Readers React: Kaci Hickox and Ebola’s scarlet ‘E’ stigma

A USC Dornsife/Times Poll this week found that about 70% of Californians aren’t very concerned about having to deal with Ebola, the deadly virus that has killed thousands in West Africa and sickened a few people in the United States.

Times readers are among the unfazed. Over the last several weeks, we’ve received more letters on Ebola than any other topic, and since the outbreak began, the discussion has shifted from what the Obama administration’s response should be to how the public should get a grip. This week, readers mostly sided with Maine nurse Kaci Hickox in her battle against state officials seeking to quarantine her after returning from Africa.

San Juan Capistrano resident Sam McCarver makes a historical comparison:

In World War II, authoritarian officials imprisoned innocent Japanese families. Today, authoritarians want to quarantine a healthy, symptom-free female nurse, depriving her of her rights.

That is the kind of terrible “welcome back” hundreds of nurses could find after endangering themselves caring for Africa’s Ebola victims to protect Americans from a vast outbreak at home. Armed services personnel are under orders they must follow as required by their duties, and their pay and full care continue during any confinement.

But as for these valiant nurses, have we learned nothing in the last century about human rights?

Joan Mandell of Glendale diagnoses Americans with disease hysteria:

We now have had several Ebola patients treated here in the U.S. Those caring for these patients have done a wonderful job.

Away from work, these people go about their lives while treating patients during the most contagious period of the illness. Why, then, are we insisting on quarantining those who have worked in Africa?

Those of us old enough to remember the early days of HIV/AIDS remember well the hysteria it generated. We have accepted that touching a person with AIDS won’t result in certain death. We may be several decades down the road, but we don’t appear to be any smarter.

Burbank resident Michael E. White is one of the handful of readers who supports a quarantine:

One may be sure that Hickox is a hero. In fact, Hickox is a hero twice: once for being selfless in Africa, and then again for being selfish in America.

We’ve heard it isn’t easy to contract Ebola. But some of the infected can’t explain just how they caught the virus, which makes a quarantine a prudent bet.

But U.S. citizens cannot be inconvenienced. Their epic sense of righteousness will not allow it. This arrogant boldness is the product an avalanche of exponentially increasing personal rights poured upon Americans over the past few centuries.

In the interest of the anxiety of those around her, it would be considerate for Hickox to keep away from everyone until it’s absolutely safe.

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