COVID-19 death rates, police diversity, Trump's accomplishments
Shot in the dark
After reading the article about COVID-19 having killed more people in the few months since the first death than the flu does in an entire season, this thought comes to mind. There is a vaccine for the yearly flu while there is not yet one for COVID-19. Seems like that's a pretty important fact to have been left out.
Tom Nasella, South Daytona
Not so great
Making America great again? The Associated Press recently reported the U.S. has reached 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases, by far the highest of any country in the world. I hope President Trump realizes by now this is not a hoax started by the Democrats and it will not end on Election Day.
But what concerns me more is his complacent attitude to the rise of "white supremacy" activity in America. Also, Trump turns a deaf ear to racism problems and other people in distress, which has not been uplifting for America.
Turmoil, violence and total disruption in American cities, the likes of which we have rarely experienced before, is not making America great.
Richard Ricardi, Flagler Beach
The best officers
Our View in the Daytona Beach News-Journal expressed the need for diversity in the selection of police officers.
Diversity should reflect quality and not statistics. Nothing but the best is the best policy for building respect for our police.
It takes more than protests to build a police department. It takes people willing to get the education to qualify for a career in law enforcement.
We need diversity but we shouldn't sacrifice standards.
Robert L. Shaw, DeLand
Check the numbers
The headline in a recent local section read “State breaks deaths record.” Oh, my we are all doomed. Armageddon is finally here.
Then I look up the numbers in different states on the Centers for Disease Control’s Covid Data Tracker website and find the following statistic: Deaths, as of August 12 per 100,000 people. If some of you worry about dying , here are the numbers :
Florida: 42
Texas: 32
New Jersey: 178
New York City: 281
California: 27 Kurt Augustin, Palm Coast
Falling behind
A recent letter writer extolled Donald Trump's record, and claimed he had accomplished more in four years than the Obama/Biden administration had in eight. When Barack Obama and Joe Biden took office, the country was on the verge of a depression, and we were losing 800,000 jobs a month. Their steady leadership led to economic recovery and a record 75 months of job growth. The trajectory of Trump's economy was merely a continuation of the prior eight years. In fact, Obama and Biden's stock market returns and job growth were both superior to Trump's.
No one blames Trump for the coronavirus pandemic, but incompetence and neglect have left our country reeling. The U.S., with 4% of the world's population, accounts for 25% of its COVID-19 infections and deaths. Americans are now unable to travel to Canada and the European Union. The great beacon of democracy is now a cautionary tale for allies and adversaries alike.
The election of Trump has led us to this precarious place. We are witnesses to a leader who has shown disdain for science, and America is suffering the consequences. Dr. Anthony Fauci has predicted a likely resurgence of the virus in the fall, and deaths could surpass 300,000 by December. This did not have to happen.
In November, Americans will have the opportunity to heal by electing Joe Biden. If Trumpism is given another four years to metastasize, our democracy and our position as a global superpower will both be in great peril.
Michael Coleman, Port Orange