Dangerously Naive Good Scientific Intentions
Dear Editor,
There are too many unanswered COVID-19 origin questions. This is not just a healthcare issue. If US government scientists funded Chinese scientists, the Chinese communist government, to develop more lethal/more contagious diseases, this is the greatest national security failure in history.
Some scientists genuinely believe that making diseases more dangerous – gain of function research – in controlled laboratory environments, will save lives. We could potentially development vaccines before natural evolution causes a pandemic. Regardless of intentions, in the wrong hands, these modified biological agents could be used as weapons. All labs receiving US money, no matter the location, should have had strict security measures and thorough counterintelligence reviews to prevent espionage.
Just because US scientists had great intentions, didn’t mean the Chinese scientists had the same intentions. The Chinese communist government, military and intelligence agencies likely had different intentions, hidden motives, than either the Chinese or US scientists. Also, just because American scientists have great intentions does not mean advisories will believe us. For example, if Russia participated in gain of functions research, we would logically be concerned this was cover for biological weapons development.
If true, what makes this worse is the lab allegedly receiving US funds is Chinese, a government with history of scientific espionage. This research would be similar to NASA scientists working with Russian universities to create Soviet rockets during the Cold War. The technology would have logically been used in Soviet nuclear weapons.
We also need to seriously investigate if COVID-19 was intentionally released. Several scientists argue that China wouldn’t kill its own people. However, the Chinese government may view their population different than we view ours? China killed many of its citizens post revolution. It is killing Muslims now. They could have planned to purposely discriminate medical access. It has so many people, that it only allowed one child per family. This halves their population. They may think they have too many citizens to control effectively? Also, history shows us that democracies, countries with free speech, have growing communist sentiment during economic turmoil.
I’m not saying any of this happened. Thousands of people get sick every year in DC and Atlanta, home of NIH/USAMRD and CDC. That doesn’t mean the US government intentionally or unintentionally caused a pandemic. However, it would be naive to ignore the possibility. We need to stop being naive and investigate.
Alan Burke
Corporations Don’t Pay Taxes, We Do
Dear Editor,
The description of the death of Andrew Brown in Elizabeth City always says he was unarmed and shot by police in the back of the head. Why is it left out that he was attempting to escape and that he backed up then accelerated towards a policeman who had to jump out the way?
“Congress tough hurdle on global tax.” Indeed, the attempt by the G7 to impose a worldwide 15 percent minimum tax those evil corporations that provide us with food, fuel and cell phones might be hard to sell to the Congress. “…make big multinational corporations pay their fair share so we can invest in our middle class,” says national security advisor Jake Sullivan. Where does he think corporate tax money comes from? It’s in the cost of the food, fuel, cell phones – in everything that we buy. Tell your congressional representatives you’d rather keep the money and deprive the bureaucrats who would administer that program their jobs. And yea for those evil Republicans – on track to eliminate state corporate income tax in 2028. Do you think that might be a draw for businesses and the jobs that they will bring with them to North Carolina? Dang right it will!
President Biden declared the Pulse nightclub a national memorial, declaring that we have an epidemic of gun violence. Maybe “defund the police” is not such a good idea.
Given all the badmouthing that the police get, is it any wonder the police (including the Highway Patro!) are having trouble finding people who want to be cops.
Walt Sperko
Why is it said Andrew brown was such a fine citizen. He was a drug dealing thug with multiple arrests multiple children 10 by multiple baby mommas who didn’t work or pay child support and was driving an 80,000 car with no means of support and tried to run over the police. Blame him for his death no one else
You must not have American values like believing in a trial by jury.
Andrew Brown didn’t believe in trial by jury. He decided to execute the cop. Justice was done.
REALLY?!?!?! A police officer was “executed” by Andrew Brown? You have now completely changed my mind. Can’t wait for trump to take over in august. Anything I can do to remove this vaccine from my body since I now understand it is dangerous? Learning about racism will also definitely make everyone in this country more racist, so we should really just stick to praying and pledging allegiance in classrooms!
Man, did Wayne show me!
Don’t be obtuse. You know he meant that Brown tried to kill a cop and that is why he got shot. As everyone else who read this and is familiar with the case knows, he just left the “tried to” out of his sentence.
The officers responded to deadly force with deadly force. It has already been ruled as a justified shooting by the DA. Not every death caused by a police officer is an unjustified, racist act, no matter how much you want it to be Blame Star.
Yes, Brown decided to execute a cop. That he didn’t accomplish it is a credit to the cops and should be appreciated by anyone with a brain, other than criminals and evil people.
So he decided to try to? Or he tried to decide to? It was very clear the words Wayne used. But yes, lecture me on how your assumptions are different than mine and mine are stupid. I agree, not all death by police is unjustified. This one was. The DA isn’t doing anything for justice, just to protect his own arse.
Put your own words in your own mouth.
So, Name Star, you’re saying that legal decisions are only “right” when you agree with them? For example, the Chauvin verdict was “correct” because you liked it, but the Brown decision was not because you didn’t? The Ferguson decision about Darren Wilson was “wrong” because you didn’t like it? Is that what’s up here?
Timmy, the chauvin verdict was a verdict by a jury following a trial. A headshot that ends someone’s life because they were driving away when their life was threatened, is not a trial by jury or a “legal decision”. Try again buddy.
Both are legal decisions. The DA’s office is a part of the Judiciary Branch of government. Their decision not to pursue charges is a legal decision, just not one made by a judge or jury. Not every incident can or should be put before a court of law. It would incapacitate the system. Numerous incidents involving death never go to trial because the death was deemed justified by the DA. That is how the Judiciary system works. You cannot pick and choose what is right or wrong just because you do not like the outcome.
Your reading comprehension skills are lacking. You’re also pretending that I haven’t posted a clear message. I’ll leave it to the readers of the Rhino Times to decide which of us is an idiot.