Dear editor:

I am acutely aware that my world view is out of step with the majority of Wyomingites. I have not, however, stormed any capitals, intimidated any voters, or threatened any legislators. That’s not how democracy works.

What I have done, as your regular readers know, is expressed my point of view, pointed out hypocrisy as I see it, or called into question the decisions made by our elected officials if I disagree with them. That IS how democracy works.

Which brings me to today’s diatribe...

Your headline of the March 7 issue reads “Park County GOP Backs Trump.” No surprise there. The headline I would have chosen is “Park County GOP Rejects Rational Thinking.” This would be in reference to three of the resolutions adopted in the GOP party platform as listed in your article.

The first is that creationism be taught alongside evolution. I have no problem with creationism being taught in a religious studies class. However, unlike evolution, it has no basis in scientific fact and so should not be presented as “science,” alongside evolution.

The second, that ballots in Park County should be hand-counted, flies in the face of overwhelming empirical evidence that hand counting is more expensive and far less accurate than machine counting.

But the most absurd resolution by far is “giving recipients of donated blood the option of only receiving blood from people who were not vaccinated against COVID-19.”

Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve donated over 6 gallons of blood. I’m well aware of the screening process involved. Screening out vaccinated donors would for all practical purposes eliminate the availability of a blood supply, since 80% of the population has had at least one vaccination. For the blood of those few donors who have not been vaccinated to be kept separate in order to facilitate fulfillment of  this requirement would place an undue burden on the health care system. But most importantly, if a patient needs blood, it’s an emergency that can’t wait for the perfect donor. Is it really the case that someone would rather bleed out, than receive a transfusion from a vaccinated donor?

It’s estimated that only 3% of the population donates blood. I suspect whoever came up with this absurd idea is not one of those folks. I encourage your readers to donate blood, thereby helping to save a life.

I also encourage your readers to stop voting for anyone who promotes ignorance over fact. That’s how democracy works.

Phil Anthony

Powell