Vancouver resident Bob Larimer recounts life during the pandemic
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
When the Wuhan virus first hit, I was amazed that the public was so accepting of sweeping government directives, conflicting announcements by “health authorities,” business and school closures and relentless, blaring media hype.

Locally, I was disgusted by mask mommas, senselessly grabbing up bales of toilet paper as if that were a rational response to the hyped scary news.
I did my own research and discovered that mortality would be in a very small percentage of the U.S. population, with children being the most safe from infection.
To date, there have been 1.14 million “presumed” deaths due to COVID.
That is 0.343 percent of the U.S. population of 331.9 million.
Over 102,226,376 citizens have recovered from infection.
Those of us who published our research, questioned the necessity and effectiveness of masks, social distancing and lockdowns, the safety of quickly-produced, FDA emergency-use-authorization “vaccines,” and who challenged government’s prohibition against, and media’s criticism of, proven treatments and drugs, safely in use for decades, were called hard-hearted, conspiracy theorists, and even “threats to public health.”
Hysteria created rifts between normally reasonable citizens.
When Governor Inslee shut down public fishing, I was done with the foolishness.
My buddy and I hitched up the Bass boat and headed across the country to Joplin, Missouri, where we stayed with relatives and fished renowned waters including Table Rock Lake and Lake of the Ozarks.
Un-distanced and unmasked, we ate in restaurants, shopped in grocery stores and bought fishing gear in sporting goods stores.
No businesses were closed, and some states we visited actually offered free fishing licenses to encourage healthy outdoor activities.
When I told them about Washington state, locals just shook their heads at the craziness.
Today’s report in RedState doesn’t surprise me:
“Landmark Study Vindicates Everyone Who Touted Natural Immunity to COVID-19”
Here in Clark County and across the nation, we have been routinely lied to and manipulated by government, “health authorities,” politicians and mainstream “news” media.
They never deserved our trust.
The question remains, will we trust them when they hype the next epidemic?
Bob Larimer
Vancouver
Also read:
- Opinion: ‘This is not the best and most efficient use of the taxpayers’ funds’Ken Vance critiques the announced $14.4 billion I-5 Bridge replacement, questioning funding gaps, the insistence on light rail, unaddressed congestion, and transparency from state officials.
- Cost for IBR’s total project ‘most likely’ to be $14.4 billionWashington’s governor committed to a light rail bridge across the Columbia River, prioritizing the $7.65 billion initial phase while sidestepping the full project’s $14.4 billion price tag.
- Natural gas leak forces evacuation in restricted area in VancouverCrews closed multiple streets and evacuated about 20 Vancouver homes after a gas line was damaged by workers. C-TRAN provided a bus to shelter residents during the incident.
- Letter: Don’t leave Longview in the darkLongview Mayor Erik Halvorson warns that uncertainty in Washington’s energy policy is deterring manufacturing investment, citing a local project’s move to the Gulf as evidence of this statewide challenge.
- OnPoint Community Credit Union welcomes Lisa White as CFOFinance veteran Lisa White will oversee financial operations at OnPoint, drawing on two decades of leadership and her work with Girls on the Run and Columbia Bank.
- Ridgefield student to serve as Rotary Club’s youth ambassador to central MexicoRidgefield High’s Zander Earl was chosen as Rotary’s youth ambassador and will spend his junior year studying in central Mexico, immersed in both the language and local culture.
- Opinion: Hiring someone for jobs around the house?Households in Washington that hire caregivers or cleaners will have to keep records, offer contracts, and follow new compliance rules under HB 2355.








