Letters to the Editor: Kelly Ernby fought vaccination mandates. A shot might have saved her

To the editor: The COVID-19-related death of Kelly Ernby, a vibrant, intelligent woman, was very disheartening as well as telling.

Sadly, she was one of a seemingly great many who are so obsessed with a fear of Big Government that they are intellectually hampered with regard to sensible, rational decisions. Not only can they harm themselves, as in this case; the overall well-being and safety of all of us is also negatively affected.

This fixation or obsession appears to be a sort of cognitive inflexibility that basically dictates that “no one can tell me what to do.”

Thank you for covering her death.

Linda Cooper Smith, San Gabriel

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To the editor: The article on the death of Ernby, a rising GOP political star, from COVID-19 failed to fully capture the reason for frustration on the part of many with respect to her legacy.

Mandatory vaccination for contagious disease has been a feature of American democracy since George Washington vaccinated his troops.

Those who choose not to be vaccinated help spur continued outbreaks, along with serious health consequences for many, including death. This also severely impacts businesses, schools and our overall economy.

Ernby’s shortsighted, partisan position on vaccination threatened the health of our entire society, not just her own.

B. Chris Brewster, San Diego