Letters to the Editor: Comments on homeless center show ‘classism is thriving’ in Lexington

Homeless citizens

Classism is thriving in Lexington.

The Lexington Rescue Mission wants to turn a former home on Fourth Street into a community center.

It’s an issue of class when neighbors object by saying the area is already saturated with homeless services and homeless people.

It’s an issue of class when Richard Getty, a lawyer who lives in the neighborhood and represents the Martin Luther King Jr. neighborhood association, said, “These centers do not belong in residential areas. We don’t need another one. You reach a point where enough is enough. Is it fair to the citizens of this area?”

Homeless people are citizens too. And they happen to be in the area.

We can’t blame every petty crime, bike stealing included, on the homeless. The homeless are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. They’re our children. They’ve attended our schools and grown up in Lexington or towns like Lexington. Things haven’t worked out for them. “Enough is enough?” The kind of help the Lexington Rescue Mission is offering is not enough but it’s something. Lexington is an economically diverse city. We need to work together to mitigate the problems. We need to help.

Laverne Zabielski, Lexington

Vaccine ‘best bet’

I was in the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine trial and found I got the vaccine initially. I have had no problems myself and have been impressed with the care taken by the staff at the University of Kentucky site throughout the trial.

Concerns about blood clots have arisen which are of concern no matter their level of prevalence. While I haven’t been impacted by this development, I realized there was some risk in participation in the study. My thinking has been that the medical professionals working on the pandemic are working in our best interests. I do think past history and experience has shown we have greatly benefited from developments in science and medicine.

I have never been given a 100% guarantee in any medical treatment I have ever had, and it is tragic there are sometimes fatalities involved. You only have to look at all the warnings on medication advertised on television to realize there are no guarantees. I heard the incidence of blood clots is rare. Apparently the risk of contracting the virus and possibly dying from it without the vaccine is greater. It would seem getting the vaccine would be the safest and best bet.

Charles Myers, Lexington

Massie inept

It is very distressing to hear that Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie was disrupting committee meetings because he does not want to wear a mask. We have many problems in Kentucky he should attend to. It was also reported that Massie has signed on to a bill that “Jewish lasers from the sky,”, a.k.a U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced called the “Fire Dr. Fauci bill”.

First, let us point out one more time: We wear masks to protect others that are fragile and vulnerable for a variety of reasons. Not to protect ourselves. Let me also note that if you are hanging out with the laughing stock of Congress, maybe you are not representing your state well.

Representative Greene and Representative Massie are not epidemiologists, and they appear to not understand a public health crisis that has killed over 550,000 Americans. The “Fire Dr. Fauci” bill is a waste of time and just grandstanding.

We need new representation in Congress before we become the laughing stock.

Mary Lisle, Lexington

The real race

From the day we are born until the day we die , we are in a race. Everyone that ever lived was in this race. This race is over a difficult obstacle course. There are steep hills of prejudice, hate, envy, and greed that must be conquered. We must avoid falling into pits of ignorance or being tripped up by indifference. The race cannot be won but while running it you could lose yourself. The finish line is at a different distance for everyone in the race . No one knows how far they are from the finish line until they reach it. If you are wondering what the name of this race is, it is the “human race.” It cannot be won but it can be run successfully. The prize is a sense of pride in a job well done, and just maybe a “happy ever after.”

Harry Tucker, Lexington