Need Cooperation

Dear Mr. Harnack:

I write to deplore the attitude expressed in your editorial of May 14th, which I would summarize as an objection to the measures contemplated by Washington State Government in its attempt to manage a return to the social and economic norms we all yearn for, actions that of necessity thrust government into the everyday life of individuals.

The cornerstones of public health versus infectious disease are: restriction of contact between infected and uninfected individuals, minimization of the risk inherent in such contacts when they occur, and rapid identification of potentially infected individuals. There is no substitute for these principles. They will require individuals to make some sacrifices in any case. If you can suggest better ways to put them into practice than those proposed by Governor Inslee, by all means bring them forth in an editorial. When you framed your editorial in terms of individual rights against a coercive government, you undermined the cooperation we need to address this challenge as one people.

David F. Moffett,

Colton