8 of our top opinion columns this week: ICYMI
From voting in person to QAnon, police reform and COVID-19 vaccines, here are some top columns you may have missed.
In today's fast-paced news environment, it can be hard to keep up. For your weekend reading, we've started in-case-you-missed-it compilations of some of the week's top USA TODAY Opinion pieces. As always, thanks for reading, and for your feedback.
— USA TODAY Opinion editors
1. To stop Trump, we need to vote in person, even if it means crawling through broken glass
By Tom Krattenmaker
"As many protectors of democracy as possible must mask up and show up at the polls on Election Day. We must not to be deterred by lines, or by the 'sheriffs' and other poll-watchers Trump threatens to deploy (because deterring us is the main reason for this legally fanciful bluster). We must not, as Barack Obama puts it, let them take our power away."
2. I was a casket bearer at Dover. I never thought a U.S. president would insult the fallen.
By Charlotte Clymer
"The fallen service members I helped receive and carry during this part of the journey to their final resting place were not 'losers' or 'suckers.' They were selfless and heroic, and I had the honor of being among the first to hold them when they returned home."
3. My patients suffered because of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's illegal lockdown
By Jordan Warnsholz
"Dangers looms when one person tries to regulate the lives of millions. Whitmer’s orders are a case in point. One banned any 'non-essential' medical procedures and elective surgeries. This broad elimination of medical care shows a shocking ignorance of how medicine works."
4. Evangelicals need to address the QAnoners in our midst
By Ed Stetzer
"Some talk about QAnon as if some messianic figure is at work. Similar to the ancient heresy of Gnosticism in the early church, it lures people with promises of secret knowledge. It provides a sense of identity and belonging with code phrases like: 'Where we go one, we go all.' Many people, including active church members, are being drawn in."
5. The Pentagon has ordered Stars and Stripes to shut down for no good reason
By Kathy Kiely
"In a heretofore unpublicized recent memo, the Pentagon delivered an order to shutter Stars and Stripes, a newspaper that has been a lifeline and a voice for American troops since the Civil War. The memo orders the publisher of the news organization (which now publishes online as well as in print) to present a plan that 'dissolves the Stars and Stripes' by Sept. 15 including 'specific timeline for vacating government owned/leased space worldwide.'"
6. Rushing coronavirus ‘Holy Grail’ vaccine could turn into a curse
By The Editorial Board
"As sharply divided as Americans may be, they are of one mind about Trump's Holy Grail — 72% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats are worried that the vaccine's rapid production has been driven more by politics than science. Their concern is whether it will be safe."
7. Why defunding police, upping social budgets alone won't work
By Thaddeus Johnson and Natasha Johnson
"Several key changes should be prioritized, including federal use of force standards, greater police transparency and accountability, and investments in recruitment and salaries to build a more diverse, educated and professional law enforcement force."
8. Senior FDA career executives: We're following the science to protect public health in pandemic
By Patrizia Cavazzoni, Peter Marks, Susan Mayne, Judy McMeekin, Jeff Shuren, Steven Solomon, Janet Woodcock and Mitch Zeller
"Maintaining the American public’s trust in the FDA is vital. If the agency’s credibility is lost because of real or perceived interference, people will not rely on the agency’s safety warnings. Erosion of public trust will leave consumers and patients doubting our recommendations, less likely to enroll in clinical studies or to use FDA-regulated products when they should to maintain or improve their health. This is problematic under normal circumstances but especially if we are to ultimately overcome COVID-19. Protecting the FDA’s independence is essential if we are to do the best possible job of protecting public health and saving lives."
