The unvaccinated are crowding out people like me who also need hospital care

I have been diagnosed with a condition that requires medical attention. While the situation is potentially life-threatening, there is an available fix, and, when properly executed, the problem will be eliminated with little risk to me.

There is one problem. When I had a similar problem nine years ago, I received next-day service. This time, the nurse at the clinic where my doctor works told me, “This isn’t going to happen any time soon.”

Why? It’s all over the news. Medical facilities are reaching their breaking points because of the latest spike in the pandemic. In my case, I would need an ICU bed for a little while after the procedure.

I recently read that Will and Kankakee counties had just three available ICU beds for their 800,000 citizens. Since the preponderance of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 are unvaccinated, it is probable that somebody who would not get vaccinated is occupying a bed I might need to stay alive.

Until now, I had been able to protect myself from the pandemic despite those who — either by refusing to grab an oar and pull, or by actually rowing in the opposite direction — have kept the pandemic going. Now, their claims of freedom threaten me in a way that I can’t protect myself from. They can die for their freedom if they want, but they have no right to make me die for it.

The time has long passed for a lot of people in this country to grow up and start acting like they understand they are not the only persons on the planet.

Curt Fredrikson, Mokena

Justice for Jan. 6

Seditious conspiracy is the charge the Department of Justice brought against the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, for his actions after the 2020 election. He first formed the illegal militia in 2009, after President Obama was elected. His intention then was to overthrow the U.S. government.

The DOJ doesn’t charge unless they can convict, and it seems clear they have the goods on the Oath Keepers, and most likely many others. Trump and his inner circle of conspirators should be shaking in their boots. Justice and accountability are coming for them, and none too soon.

Richard Keslinke, Algonquin

Carbon footprint for electric cars

Before we award electric vehicles the environmental savior badge, we need to have the total carbon footprint of these vehicles. Every component of an electric car should be assigned a carbon value traced back to the amount of carbon produced during its manufacture.

These cars use some of the same plastics and metals found in regular vehicles. Also, the increased use of these vehicles will cause a measurable increase in the production of electricity. If that electricity is provided by coal-fired plants, there is a carbon impact.

Warren Rodgers Jr., Matteson