To the Editor:
Re “‘Momentous’: New York and California Open” (front page, June 16):
Many businesses will be thrilled to have the restrictions lifted. There are, however, at least a couple of caveats.
First is that New York and California are not isolated. People are free to travel from all the other states to visit their restaurants, theaters, stadiums, etc. States such as Arizona and Texas have 38 percent vaccination rates, but their residents are free to travel here.
The vaccines work well, but mild cases are still described in vaccinated individuals. We do not know when vaccine protection will wear off, and producing boosters will be a huge task as we try to help the world.
As a vaccinated New Yorker, I feel fairly safe at the moment. I just don’t know when I should allow my paranoia to return. Dr. Anthony Fauci likely has similar concerns, as should Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Unfortunately, only time will tell. As evidence for why we should be concerned, the flu typically kills between 20,000 and 40,000 people in the United States annually, and we have been vaccinating for years and have many manufacturers and an easy-to-store vaccine.
Josh Torgovnick
New York
The writer is a neurologist.
To the Editor:
Re “Canada Should Reopen Its Border,” by Serge Schmemann (Opinion essay, June 12):
It’s all very well for Americans like Mr. Schmemann to feel that Canada owes them free rein to cross the border, but most Canadians are unconvinced, for good reasons.
First and foremost, Covid-19 is not gone yet, and the relatively low rate of full vaccinations here makes it dangerous for a majority of Canadians, especially given the more virulent variants.
Second, while half of Americans over 12 may be fully vaccinated, the other half aren’t, and a significant number of them refuse to be — to the point of buying fraudulent “proof” of vaccination to avoid it. Unless there is a centralized system that permits verification, there is no way for our border guards to distinguish a good counterfeit from the real thing.
Finally, Canada’s relative success at keeping cases and mortality low has depended on our majority’s willingness to comply with public health restrictions. While these will probably be relaxed as more of us are fully vaccinated and case counts decline, we must reserve the right to crack down quickly where new outbreaks occur.
Much as tourist-dependent businesses here want the border open, Americans should understand that though we like having visitors, we don’t want them at a cost in Canadian lives and health.
Judyth Mermelstein
Verdun, Quebec
Mary Morris Recalls Copying the Pentagon Papers
To the Editor:
Thank you for the excellent special section on the Pentagon Papers (June 13). I loved reading about the role that The Times played in their publication, but there is a little-known story about the role that Beacon Press had that I think adds to this important history.
Founded in 1854, Beacon Press is the publishing arm of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Its mandate is to publish books that concern social justice and human rights.
Fifty years ago I was a young editorial assistant there when Arnold Tovell, our editor in chief, called us all in for an emergency meeting. He explained that some papers had come to the press via a man named Daniel Ellsberg. These were classified documents about the war in Southeast Asia.
Arnold was going to ask us to do something that was possibly treasonous and potentially dangerous, and we could all go to jail. We each had to decide if we wanted to take the risk. The task: to photocopy the hundreds of pages of what would become known as “The Senator Gravel Edition” of the Pentagon Papers and help organize them for immediate publication.
We knew through Arnold that many pages had gone to The Times, but Mr. Ellsberg was also asking Beacon Press for help. We were asked to work through the night and to keep this a secret, and we were free to say no and go home. But I don’t think anyone left that night or the next night.
In stealth we photocopied. We also read what we were copying. Not that we should have been surprised that our government had consistently lied, had performed actions that could be considered war crimes against civilians, and had kept all of this hidden from the American people in the name of national security.
Thus a small army of editorial assistants, editors, designers and secretaries helped bring the Pentagon Papers to light. I have had many exciting and rewarding moments in my life, but perhaps those heady days 50 years ago stand above all the rest.
When I think of those days, I cannot ignore how the same issues resonate for us today as we continue to fight for freedom of information and a free press. And Beacon, along with The New York Times, fought to preserve the very roots of our democracy. Its role is also important to remember.
Mary Morris
Brooklyn
The writer is the novelist and travel memoirist.
Don’t Make New York Pedestrians ‘Sacrificial Lambs’
To the Editor:
Re “Lisa Banes, 65, Vibrant Actress in ‘Gone Girl,’ ‘Cocktail,’ TV Shows and the Theater” (obituary, June 16):
Lisa Banes, a brilliant actress, was killed in a hit-and-run by someone riding a motorized scooter who ran a red light.
The mayoral candidates promise to make the streets safer for riders of two-wheeled vehicles, but they also need to address pedestrian safety. I am always on high alert for bicycles, motorbikes and scooters riding in the wrong direction on one-way streets, whizzing past me on the sidewalk, running red lights and cutting me off in crosswalks.
Finding alternatives to automobile traffic is a worthy goal, but not if pedestrians become sacrificial lambs.
To the Editor:
Re “Some Catholic Parishes Help L.G.B.T.Q. Community Feel at Home” (news article, June 6):
As a gay Catholic priest for more than a dozen years before resigning from active ministry, I have experienced firsthand the deep faith and devotion among L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics. In my role as a parish priest, I helped numerous Catholics overcome their guilt and pain over their orientation and validated their deep love for their Catholic faith.
Nearly 28 years after my resignation, Pope Francis and many bishops and priests are providing a more compassionate outreach to gay Catholics.
Jesus was also criticized by the religious authorities of the day in his outreach to those thought to be outcasts of religious institutions. L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics affirm what we have always felt and known in our hearts, that we are faithful members of the church.
John E. Lazar
Wilton Manors, Fla.
The Decline of Newspapers
To the Editor:
Re “Saving Our Local News Outlets,” by Sarah Bartlett and Julie Sandorf (Opinion guest essay, May 24):
Increasing the newsstand price, shrinking content, reducing newsprint size or favorable government subsidies will not be enough to ensure the survival of daily newspapers.
Most cities and suburbs are down to one newspaper. They have to deal with increasing costs for newsprint, delivery and distribution along with reduced advertising revenues and declining readership.
Financial challenges have also resulted in fewer resources being devoted to investigative reporting and a greater reliance on wire service stories. As a result, original newspaper content continues to shrink. This puts even more pressure on the remaining reporters.
There is intense competition among international, state, county, city, business, sports, entertainment and other sections of newspapers. Neighborhood news can usually be found only in a weekly community-based paper.
There are still many like me who have a continued thirst for news provided by newspapers.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
