I applaud op-ed contributor Wayne Gersen for his honesty about his early understanding of American history and for his generosity in hoping we can all find common ground as we seek a better understanding of who we are as Americans and who we have been in the past (‘Divisive concepts’ keep us from finding common ground,” May 16).
Like Gersen, I was taught a “sanitized” version of American history. For example, George Washington allegedly “couldn’t tell a lie” about chopping down a cherry tree. That’s an important moral lesson (and wouldn’t it be wonderful if today’s GOP leaders followed Washington’s example?). Hurrah for George! But let’s be honest about him. When the national capital was in Philadelphia, George and Martha brought some of their slaves with them to attend to the family’s needs. Isn’t it important for us to know that this American hero not only owned slaves, but also was quite shrewd about those slaves while he was in Philadelphia? At that time, if a slave resided in Pennsylvania for more than six months, that slave could be considered free. So every five months or so, Washington sent one group of slaves back to Mount Vernon and brought a different group to Philadelphia. Does this make him an arch-villain? No. But it helps us understand that he and all of our American heroes were flawed humans. As are all of us.
If the 1619 Project can help us understand our history in all its complexity, then it is worth exploring in our classrooms. If the 1776 Commission just whitewashes our history, it diminishes our ability to be honest about who we are and who we have been. If HB 544 would enable a more thorough and honest study of American history, that would be good. But my understanding of the legislation is that it is not designed to do that in New Hampshire, or in any of the other states where similar legislation has been proposed.
As the saying goes, “The truth will make you free.” It does not say the truth will always make you happy or comfortable.
JOHN C. MORRIS
East Corinth
Advice to those suffering from all the pollens, molds, etc.: Keep your masks on outside. Not only is it socially responsible until a critical mass has been reached in COVID-19 vaccinations, but wearing a mask also filters a lot of the allergens kicked up by activities such as mowing and raking.
I would also like to echo the protest of several previous Forum contributors at the decision by the Lebanon Board of Cemetery Trustees to table the matter of “green burial” for five years. Green burial is hardly a new concept. Humans since pre-history have celebrated their dead with green burial rituals. Consider the Early Neolithic “long barrows” that dot the hillsides all over Europe. It is hard to replenish the Earth from inside a concrete box.
SUSAN LLOYD
Lebanon
I have a more respectful reason to continue wearing a mask than Jim Kenyon portrayed in his column (“Phantoms of mask theater,” May 19). As a senior citizen who co-owns a retail store, I, like many others, am concerned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s stance that it is now OK for me to shop without a mask. I was privileged to get my vaccine early when it was distributed in age bands. Many others who work in retail and public-facing jobs are just now eligible for their first or second jab. It will be a few weeks before they reach full immunity. The politicians and press call these younger workers essential, yet they are treated as expendable.
Telling each town and business to set its own rules harks back to the confusion of the early days of the pandemic, when small-business owners were the leaders in creating a safer environment. It is impossible to know — or ask — if a customer coming through the door is vaccinated or not. Out of respect for the younger cohort, which hasn’t been fully vaccinated, we require masks inside our store. We are still learning about the transmission of COVID-19. Erring on the side of caution harms no one.
We’ve come this far. Let’s not jeopardize the health and safety of the next generations.
LIZA BERNARD
South Pomfret
The writer is a co-owner of the Norwich Bookstore.
There is a difference between science and public health policy. And that’s why more than 500 epidemiologists polled by The New York Times and the largest nurses union challenged or condemned the CDC’s decision to lift the mask mandate prematurely.
Millions of people who are immunocompromised, and millions of children (yes, they can get sick and die), would be endangered. Not to mention protecting the rest of the unvaccinated, many of whom risk getting “long COVID-19,” which currently has no treatment and is debilitating. And the way this is all supposed to work — the honor system? How does an honor system work if we can’t even agree on facts? I applaud local officials for having the sense to take a wait-and-see approach while hoping for higher vaccination numbers.
BOB STEVENS
Norwich
I read the Concord Monitor story on the amendment sponsored by New Hampshire state Rep. Terry Roy that would prevent required vaccinations for COVID-19 (“Experts warn NH Senate on vaccine mandate bans,” May 20). Maybe Rep. Roy would also like to sponsor a bill changing the New Hampshire motto to “Live Free and Die.”
Paul Albee
Bradford, Vt.