Opinion/Letters: Not laughing at right-wing extremism; coronavirus; Trump in Florida – The Providence Journal

Culture of lies is nothing to laugh at

Yes, Trump and his campaign of lies and disinformation about a stolen election was the immediate cause of the recent insurrection in Washington with its vandalism, attacks on police and deaths, but Trump was not alone.

Over the past 30 years, charlatans of every sort have made fortunes peddling groundless and inflammatory lies and conspiracy theories, via talk radio, FOX News, right-wing websites, books and on Facebook.

They have talked, even screamed, about America being stolen by Democrats, death panels in the health-care bill, birtherism, freedom being lost, Christianity under attack, Sharia law about to be imposed, citizens about to be “taken to a place and slaughtered,” claims that the Sandy Hill massacre was a hoax designed to disarm Americans, disgusting allegations about a Clinton-run pizza parlor pedophile sex ring, Obama portrayed as a closet Muslim and hundreds, if not thousands, of conspiracy theories, all capped off with baseless, unproven talk of a stolen election and the need for “Second Amendment remedies.”

I spent many years in radio and spoke out numerous times about the hate and lies being spread by far too many talk-show hosts. Each time I heard the same response from owners, managers, sponsors and others that enable all this: “It’s just entertainment. Don’t take them seriously. People laugh at how outrageous they are.”

Sorry, I am not laughing.

Charles Lawrence, Johnston

Lab techs are vulnerable to COVID

I’m writing in regard to your recent article about R.I. hospitals giving vaccines to hospital workers before seniors. 

While I completely agree about board members and work-from-home employees, you mention lab techs as receiving the vaccine. We, as medical technologists, run COVID tests along with all other labs on patients infected with COVID. Aside from running such infectious specimens, laboratory data provide 70% of a physician’s diagnosis. We are in short supply and, if one of us gets sick or happens to infect our coworkers, the entire diagnostic process would be impacted. 

It is clear people do not understand the importance or job function of highly skilled, highly trained laboratory scientists.

Lauren Beverly, Cranston

Create a website for vaccinations

While we seniors eagerly await the process for vaccine distribution, why not create a website where we can enter our name, birth date, email address, mailing address, phone number, etc.?

Then, when vaccines becomes available, the Department of Health has a ready listing that can be sorted by age to assure appropriate scheduling to match available doses.

Allan Klepper, Barrington

Trump in Florida

It is comforting that the Liar-in-Chief will now be sequestered in Florida, where the egregiousness of his fibs will be confined to his golf scores.

Kirk Feather, Providence

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