Rights of a few shouldn’t override the rights of majority
An open letter to Mr. Wheeler and Sheriff Wheeler:
To Mr. Wheeler:
As an individual citizen, I support and vigorously defend your right of free speech and to believe whatever you wish, or choose to not believe in data and reports from our international, national, and state scientists, health agencies, or even local health professionals. No one can, or should, prevent your writing a personal letter to our governor espousing your personal beliefs and disbeliefs.
To Sheriff Wheeler:
I cannot support the public spectacle of your letter being front paged requesting an end to Governor Littles Emergency Declaration and Order, legally and correctly issued after long deliberation, as his duty to protect Idaho citizens from contracting and transmitting Covid 19. And I cannot support using an official position of authority and respect in our community to impart legitimacy to a personal opinion that Covid 19 is being foisted on us by “globalists” controlling the governments and health organizations of the world to reach some mysterious and undefined end … and keep us from going to church?
It was ironic you chose the day we passed one million people confirmed infected worldwide, hit the over 5000 Americans dead milestone, and over 1000 people in Idaho testing positive, to imply this was perhaps still a hoax, and encouraging people to expose themselves, their loved ones, and our entire community to this plague.
And for information “Plague” is defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary as: 1. a disastrous evil or affliction; 2. an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality; 3. a sudden unwelcome outbreak
You seemed to define an interpretation of our constitution being the government has no emergency authority to issue a protection order keeping us from congregating, regardless of the emergency. You have ready access to lawyers employed by the county; as well as judges at the county, district, state and federal level, whose job is to interpret laws and our constitutions. The duties of law enforcement / peace officers are exactly that, enforcing state and federal laws, keeping the peace, serving and protecting the citizenry. I don’t remember civics lessons or legal definitions that the duties of sheriff are interpretation of the constitution and only enforcing laws he personally believes in.
I remember back when you first ran for sheriff many years ago; coming to our businesses, public meetings, forums, and to many of us individually to explain your intend to be a sheriff for ALL the people of Bonner County; those of us who voted for you as well as those that did not. You are now up for reelection. Your worthiness of our votes is based on doing the job for which you are elected, not personal or political beliefs.
Regarding our right to worship. God can hear any of us, any time, and anywhere. I doubt God is impressed by, or needs, public appearances in a crowded congregation. And I cannot imagine anyone’s God wanting the death of fellow worshippers for such a foolish thing as contracting this virus from forced close proximity of congregation.
When one chooses to attend any crowded congregation and expose themselves, they choose to expose their family, their friends, schoolchildren, teachers, store checkers, pharmacists, hardware store clerks, mechanics, your deputies, first responders, the entire health care community…. and then they expose everyone they contact. I live with one of those people whose immune system is such that if she gets this, she will die. There are thousands in North Idaho; tens of thousands in Idaho; hundreds of thousands regionally; millions in our country; and tens of millions in the world with similar conditions.
The rights of a fraction of the population to endanger themselves by gathering for group worship should not override the rights of the vast majority who choose not to be exposed to this deadly plague. As you say, let us choose for ourselves. Your request to the governor to expose your community chooses for us.
PIERRE BORDENAVE
Sandpoint