and staff who needed to be isolated.
There have been powerful efforts by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control to protect our nursing home population, but the actual preventive actions had to be carried out primarily by the staff of the nursing homes themselves, who needed training and supplies to do so.
Finally the author’s statement that Bell has some kind of “political motivation” was made without presenting the slightest evidence that it was true.
In fact, the news media revealed Bell’s dismay at political leaders using her presence at press conferences to imply support for inadequate strategies to control the pandemic.
James Gibson, Columbia
Gibson is an epidemiologist and the former director of the Bureau of Disease Control for South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control. He is a part-time consultant for the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.
On COVID-19 funding
While the U.S. works tirelessly to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic, the devastating effects continue to impact South Carolina and the nation.
Businesses, families, our health care system and entire industries are struggling as the coronavirus remains a threat.
At the state level our legislative leaders have taken bold action to reopen our economy and get the Palmetto State moving again.
However, while our federal government has issued trillions of dollars in relief to help our country through this difficult time, it continues to struggle to find an agreement on additional relief efforts.
These emergency funds are intended to:
▪ Make sure that our health care system stays afloat.
▪ Protect our front-line workers and patients.
▪ Ensure that our families have roofs over their heads and food on their tables.
▪ Keep our Main Street businesses open.
But while taxpayers continue to battle our own financial woes, we need assurances that the government is using our money properly.
Unfortunately, according to the Project on Government Oversight, only half of the $2.9 trillion in emergency spending has been disclosed by the government. That means that we have no idea what the remaining $1.4 trillion is being used for, and that is unacceptable.
By tolerating the government’s refusal to disclose how COVID-19 funds are being used, we are at risk of wasting taxpayers’ hard-earned money — and we aren’t able to guarantee those who need the money most are getting it.
As lawmakers in Washington continue to consider additional COVID-19 relief, I encourage Congress and the White House to address any oversight weaknesses — and to pledge to the American people that they will act with transparency.
Eaddy Roe Willard, Columbia
On Clyburn
How hypocritical is U.S. Rep. James Clyburn?
Clyburn recently stated that “when the elections are over, you move on ... you come together to better this country.”
Clyburn must have a very short memory.
From the moment President Donald Trump was elected in 2016 — and even before Trump was inaugurated in January 2017 — Clyburn, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party has done nothing but look for ways to get Trump removed from office.
Clyburn and the other Democrats felt the 2016 election had been stolen from Hillary Clinton by Trump and the Russians, but there was no evidence of Russian collusion after millions were spent on the Muller investigation.
In addition there was no credible evidence of wrongdoing by Trump, yet Pelosi proceeded with the effort to impeach the president.
The Democrats’ hatred of Trump kept the country severely divided for four years, and now Clyburn has the nerve to tell Trump supporters to come together with the Democrats to better this country?
During the next four years the Republicans should give the Democrats a dose of their own medicine by launching an intense investigation of President-elect Joe Biden’s dealings with China and Ukraine — and by thwarting all attempts by Biden and the Democrats to force socialism on our citizens.
David Brazell, West Columbia
On the election
A recent letter writer criticized the Democrats by citing these two familiar sayings:
▪ “Cheaters never win and winners never cheat.”
▪ “If you cut off the head of a snake, the body will die.”
But after reading that letter I was reminded of the great quote that has long been attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool some of the people all of the time — and all of the people some of the time — but after four years you can not fool enough of the people to win re-election.”
Yes, the above is actually a paraphrase of what Lincoln said.
But it’s still good to know that truth, honesty and integrity win in the end.
Robert Sparks, Leesville
This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 11:35 AM.