Sarah Rennie’s recent article “There is no shame in wearing a mask” [Opinion, page 5, The Gleaner, November 16 edition] was quite alarming in nature, I believe. Seasonal flu and cold cases are common this time of year as history will show, for centuries (millennia?). Hospitals are/have been overwhelmed every single year during the holiday period for decades, unfortunately (my wife works in health care).
To suggest everyone should “mask up” is misleading, based on data that came up throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Quebec’s health director suggesting citizens rely on common sense is correct. “That’s putting a lot of faith in Quebecers’ good judgment” (Sarah Rennie) – this comment is both condescending and insulting. Readers conclude she is suggesting a return to mask mandates, and/or lockdown mandates. “As individuals hesitate over boosters” suggests Sarah is pushing for (largely ineffective) COVID booster vaccine mandates.
We can all remember how society failed our children forcing them to wear masks and remain at home away from peers at school. We recall travel restrictions, we recall forced vaccine mandates, we recall public curfew (all Canadian Charter of Rights violations).
I believe strongly in protecting our most vulnerable; we must keep them and the elderly healthy. We must exercise common sense. We must respect Canadian freedom.
Please remember, respectfully, articles like Sarah Rennie’s that spread fear (and echo Canadian mainstream media) do NOT reflect values of many readers in our region, along with many of my family and neighbors here in Ormstown.
Darren Hanson
Ormstown
