Are you kidding me?
My wife asked for two self-test, COVID-19 at-home kits, and they arrived this week by the U.S. Mail. I guess the U.S. means United States? The test kits are FDA (Emergency Use Authorization) and get at-home results in 15 Mins. These kits were manufactured for iHealth Labs Inc. in Sunnyvale California, but the box also says, after the CA address and phone number, that they were Made in China!
Why should we trust these kits, sent by the USPS. I can’t stay socially distanced from this box kit. And if I need to stick something in my nose or mouth, I can’t wear my obligatory mask.
Maybe I should just quarantine myself forever, at home, and never, ever use the Chinese self-test Antigen Rapid Test kit.
Kenneth Unwin
East side
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No mention of Chernobyl
While there has been so much news coverage of the buildup of Russian military forces near the Ukraine border, there seems to be so little about the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine.
Even though Russia has a surplus of hundreds of billions of dollars equivalent in its treasury, the cost of maintenance of Chernobyl would be a tremendous strain. It would not be cost effective for the Russians to maintain and control Chernobyl, as it yearly costs billions of dollars equivalent to the Ukraine government and the Belarus government nearby. Since Moscow is only a few hundred miles downwind from Chernobyl, and millions of Russians live nearby, it would be prudent for Vladimir Putin to have the skeleton of a Ukraine government viable enough to maintain the deadly radiation from Chernobyl at Ukrainian expense.
While the Ukraine military could blow up Chernobyl and potentially poison Russia and Eastern Europe for centuries, or a wayward Russian missile could do so, I now see a standstill between Ukraine and Russia.
Matt Somers
Midtown
An advocate always necessary
Re: the Feb. 20 article "Advocacy tough during COVID."
This really useful article helped to highlight the desperate situation in our hospitals. I'd like to add that it's always good to have an advocate who can be with you in the hospital and can help guide your care. For instance, going to the nurses' station if your condition worsens (and not advocating for things, like ivermectin for COVID, that will only frustrate medical staff).
Jerry Peek
Midtown
Pet ownership
Re: thew Feb. 10 article "House committee votes to ban declawing of cats."
I foster kittens for a local (Tucson) non-profit shelter. When people find out, sooner or later the topic of declawing comes up. My answer is always the same: Do not declaw!
There are so many alternatives to declawing: sprays to keep the cat away, caps that go over their claws, alternate scratching options such as cardboard and sisal scratchers, behavior training, or simply clipping the claws like you'd clip your fingernails.
More often than not, what I've found is simple ignorance to what declawing is. Most think it's somehow just removing the nail. What it actually is, is amputating the cat's digit at the first knuckle. The results are, among other negative side effects, arthritis and nerve damage and often, ingrown nails that will grow and curl under the skin.
All of these put the cat in constant pain and will often make the negative behavior trait even worse because the cat is in pain and doesn't understand why.
If your furniture is more important than your pet, you do not need that pet.
Kelly Kay
Southeast side
Threat to us all
The crisis in Ukraine is a potent reminder: nuclear weapons remain an existential threat to us all. With nuclear superpowers involved, any potential conflict could spiral out of control and lead to a devastating nuclear exchange.
As war clouds gather over Ukraine, it's important to remember that Russia and the United States control 90% of the world's nuclear weapons. With stakes this high, our governments must avoid stumbling into a devastating nuclear exchange.
President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev once said that "nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought." Any use of nuclear weapons would take an unacceptable human and environmental toll.
President Biden has a chance to stop this insanity by declaring that the United States will never use nuclear weapons first and by halting production of new nuclear weapons.
Barbara Warren
Northwest
Support for Ukraine
Like most Americans, I have been watching in horror, and anger, the events unfolding in Ukraine, where a brazen attack on civil liberties, territorial sovereignty and international law and order is currently taking place under the direction of a ruthless, corrupt and dangerous autocrat.
I give my full support to the sanctions President Biden and our G7 and NATO allies are delivering and hope the more moderate, and hawkish, voices in Congress on both sides of the aisle prevail.
This is no time for isolationism. The rise of autocratic rule is an existential threat not only to our safety and security but the institution of democracy itself. In keeping with the spirit of collective defense from NATO’s Article 5, we would do well to remember Dr. King’s words, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
My thoughts and prayers for the people of Ukraine and the Russian soldiers conscripted into this cold, callous and destructive course of action.
Tim Kennedy
Oro Valley
False baptisms
Re: the Feb. 18 article "Thousands of invalid baptisms in Phoenix."
The holy gospel according to Mark: John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs mighty deeds in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us."
So why do today's pharisees say baptisms using "we" instead of "I" are invalid? Jesus himself said it is the spirit of the action that determines its validity. There is no doubt that the spirit with which baptisms were performed was legitimate. "Whoever is not against us is for us." Today's pharisees are acting just like the pharisees in the time of Jesus with ridiculous emphasis on minor and petty things that have nothing to do with the spirit. Baptisms were performed in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. That should be all that counts.
Raymond Kory
Nogales
Putin's Henchmen
I agree with President Biden that Putin is solely responsible for the outbreak of war in Ukraine. But I wish President Biden would have emphasized that implementing Putin's illegal scheme does not free one from culpability. The Nuremberg defense, "That I was just following orders," is not a valid excuse to target civilians and non-combatants and doing so is a war crime. Putin may make the decision to wage war, but he is not a one-man army.
The United States and its allies should make a commitment now that they will hunt down and bring to justice anyone who participates in war crimes against the Ukrainian people. This includes anyone from Putin's defense ministry, his general staff, to individual members of the military. If our goal is to rid the world of Putin we need to give his henchmen a simple choice: Putin or the Hangman!
Edward Heller
Northwest side
