The president of the United States has issued an order that prohibits civil authorities from closing meat-packing plants and prohibits those authorities from imposing any safety conditions on the operation of those now very dangerous plants.
The governor of one of the states that has several such plants has proclaimed that any worker in such a plant who refuses to return to work because they fear for their lives will forfeit unemployment benefits.
Given the high risk of contracting COVID-19 in the very close quarters of these plants, the powerless status of workers in these plants, the fact that some of them likely fear that they will be deported if they are found to be undocumented, and the fact that safety measures could be taken to limit the risks faced by the workers — given all of these facts — the depth and breadth of the immorality of this president and that governor are breathtaking.
— Rev. David A. Barber
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.