LETTERS TO THE EDITOR #3

Posted

Letter to the Editor:

BRUTAL. That is the one accurate word Mandy Burdick employed in her latest “letter to the editor” (September 16, 2021 issue). Ms. Burdick knew that at least one of Colleton County Fire-Rescue Chief Barry McRoy’s brothers had been ill and hospitalized with COVID (as Barry had disclosed in the article where he asked the public to wear masks and get the vaccine)—so I was amazed/outraged that Ms. Burdick would include the following paragraph: “I’d like to point out the obvious: if a mask is the difference between life and death, then there is no need to force anyone to wear a mask because all those who refuse will die. Brutal, but true—if masks make a difference. If the ‘vaccine’ is the difference between life and death, then there is no need to try and shame or bully the general public into taking it voluntarily, because those who refuse will simply die—if a ‘vaccine’ makes a difference. If, if, if.”

She continued: “I do not choose to saddle someone else with the consequences of my decisions; I choose to exercise personal responsibility and make my own decisions and I willingly accept the consequences of my actions.” The problem with this type of logic (well—some may call it logic, not I) is that it assumes that everyone lives in a vacuum—and that the actions of some do not affect others. Does she abide by laws passed by duly-elected officials—or does she choose to follow only those with which she agrees? Does she even understand the basic concepts of living in a democracy? I am not advising readers not to read her letters; I suggest you read her letters carefully—and ponder what life would be like if everyone thought like Ms. Burdick—that you can follow your own path because apparently you know better than everyone else.

Ms. Burdick never references any data in her letters—instead she peppers them with caveats such as “based on my own personal experience,” “in my opinion” and “I have heard.” You can’t fact-check her statements or sources. She wants Colletonians to have the unfettered right to go anywhere maskless and unvaccinated as they have the “right to breathe”—but she seems not to understand that breathing is a two-step process: inhaling AND exhaling. If maskless unvaccinated people EXHALE droplets of the virus—that is endangering the next person who is INHALING. Does she not understand that this two-part breathing process is how other viruses such as the common cold and flu are transmitted?

Ironically—right about the time some of you were reading Ms. Burdick’s above-referenced letter, Barry may have been standing over his youngest brother’s newly dug grave. Each of his two brothers had had a serious case of COVID—but only one survived. Did Ms. Burdick consider how her insensitive comments could affect someone who had a family member currently fighting (or ultimately dying from) COVID? Barry McRoy has devoted his entire career to help save the people of Walterboro and Colleton County. By being interviewed by this newspaper he was trying to do just that—save others. BRUTAL. Yes, Ms. Burdick—you are. Of course—this is not a scientific fact—just my opinion.

Carol Black

Walterboro, SC and Alexandria, VA