A chilling response

To the editor:

Last week’s letter from Harry Bennett asked me to chill and take a walk while our constitutional rights are being trampled by governors who have no authority to do so.

I was asked to accept science. I do accept science. It is the scientists who make decisions based on flawed data that give me pause (make that heartburn).

These decisions have ruined lives. Since the shutdown order, more than 100,000 small businesses have closed forever. The Treasury cannot support our economy.

Harry wants to wait for a vaccine before opening up the economy. There are more deaths in one year due to cancer than COVID-19. Should we shut down our economy until we have a vaccine for cancer? Should we stop driving cars so there won’t be as many deaths on the highway? Life is not risk-free.

A concern was expressed about how many critically ill patients St. Luke Hospital could treat should Marion have a COVID-19 outbreak. If we don’t open up the economy, we won’t have a St. Luke Hospital. According to an article March 25 by Phyllis Zorn, St Luke is losing $1 million per month in revenue.

At a time like this, when our constitutional rights are being ignored, we should not chill and take walks. We should be demanding our rights guaranteed by the constitution.

Benjamin Franklin put it succinctly: “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Larry Ensey, Marion