Stands with the nurses

I was among the community members who attended the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center nurses rally and stood out in the blistering heat, holding a sign in their support.

Why?

I retired from SJRMC before LifePoint Health purchased the hospital. During those 31 years, I worked for a true community-minded administration that worked diligently and built the hospital we had before LifePoint took over.

It is sickening to be out in the community and overhear such negative conversations about what used to be a great hospital, how the services and jobs that have been cut, encountering old co-workers and hearing their stories of why they left, and what the nurses currently employed have to endure and the unsafe practices they are being forced to participate in.

What the public may not know is that it is the nurses who negotiate for safe practice and safe staffing. Wages affect experienced nurse retention necessary for the new nurses to help guide them in the learning process. Nurses are at the patient’s bedside, assessing and reporting problems. Nurses are the patient advocates. All this affects the care you receive.

If you care about the hospital and nurses, it is time to speak up. Attend a rally to find out what is really going on at SJRMC. I have tried to voice my safety concerns on SJRMC’s website.

My comments were removed within five minutes. LifePoint is slick.

Call me a citizen against greed.

Bev Thon

Lewiston

Peek outside the bunker

The Associated Press relies on ethical guidelines that affect its policies.

When brought to the AP’s attention that it has been odd to write Black with a small b in regards to a people with an identity, it adapted.

Black with a capital B is similar but distinct from African with a capital A. It’s a population that has developed in a separate region of the world, with a separate culture and a separate ethnicity.

This distinction makes sense — ethnic groups around the world are recognized with a capital letter.

You might disagree with this, but you might also think that Europe is a continent.

The hypersensitive types who would associate capitalizing the letter B with destruction, violence or defunding police would do their cause a favor by peeking out of the bunker and stop firing at every little stirring. Those who are prone to expletive-filled emotional hemorrhaging only justify the position of opposing ideologies. But it’s not easy to see when you get lost in your game, is it?

So remember, you are your brother’s keeper and civilization is not only worth saving, it’s worth improving upon.

Remember to look for common principles in order to move forward together. We need our history and the lessons from our flawed heroes don’t make their flaws disappear. Yet the flaws don’t diminish their truths, either.

Stay full of life’s spirit and goodwill, and keep forgiveness in your heart.

Chris Rousseau

Clarkston

Backs Biden

For seven years (1993-2001), I was honored to serve as the United States attorney for Idaho, the chief federal law enforcement officer in the state. I have watched with growing concern as President Donald Trump has eroded our system of justice, and politicized the Department of Justice for his own purposes.

I’m supporting Joe Biden because we need a president who will not threaten judicial independence, but protect it. We need a president who will appoint an attorney general who understands that their client isn’t the president; it’s the United States.

We need a president who will not reward his political cronies with pardons and commutations, threaten to prosecute political opponents and interfere in legitimate law enforcement investigations.

And, finally, we need a president who is committed to providing equal access to justice to all American citizens, and who honors the rule of law. Joe Biden will be that president.

Please join me in supporting Joe Biden this November.

Betty Richardson

Boise