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Shortage of COVID
volunteers rings false

Re. “Despite state’s plea for more help, volunteers remain scarce,” Page A10, Jan. 10:

In December I reactivated my physician assistant license and registered with the California Health Corps to fight COVID-19. I have heard nothing back.

Although my background is community health centers, I have responded with disaster medical assistance teams and California Medical Assistance Team to the World Trade Center, the Superdome (Hurricane Katrina), Haiti earthquake, Indonesia tsunami and more.

The notion that there are sparse volunteers is difficult to take at face value. I have the above experience, completed all the forms they have requested and (like Dr. Charles Moore) received no call to serve.

It was unrealistic to expect that among the volunteers there would be a large number ready to jump into an ICU environment. That drop-off is normal.

However “reactivated” retired medical/nursing practitioners are perfect to fill in vaccination strike teams. Emergency Medical Services Authority needs to keep their wits about themselves and rethink Health Corp’s usefulness.

Barbara Morita
El Cerrito


Republicans in Congress
must chart new course

Hey, congressional Republicans. You who call for unity and profess your love of our democracy and Constitution, yet refuse to hold the president accountable for inciting an insurrection against our cherished national institutions and voted against certifying an election found to be free, fair, and secure by the states, the courts, and the Department of Homeland Security during a pandemic. If you truly want to heal our country, you must wake up from the delusional fever dream caused by Donald Trump’s ego and accept the reality that the election was not stolen.

Trump lost the popular and the Electoral College votes by a lot, and it’s time to recognize that fact, welcome the duly elected new administration and work together with Democrats to solve the enormous problems facing our country today. It’s now up to you to lead his followers back to sanity. Stand up, break free from Trump, and do it.

Mikki Norris
El Sobrante

Dishonest legislators
must go with Trump

I think a safe course of action to purge Washington of corrupt and deceitful politicians is not only by impeaching President Trump but also in demanding the resignation of all those in office who support him by perpetuating his lies and condoning his conduct and actions that incited a mob’s insurrection on the Capitol.

These elected officials are like a cancer on our democracy that, if left unchecked, could flare up and threaten our nation again with the same nonsense well after Trump is a distant memory.

Sharon Dixon
San Leandro

Popular vote would
forestall future chaos

Our country would have been more safe and peaceful for the past four years if the Electoral College did not exist.

Yes, President Trump and his enablers need to be dealt with too but the focus must also be on eliminating the Electoral College. To do that, a vote of three-fourths of the states is needed to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow only counting the popular vote for president.

The alternative is that we will have to endure this nightmare every four years and attacks on our system. What’s unfair about one person, one vote?

Lloyd Emberland
Hayward

Promising column stops
short of whole truth

I was pleasantly surprised by Marc Thiessen’s column (“Trump has blood on his hands after inciting the mob,” Page A13, Jan. 10) putting responsibility directly on President Trump’s shoulders for the violent storming of the Capitol. Right up until his final paragraphs.

I buy that media credibility has come out of the last four years damaged. But Thiessen ascribes that to media coverage instead of where it belongs, also directly on the shoulders of Trump.

The Washington Post counts Trump’s false or misleading claims, with the total as of Oct. 22 exceeding 25,000. Then he blamed the media for calling him on them. And his believers, even after Wednesday, continue to believe him rather than the truth.

Thiessen states that the media failed to be “objective arbiter of facts.” Wrong, just wrong. Trump caused this, just as he did the assault on our democracy on Jan. 6. Despicable — Thiessen stopped short of telling the whole truth, showing his bias.

John King
Concord

Inadequate response
by police engenders fear

This morning, Jan. 13, someone attempted to break into the house by banging and kicking on the front door. We called 911 immediately but it took over an hour and multiple calls before an officer from Fremont Police showed up. In that time we could have been seriously injured or killed if the guy had gained entry.

I am very upset by both the delayed response and the lack of interest by the officer in finding the person who attempted to break in. There is video of this person from the home security system but she showed no interest in seeing it or having it forwarded to the police department. I am now afraid that this person is still out there, free to try this again either here or other homes in the neighborhood.

Carmen Brooks
Fremont