Opinion

Despite the overwhelming consensus of the American professional medical community (including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Nurses Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health) that advocate for COVID-19 vaccination and basic disease prevention behaviors such as mask wearing in public in order to lessen the savage toll of the coronavirus pandemic, some Americans remain skeptical of the necessity, safety and efficacy of these public health measures. Indeed, it is likely that no amount of expert medical advice or corroborative scientific data will convince these skeptics and conspiracy theorists otherwise.

Following events in Boulder City can sometimes feel like riding the wave machine at a water park. Lots of highs and lows. Some of us are just along for the ride. Some are determined to get to the front, pushing and shoving as we go. Then, some of us like standing on the edge and blowing a whistle.

Mayor (Kiernan) McManus’ Sept. 1 column touted his future plans to conserve wastewater. At the tail end, he offhandedly mentioned Henderson’s intent to annex county land below Railroad Pass to promote its own expansive growth plans. You and I might have missed those three sentences if we weren’t paying close attention. But somehow Henderson’s mayor, Debra March, was well aware.

We all make plans. Some are good and make life better for us. Some plans just don’t pan out. Other plans are bad plans but we don’t always know that until some time passes. And then there are plans presented that were never intended to be a plan because there was another plan being put in place that would never have (been) accepted if it had been presented honestly and openly.

While traveling in Kentucky recently, my wife and I decided to take in a movie at the local theater in Lexington. One of the previews shown was the trailer for “God’s Not Dead: We the People,” a Christian drama film. It looked interesting, and I learned that it was only shown on a few October dates.

Contrary to popular belief, abstaining from the COVID-19 shot is not a result of governmental mistrust or being underinformed. For many, it comes from a lack of the shot’s long-term data, increasing reports of serious side effects and personally deciding the risk of coronavirus is lower than the risk of the shot.

The United States witnessed a grim statistic on Oct. 1: over 700,000 deaths due to the coronavirus. The pandemic, fueled by the delta variant, continues to ravage parts of the country, leading to rationed health care and overwhelmed mortuary services in the worst-hit hot spots in Idaho, Alaska, Texas and other Gulf states.

“Atypical,” which airs on Netflix, is a not-terribly-new show, considering there are now four seasons, featuring Sam Gardner, a teen on the autism spectrum. The show begins with Sam, played by Keir Gilchrist, in a session with his therapist. She tells him to open himself up to the possibility of having a relationship.