To the editor:

With increasing unease, I’ve watched the Barrington Times, a valuable resource for our community, increasingly serve as a vehicle for anti-mask/anti-vax propaganda and debunked claims.

Over the last few weeks, the level of coverage given to anti-mask protestors has been surprising. What was more frustrating and disappointing was the lack of parallel and equal coverage given either to parents who favor masks to protect their children and those around them or to the extensive testing that validates the medical value of masks (search for “Mayo Clinic Mask Safety” if you don’t believe me). Do I want my daughter to wear a mask to school every day? No, of course not, but she and I understand the necessity, the benefits, and the need to do what we can to help mitigate the risks for ourselves, our friends, and neighbors.

And most recently, I was shocked that the Times would publish a letter stating that COVID vaccines are “liability-free medical experimentation.” This is one of many claims touted by anti-vax “champions,” and nothing could be further from the truth. I encourage readers to search for “Johns Hopkins COVID vaccine safety” or any of a number of other sources to get a fair, unbiased, and scientifically based perspective on vaccines.

Please, go ahead and print the letter about the delay in the hearing for the unvaccinated teachers, but let’s stop promoting the propaganda and disproven claims. Instead, the Barrington Times and its sister publications should be helping our communities by publishing medically sound and validated information while using its editorial voice to advocate for those steps proven to improve health and safety.

Thank you,

Chris Watson

Barrington