To the editor:
President Donald Trump has done many things that future historians will take him to task for, but the worst thing he has done, in my opinion, is to politicize the pandemic.
By refusing to wear a mask, and encouraging his followers to do likewise, Trump may have condemned tens of thousands of Americans to suffer the ravages of the disease. Because the pandemic got in the way of his political goals, Trump took the tack of denying that the pandemic was really as serious as scientists and doctors asserted. Millions of his supporters have refused to wear masks as a sign of their political support for him. No president in the history of the country has ever deserved less support from his followers than this pied piper of a man who led so many people to their deaths.
According to an article in the Dec. 8 edition of the Daily Journal, Johnson County is soon likely to move to "red," and adjacent counties are likely to follow. Johnson County is also a hotbed of Trump supporters. Just a coincidence?
Wake up folks. Three people in my circle of acquaintances have recently died from the virus. All of them were good people, family people, misguided people who thought that publicly supporting Trump was more important than protecting themselves and their families.
Wearing a mask alone will not bring this pandemic to an end, but it could help save you and your family from the ultimate tragedy. Wear a mask: It has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with staying alive and healthy.
Jim Curry
Franklin
