Your Views
A profound column
At last I have found a column on the coronavirus and Christian faith. In the column by Armstrong Williams in the April 5 Daily Herald, I found what I have been looking for. After searching many columns on the internet over the past several weeks, Williams' "COVID-19 making us rethink our values" gets to the crucial perspective when he states: "Horror and hope are intermingled daily, reminding all of us about the limits of our power and the trust and faith that we must put in the Almighty ... We do not have a fraction of the power and control that we think we have. We are beholden to forces far greater than our own ... What coronavirus is showing us clearly is that we all need each other and that mankind needs GOD." Thank you for publishing this profound column.
Edwin A. Hollatz
Wheaton
Use Roosevelt model to put people to work
At the height of the Great Depression, unemployment was rampant and tens of thousands of able-bodied men and women had no prospect of employment or near term income. President Roosevelt responded by creating the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Their mission was to provide jobs and income to the unemployed and, among other things, rebuild the country's infrastructure. Can everyone not see the striking similarity to today's crisis?
The president and Congress are talking about a fourth stimulus to bolster the economy and rebuild infrastructure. Why not pay people to work rather than pay them to stay home (which is what the current stimulus will do). Many former jobs won't be there when this crisis passes. Why not follow a proven model and maximize bang for the taxpayer buck by paying the employed to rebuild infrastructure. Perhaps this time there really are "shovel ready" jobs.
Martin Dettmer
Wheaton
Uplifted by song
With all that is going on in our lives with the virus, I very much appreciate the Back Page "A Song to Make You Smile" and one of the first brought me a smile. It was "What a Wonderful World" by Louie Armstrong. My oldest grandson, Joshua, was very young, under two, this song was playing on radio while I was holding him. I began to sway and dance. He began to hum. It is truly one of my favorite memories. I thank you. It certainly uplifted my day.
Diane Eadler
Hampshire