Austin American-Statesman Letters to the Editor: July 20, 2021

We reduce the risk of COVID
meeting higher standards
As Williamson County returns to the orange phase with high community spread, those of us who are vaccinated must continue to meet higher standards. This means wearing masks while supporting businesses that recognize the need to contain the spread – whether it’s the local nail salon with plexiglass shields where all associates wear masks or the restaurant chain with the website that reflects the fact that they hold themselves to a higher standard.
Likewise, if a business is not following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines or avoiding questions about meeting those guidelines, we’ll explore other options.
Only by getting vaccinated while continuing to collectively adhere to protective measures – rather than minimizing or rejecting them – will we ever achieve a lower level of risk in our county, state and nation. .
Suzanne Roquemore, Georgetown
Right to sound the alarm
on threats to voting for people with disabilities
To Gina Hinojosa:
As one of your constituents and voting rights advocate focused on increasing the participation of the disabled community in electoral politics, I want to tell you that I strongly support your actions to protect against removal. of voters in Texas.
Texas is already one of the most difficult states for people with disabilities to register and vote, in person and by mail.
You point out the negative aspects of House Bill 3 and Senate Bill 1.
Whatever the outcome, you’ve managed to sound the alarm bells.
I, and others, must respond to this alarm by registering and voting in record numbers in the next election.
You have my word, I will vote and help get people with disabilities in Texas to vote.
Like water around a rock, we will overcome all the obstacles they put up for us to vote.
Bob Kafka, Austin
The truth is not subjective.
Politicians on both sides are lying.
Re: July 16 commentary, “Anti-vaccines sacrifice lives for political gain.”
In an interview in September 2020, Kamala Harris said: “I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump and that he should be a credible source of information that talks about the effectiveness and reliability of whatever he is doing. speak.”
So now we know that when Biden and Harris say there is no problem with the vaccine, they have sown their own seeds of doubt.
When we as a society finally come back to the fact that truth is not subjective, we will recognize that politicians on both sides are constantly lying to us to maintain power and will continue to do so until called upon. by honest people and an honest press. .
RH Brockwell, Georgetown
Republicans forget about vaccines
are the result of Trump’s actions
What Republicans who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 forget is that these vaccines, produced in record time by our brilliant scientists, were created thanks to the actions of a Republican president.
If Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, et al., Insisted on this fact to their viewers instead of encouraging their reluctance to be vaccinated, perhaps those viewers would cease to be a danger not only to themselves but to themselves but to themselves. for their neighbors and friends and indeed for all of us.
Richard Hartgrove, Austin