Panicky coverage
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lewiston Tribune has routinely reported Public Health – Idaho North Central District and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics about COVID-19 cases, deaths, etc.
Not once has it made any attempt to report the number of people who contracted the disease and developed natural immunity, ignoring basic biology of the story.
Even as the virus has weakened, and more qualifying information has become available, the Tribune seems wholly invested in keeping the level of public concern, indeed panic, at the highest possible level.
Data of more value has received even passing analysis, nearly ignored. The numbers of illegal aliens entering the Northwest, the amount of human trafficking and the influx of drugs killing Idahoans, Washingtonians and Oregonians have exploded. State and federal agencies track those numbers. Any basically competent journalist could compile that data into helpful reports.
Since the Tribune can’t do investigative math implied by their own COVID-19 numbers, this writer will help: About 12.7%, or about 42 million of the approximately 330 million Americans, have very likely been infected with one of the COVID-19 variants and recovered.
Any competent freshman math student could total cases, deaths, vaccinations and those recovered to add up to the total number of Americans.
It is useless nonsense to continue breathlessly reporting columns of COVID-19-related numbers.
If the Tribune wants to fill space with statistics, readers would be better served by comparative data about incidents and deaths from heart disease, fentanyl, cancer, drunken driving or collisions with wildlife.
Rick Rogers
Clarkston
Pulpit of denial
Calling the Jan. 6 insurrection “legitimate political discourse,” Republican National Committee hardliners ate their young through censure of Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Why? They spoke truth to power over former President Donald Trump’s lies of a “rigged” election. ...
But the effort to idolize misinformation as truth continues from Lewiston Tribune contributor Marvin F. Dugger, who wrote another column on Feb. 13, pounding his pulpit of denial concerning the traitorous insurrection.
Dugger gave everyone a large helping of trash. ...
Dugger jumped to many conclusions, using suspect data from Revolver, claiming Ashli Babbitt was “an innocent bystander” who was “ambushed” by Capitol Police Officer Michael Byrd as she and hundreds batter-rammed their way into the Capitol, chanting, “Hang Mike Pence” in a so-called legitimate political discourse.
Dugger spouted further misinformation concerning attorney Ray Epps, an organizer for the Oath Keepers. Epps is not a “federal operative.” That has been debunked by the Washington Post, CBS, the New York Times and others.
The select committee interviewed Epps, writing, he “informed us he was not employed by, working with or acting at the direction of any law enforcement agency on Jan. 5th or 6th or at any other time.”
As for the decision to not prosecute Officer Byrd, Dugger need only read lawfareblog.com’s opinion, which went into great detail . ... on why Byrd was not prosecuted. ...
Dugger seems to be operating under a mountain of debunked data to anger people, especially Republicans, who now believe most anything. ...
Jim Roach
Moscow
