The headline in “The Bulletin” publication of Saturday, July 31, which reads: “Brown mandates masks in state buildings” is incomplete. It should read: “Oregonians who have refused to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have required Governor Brown to order mandatory masking inside state buildings.”

— Frank Barnes, Bend

Thanks to Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel for his guest column of Aug. 3. Mr. Hummel’s comments concerning display of Confederate battle flags are right on. And, I say that in spite of the fact that my great-grandfather fought under that flag in our Civil War. I would like to add comments similar to those of Mr. Hummel for our citizens who parade flags and other paraphernalia bearing the swastika, the Hakenkreuz, the symbol of Nazi Germany under Hitler. The people of our country fought and sacrificed significantly so that Hitler and his brown shirts and SS would not be flying swastikas and carrying out their programs of racial hatred here and elsewhere today. Whatever the concerns of our current protesters, they do their cause no good by flaunting the symbols of some of the worst criminals in the history of the world.

— Drannan Hamby, Bend

Many who refuse to wear masks voice opposition to what they see as the government’s imposition of rules that affect their “freedoms.” The argument is, “My body, my choice!” I assume, though, that many of those same folks insist that the government impose restrictions on women seeking to terminate pregnancies. I guess the argument must be, “Your body, my choice!”

— Rob Brazeau, Bend

I strongly agree with Phil Chang’s position that he expressed during a recent Deschutes County Commission meeting: The county could be a model for other employers by requiring its employees to be vaccinated or get regular testing.

Those employees who are choosing to not get vaccinated may be inconvenienced by having to get regular testing and wear masks. But the choices they are making by not being vaccinated is having an impact on all of us, and it’s more than just being inconvenienced. The extremely contagious delta variant is causing more hospitalizations and deaths, limiting surgeries in hospitals, and forcing those with immune deficiencies to isolate themselves. My understanding is that if everyone who was able to get the vaccine had been immunized this past spring and summer, the delta variant would not have spread, and herd immunity likely would have been achieved by now. Also, lives could’ve been saved and suffering reduced. I would like to see all employers require vaccination as a condition of employment unless an employee has a medical condition and their doctor says they should not receive the vaccine.

Would this be more government control? Perhaps, but remember that years ago the government stepped in and said that we all had to wear seat belts. Wearing seat belts was shown to save lives. The same is true regarding the COVID vaccine.

— Linda Pearson, Redmond

Please step up and recommend masking and precautions.

Logic, science, truth, education, duty to protect and not infect, doing the right thing, and leadership should all prevail in our democracy vs. politics. Throw the lifeline vs. pushing the rope. Save lives please!

—Mel Stout, Bend

Masking and vaccination are not a personal decision; they are a matter of public health and the health of our children.

As the parent of a less than 2-year-old who is not able to mask, nor eligible to be vaccinated I can tell you that her freedom to engage in our community is impinged upon by the continued prevalence of COVID-19 and the delta variant in particular. There is a solution, which is for eligible adults and older children to be vaccinated and continue wearing masks. Our elected officials, including the Deschutes County Commission, have the power to protect my daughter and thousands of other children in Deschutes County by taking action to encourage, mandate, and incentivize mask wearing and vaccination among eligible populations. Trading the freedom of adults to choose to mask and to vaccinate for the freedom of my child to engage in our community at a critical age is not acceptable.

— Seth McGovern, Bend

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