I urge the Clark County Council to listen to scientists like Dr. Alan Melnick and follow the scientific data. Wearing masks and getting vaccinated helps keep us safe, even if we may not like them. And we do need guidance and mandates from various levels of government because a region’s leadership directly affects the quality of the citizens’ lives.
If following data given by scientists is difficult, here is an anecdote. I used to live in Oklahoma, a very religious and Republican region. The Oklahoma government at various levels actively resists science advice about masks and vaccines. My high school graduating class had 700 people in it, and I’ve heard that well over half of my graduation class is dead, dealing with the effects of long-term COVID-19, or have had COVID-19 and recovered. There is also less access to medical care in Oklahoma because they don’t believe government has a role in regulating what is available in a geographical area. Driving over 200 miles to get to a doctor when you’re sick can be a problem.
Living here in Washington, I see starkly a contrast between the good quality of life here compared with the poor quality and (poor outcomes) of life in Oklahoma.
Government can directly impact citizens’ lives, up to and including whether they live.
