Face masks political, not medical
Editor:
Thank you to Timothy P. Buchanan for his letter to the editor in The Fincastle Herald August 19. Mr. Buchanan’s provided accurate, well-researched information concerning the political demand that citizens cover their noses and mouths with face masks for coronavirus.
We are not created to inhale the carbon dioxide that we exhale. Restricted breathing is unhealthy and dangerous. This is God-given common sense. While we take COVID-19 seriously, many people comply without questioning the demands of politicians who erroneously rely on information from the “experts.”
Get the facts. Check out www.covid19refusers.com/truth/ “Here’s the Science That Shows Face Mask Mandates are Political and Not Medical” compiled by Dr. Alan Palmer.
They told us to go home and stay there. Businesses closed, people lost their jobs and paychecks, and in many cases, hope. The economy tanked. They demand we cover our noses and mouths. We can’t go into businesses without covering our faces, or service is refused. Certain large stores claim a “coin shortage” and won’t give coin change, while other stores do so with no problem. There wasn’t a toilet paper shortage until an Internet rumor scared people into hoarding it, creating a shortage. It’s ironic how all this hit during an election year.
Governors are elected by taxpayers. They work for us. We are one nation under God, not socialism, not communism. We have a U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, which our United States Armed Forces veterans died to protect. The more we allow governments to dictate rules, the more they control us.
Remember the Commonwealth of Virginia motto: Sic semper tyrannis. Are you finally fed up with playing “Simon Says” with the politicians?
Christine Liana
Fincastle
Readers skeptical of county’s broadband efforts
Editor:
Regarding Article “Botetourt County recognized for broadband and housing accomplishments by the VaCo” printed August 12:
Rural citizens of Botetourt County would be better served by their local government if more attention were paid to the actual, on-the-ground expansion of broadband access in the county than to submitting a self-congratulatory press release to The Fincastle Herald. The piece “Botetourt County recognized for broadband and housing accomplishments by the VaCo” appeared on the front page of the August 12 issue. Since no reporter’s name is given and the piece carries no source attribution, the reader must suppose this is printed verbatim from the submission of a county official. This is regrettable since the issue is one that could use a great deal of factual and independent reporting.
While Botetourt County states they have “spent nearly three years building organizational infrastructure and intentional partnerships to bridge the digital divide,” what rural residents of Botetourt need is physical infrastructure and actual connections to a 21st century way of life. It is difficult to be impressed by the county being recognized for the speculative strategy of a paid consultant when actual broadband access in rural areas remains so poor.
Take as an example the portion of the county stretching north and east from Buchanan. This area is hardly the most remote in the county as it lies right along the I-81 corridor. There are multiple services running through the area, but no one providing service to the area. In the case of our family home, a high-speed fiber optic line runs over our property, yet we and our neighbors are denied the ability to tap into this coveted resource. Some of the responsibility certainly lies on Verizon as the designated local telecom provider. However, Botetourt County should not be lauded for “beginning in 2017 with an extensive survey and report of the community.” Our neighborhood has communicated these issues both to the county and to Verizon for many years with no success.
We have only to look to a nearby community to see what happens when local officials put more focus on tangible results than on plans and strategies. Despite being relatively small and very rural, Floyd County has been recognized as a leader in providing broadband access to its residents. Their reliance on a centralized cooperative model rather than “intentional partnerships” with multiple disparate entities means those living on rural farmsteads near the Blue Ridge Parkway have access to broadband Internet. Unfortunately, some Botetourt County residents within earshot of I-81 are denied even the most basic DSL service.
Readers of The Fincastle Herald might correctly regard with skepticism the claim that “all these efforts have served to make Botetourt County a leader in the world of rural broadband deployment.” This statement is difficult to believe for many rural residents with little or no high-speed Internet access. Many families are simply trying to figure out how to work from home and provide remote learning opportunities for their children during the current pandemic. The county should first look to local examples where real progress is being made before submitting another press release to The Herald. A little less talk and a lot more action is what rural residents of Botetourt County need and deserve.
Andy, Tammy and Hunter Guilliams
Buchanan
