Seeking unity

To the Editor:

“I’m an American.”

Eighty years ago, on December 7, 1941, Tadeo Fuchikami got on his motorbike and braved the flack that rained down during the attack on Pearl Harbor to deliver wireless telegrams.

When asked if he wanted to make his deliveries given the attack, he said without hesitation that, of course, he would.

It was his job.

Besides, he said, he was no “Jap”; he was an American.

Like countless other Japanese-Americans that day, Fuchikami was born in America, and was an American citizen.

Any ties he had to Japan came from oral histories told to him by his mother, Chie, who had immigrated to Hawaii as a picture bride.

His ethnicity labeled his identity but not his heart. He was an American and put his country before his own safety.

At some point, each one of us had an identity label — be it European, Hispanic, African, Asian, Pacific Islanders, Native American, etc.

When our ancestors arrived, they blended and became Americans just like Tadeo Fuchikami.

Beating, killing, verbally abusing, or incarcerating someone because of their looks or name is criminal and beyond the pale.

Did Americans pummel Americans during the H1N1 flu epidemic in 1918? It originated in the Great Plains of the United States.

Over a third of the world’s population became infected from the “American Virus,” mislabeled as the Spanish flu because Spain was hardhit.

Why are Central Oregonians verbally abusing fellow Americans over a virus that spread from bats in China? Will people from the countries of COVID-19 variants become targets, too?

Tadeo Fuchikami can be a model to us all during this current crisis. Like him, we need to brave the flack and remember that we are citizens of the United States. Embrace those who say, “I’m no virus, I’m an American,” and arrest those who terrorize others because of a misplaced label. We won’t win this war by fighting each other.

Valarie J. Anderson

Beware of nuclear deals

To the Editor:

Hopefully President Biden will make nuclear deals with Iran and North Korea.

However, it is equally to be hoped that he does not repeat the fatal flaw of the first Iran deal: It imposed a waiting period for the inspection of suspected sites. This would have allowed them to move the materials for making a nuclear weapon — such as enriched uranium--to a second site during the waiting period for the first site; then when the second site would come under suspicion, it would have a waiting period during which the material could be moved to a third site; and so on. That is why a future President may cancel the deal again.

Alvin Blake

COVID vaccine

To the Editor:

Mr. Mackey’s comments re: COVID vaccine (The Nugget, Letters to the Editor, May 12) show that many people don’t understand that a vaccine is NOT a magic “cure” for the pandemic.

It is only one weapon in the war against the virus. Since not everyone is vaccinated, they will continue to spread the virus and infect more vulnerable people whose immune systems are not as strong. Unless we also use masks and socially distance, the virus will continue to kill people. Are you willing to be the one who loses family members while the benefit of mass vaccination is developing?

Besides, from the beginning we have been reminded that no vaccine is 100 percent effective.

Sharon Booth

Be aware of phone scams

To the Editor:

Today I received a message from a local Bend phone number which I listened to, since I actually am waiting for two different callbacks from Bend phone numbers.

This was a recording with an American female voice saying it was Amazon Customer Service regarding a $799 order that had been recently put through. If it was a valid order press 1, if not, to cancel, press 2.

No matter which number was pressed, I now suspect, an obvious noisy call center with a woman answering with an Indian accent came on line saying she was from Amazon Customer Service and she would help me.

Well, Amazon would be thrilled if I put in a $799 order with them, so I knew that was not right. When I questioned her as to who she was and where she was, she repeated that she was from Amazon Customer Service. When I asked what all the noise was in the background, she said, “I’m sorry I can’t hear you.” I raised my voice and we had the same response. I hung up.

I immediately checked my Amazon orders, and, of course, no such amount is there, and then I checked my bank statement and no such charge has gone through.

I believe that the responder would have tried to get me to reveal information that then could have been used to defraud me.

I called the sheriff’s non-emergency line and they gave me the Attorney General’s hot-line phone number as the proper place to contact. The recording at that number said there was no way they could help. When they have followed up with the local number that appears on-screen, it is non-existent. Since it is an international call, nothing ever comes of it despite other agencies such as the FBI being involved, they have not been able to shut these folks down. The only suggestion was to call my phone-service provider and see if the number could be blocked in the future and hang up immediately. I would suspect those local-looking numbers are changed regularly.

I am sharing this to remind us oldies to pay attention and do not get pulled into giving any information whatsoever to anyone that you do not recognize. The phone number I responded to was: 541-388-6655. My normal procedure is to not respond to anything I do not recognize or that doesn’t have an identifying name. This time I did not follow my own advice but luckily had my wits about me.

Be vigilant.

Phyllis Lewis

Don’t let Central Oregon become Portland

To the Editor:

Portland is a mess. Portland, like other Democrat-run cities that are anti-law enforcement, has defunded their police force and eliminated violent crime units with disastrous results. Crime has exploded in Portland, with murders up 775 percent and shootings up 100 percent along with constant rioting, arson, and felony vandalism to government property, commercial buildings, and churches.

The Portland city council has devised a novel plan to fight violent crime by allocating $1.4 million in funding for “unarmed” civilian park rangers with no arrest powers to combat violent thugs with guns — really Portland?

Portland was a hipster paradise for artistes and lefty activists with its underground clubs, trendy restaurants, and coffee shops serving avocado toast — but no more. The hipsters who moved there for the culture and the vibe are fleeing as the quality of life in Portland collapses. Portland’s weird charm and personality are long gone and never coming back.

Portland voters have nobody to blame but themselves — they elected the woke leftest politicians who hamstrung the police and empowered the anarchists and the thugs to run amuck. “The government you elect is the government you deserve.” — Thomas Jefferson.

Don’t let Central Oregon become what Portland is.

JK Wells