Ohioans shouldn’t trust Acton
Re “I survived abuse, neglect and know Ohioans’ needs; Ramaswamy can’t,” Feb. 15: Democrat Amy Acton is asking Ohioans to trust her judgment again, but before voters consider that request, we should remember her record.
As director of the Ohio Department of Health, Acton became the face of the state’s sweeping COVID-19 shutdown. On Action’s advice, the governor closed small businesses, shuttered schools, churches and suspended livelihoods all while allowing big corporations to stay open. Restaurants, salons, gyms and small retail shops were forced to close — and many never reopened.
Working families lost paychecks. Students lost critical classroom time. Seniors were isolated from loved ones. Places of worship were forced to turn people away. The economic and social damage Amy Acton inflicted on all of us was unmatched and its effects are still felt to this day.
Acton now speaks about “fair shots,” yet countless Ohioans were denied theirs when she labeled their businesses as “nonessential.”
Acton’s big government overreach picked winners and losers. Large corporate chains stayed open while locally owned small businesses and churches were forced to shut down.
Her response to the COVID-19 pandemic was severe: learning loss, mental health struggles, workforce disruption and small-business failures. She was an unelected bureaucrat yet acted like an authoritarian dictator.
Before asking voters to make her governor, Acton should answer for the economic harm and government overreach that defined her tenure. And it sure would be nice if the mainstream media would actually press her on it.
Gary James, Reynoldsburg
President, monarch or dictator?
The United States is now a monarchy. One man has the power to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to whomever he wants without any retribution.
In any normal society, that man would be called a dictator. And we do now have a dictator in the United States of America! There are no checks and balances on President Donald Trump. The Supreme Court is worthless and Congress is worthless.
So we, the American people, and MAGA supporters in particular, have empowered a man to do to the world and to ourselves whatever he wants, even though most of us would never buy a used car from this man, allow him to babysit our 13-year-old daughter or want him in a foxhole with us during any kind of conflict.
The Founding Fathers have to be spinning in their graves!
Richard S. Donahey, Columbus
We are not disposable
Dear Mr. President,
Since you seem to have forgotten, I am writing to remind you that we are not bullets for your war.
We are not disposable; we are not artillery to fire at those you choose to hate.
We are your future; we are your people that you have sworn to protect.
You may think you can hide your crimes behind a war, but we will not forget.
We will remember that you sent us to die so that you can continue to cling to power.
We will remember that you treat us as ammunition that you can put a number on, you can price our lives for your convenience.
We will not forget the futures you try to throw away.
We will not forget that we are the people.
The people who allow you to have power.
The people who can take away that power.
Sincerely,
We the People
Ana Neruda, Columbus
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: I won’t trust Amy Acton. She has stolen fair shots from Ohioans | Letters
Reporting by Letters to the Editor, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
