Letters to the Editor

Today I was to be visiting D.C. and Congressman Gohmert to ask for help in fighting Alzheimer’s. The coronavirus changed those plans. My father has Alzheimer’s. I want to do everything in my power to make sure this disease stops with my generation, or at the very least my children’s.

In the past couple of years, I have found ways to involve myself in this cause.

I started a caregiver ministry at my church, First Christian Tyler. I also volunteered at the Alzheimer’s Alliance Day Club. Both of these programs go a long way in supporting families living with Alzheimer’s.

Last year I was on the Alzheimer’s Association committee that brought our first Walk to End Alzheimer’s successfully to Tyler. My motivation for the joining the walk’s committee, began out of my participation in the Komen Walk. That walk in May each year is so well attended in Tyler. It started to bother me that there was no Alzheimer’s Walk and more importantly, there was NO ONE to wear an Alzheimer’s survivor shirt.

My latest involvement is with AIM, The Alzheimer’s Impact Movement. Whereas the respite programs help support the day to day living, the real change in stopping this will happen at a national level.

I want to thank Congressman Gohmert for his support in fighting the most expensive disease in this country. It is the only leading cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. It deserves the attention of this nation.

Stephanie Bernhart

Troup

PROTECTING YOURSELF

First, I ask everyone to encourage hospitals to ask permission from those with the virus, to allow them to announce their name out to the public. Then if you know that person, you know to quarantine yourself.

Second, I just have to think that if everyone would wear a surgical/paint mask, however ill-fitting, it has to be a great improvement over nothing. There are YouTube videos how to make your own, easy and cheap.

Kurt Massing

Tyler

BLESSED NATION

“Give us this day, our daily bread,” a reality in these days.

When I awoken this morning, I was 7 years old living in Somerville, Massachusetts. the Nazis hadn’t killed us, but there wasn’t many choices for breakfast. A lot of food items were rationed; you had to have a government stamp to buy sugar, meat, flour, gasoline, shoes and so many more items.

Toys made of metal were not to be had at Christmas. Everything went into the war effort, WW ll.

We were a united nation, and FDR kept us calm that this would pass and we would have better days ahead. How we loved his “fireside chats.”

This should be a wake-up call for us as Americans. We should love one another and not be selfish.

Obesity is prevalent here and I don’t remember any one being obese when I was a child. We should share our blessings with those less fortunate. Tyler has several organizations that could use financial help.

My dad use to say, “I eat to live, not live to eat.” He was slim and fit and didn’t have to worry about buying a larger belt.

Let us give thanks to God for a blessed nation.

Ann Mitchell

Tyler

HARD WORK DESTROYED

While the effects of the China virus are numerous, the sacrifice does not seem to be shared by all. Those in government are still drawing paychecks while many in the private sector are seeing years of hard work being destroyed by government directives. This devolving economic situation would reverse itself quickly if those drawing government checks saw their income drop to nothing for the duration of this matter like so many in the private sector.

Doug Towns

Tyler