California oil spill illustrates perfectly why we must protect our marshes, coastline

Protect our islands

Please print the gory details of the current oil spill off the California coast to remind those here who have promoted offshore drilling on the Carolina coasts as safe.

Today’s drilling technology is foolproof, they say.

Couldn’t happen with all their safeguards, they say.

However, out there, the spill is miles offshore, at least 125,000 gallons of crude oil spilled, and affecting miles of local beaches.

Can you imagine that coming into our marshes, creeks, and beaches?

It would never be cleaned up -- a forever disaster every day.

Everyone should learn from this and never forget we need to protect these emerald isles.

Jerry Floyd, St. Helena Island

Let the children lead

When the Beaufort County School Board voted against masks for students, I was at work caring for an unfortunate, unvaccinated patient suffocating with COVID-19 pneumonia. His case was so advanced he would only have a few days to live.

My gravely ill patient was infected by a school-aged child who brought the virus into the home. Not the child’s fault by any means, but something that could have been prevented. When I learned the school board missed the opportunity to protect similarly unvaccinated children, I felt like I was living in a different world. The COVID-19 virus is most contagious just before the onset of symptoms, the cruelty of this disease. It’s also a primary reason why universal masking in a closed classroom is so important. A mask can prevent a virus from filling the air and prevent an infected child from infecting classmates.

Children are charitable by nature. They prefer a world in which their friends are kept safe from getting sick. They showed us last year by wearing masks when COVID-19 was much less of a threat. Let’s let them lead the way again so we can all be safer.

Stephen Larson, M.D., Hilton Head Island

Slow down!

Speeding has gotten so bad that citizens have posted commercially made and cardboard signs in their yards and along the side of the road asking neighbors and those using Sams Point Road to abide by the posted speed limit of 45 mph.

Sams Point Road has had a number of vehicle deaths and speeding continues to be a problem.

Citizens are encouraged to notify County Council about the vehicle speeding in the areas of Sams Point and Lady’s Island.

Michael Thompson, Beaufort

Fly American

Our American flag is a symbol of pride and freedom for all Americans, ideally viewed by the world as a symbol of diplomacy and democratic principles while giving hope in the face of diversity.

As individual citizens, we are limited in how we can support these ideals, particularly during these challenging times to our democracy; however, here is something we can do: Display the American flag in a prominent location on your property.

In our gated community, more and more flags are now seen hanging permanently from a private owner’s tree or building. A majority of my neighbor’s homes are “flagged;” mine has been flying for 15 years.

Be part of this spirit of unity. Purchase a flag kit at your hardware store and mount it.

If mounting the kit is too challenging, I will mount it free of charge in my gated community. Hopefully, other handy volunteers will come forward in theirs.

Be a proud American every hour of every day.

Earle Everett, Hilton Head Island