US withdrawal from Afghanistan was necessary

Afghanistan collapse inevitable

Donald Trump said, on June 26, 2021, “I started the process. All the troops are coming back home. They couldn’t stop the process. Twenty-one years is enough. Don’t we think? Twenty-one years. (The Biden administration) couldn’t stop the process.” This is an inevitable tragedy, and Republicans using the plight of these unfortunate people for opportunistic political gain are arrogant hypocrites. This would have happened if we pulled out five years ago, or five years from now. Almost a quarter million people have died and we have spent $2 trillion, while the military and energy contractors have made billions. This is not our military’s failure. Our tax dollars made the Afghan military one of the best trained and equipped in the region, but we couldn’t force upon them the will to fight, to embrace democracy, abandon corruption, or protect the best interests of its people. We can’t even totally accomplish that for ourselves. It seems the only real lesson we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.

- Danny Kuhn, Myrtle Beach

For the governor

Over the past weeks, I have emailed and called Governor McMaster several times. Same pleading every time: Do something. Now here we are, with one of the lowest vaccine rates in the entire nation and with exploding Covid numbers. I beg the governor to get in front of cameras, in an official way so that it is played on every TV station, and tell the citizens of SC to get this safe and effective vaccine, for themselves and for others. This surge is impacting children. Children, including infants. Some have already died, and all of this could have been avoided. So this time I will ask Gov. McMaster the direct question: How many dead or desperately ill children will it take for you to finally do your job as Governor and lead in this most desperate time? This could be the most important thing you ever do. What is, for you, an acceptable number of impacted children for you to do such a simple and life saving thing?

- Christine Hayami, Myrtle Beach

Foreign policy failure in Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan is the sad result of decades of failed American foreign policy. We must use this situation as an opportunity to chart a new course, one in which we respect other cultures and political systems and not try to change them in our image.

- Joseph Rubinstein, Hartsville

No to mask mandates

Enough of the mask mandates. Let it be one’s choice. Well, people are dying, say the political dictators of our community. People looking for ways to stop death. Sorry folks but God in His word has said, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” - Hebrews 9:27. We cannot stop death. As one who wore masks, especially being a diabetic and 50 years old, I still got covid. Many friends of mine who wore masks have gotten covid. Our community needs to live in faith not fear. It’s what God expects of us. Wearing a mask isn’t faith. Enough is enough. I have seen what prolonged mask wearing does to people of my age. Causes anxiety, hard to breathe. No mandates.

- Earl Pathel, Lexington

Parent struggles with back to school

As our kids go back to school, many parents are struggling. Normally, my husband and I would be getting our kids excited about new teachers and new friends. How does that work during a global health crisis? “Hey, kids, here’s hoping you don’t end up on a respirator.”

Gov. Henry McMaster rigged the system so that if schools mandate masks, the state will pull their funding. Translation - esoteric quasi-political issues are more important than children.

The Delta variant makes COVID more contagious. More kids are being hospitalized. There are long-lasting neurological and autoimmune effects. Anti-mask policies gamble on our children’s health.

While I am grateful to the Beaufort County School District for hosting free vaccine clinics and finding loopholes in McMaster’s anti-mask pandering, I urge school officials to mandate masks and vaccinations. The recent Supreme Court ruling that blocked a request to deny Indiana University’s vaccine mandate gives precedent. Also, the Beaufort County School District is located in the richest county of South Carolina, which gives them the power to fight back.

As a parent, I am at a loss for what to do. Isn’t it my job to protect my kids, to keep them safe and healthy? How are parents supposed to do that when our governor is setting everyone up for failure? How did wearing a mask become an important issue for people to fight for, but our community’s health isn’t something to fight for?

We need grown-ups in all aspects of leadership more than ever. Unfortunately, you won’t find them in South Carolina.

- Heather Bragg, Bluffton