I have noticed several letters to the editor in recent weeks in which the authors have belittled Dr. Frank James.

He is in the unenviable position of safeguarding the health of every resident and visitor to our islands, and as such is in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” position. If his decisions to date had been casual and lenient, and many in our county became sick with some dying as a result, he would be vilified. But instead, he is getting a lot of flack for being cautious. Clearly, countries that responded to this pandemic with the most extreme measures have had the best results and appear to be recovering. Let’s cut him some slack, recognize that he is human like the rest of us, and appreciate the difficult position he is in. He is making science-based decisions and is acting in our best interests.

Paul S. Henriksen

Lopez Island