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Have you ever wondered what went on at Ellis Island when migrant peoples arrived on our shores from distant lands? Well, other than verifying the identity of the individual, finding out where they were from and where they were going and who their sponsor was, they were also checked for health issues, smallpox and tuberculosis to name a few. The purpose was to keep America safe from disease. It made sense then and it would make sense today.
Think of the diseases we have experienced in the last 30 or 40 years: AIDS, Dengue fever, sleeping sickness, leprosy, swine flu and COVID. They all started somewhere else on the planet. The latest arrival is monkeypox.
If that is not enough, how about the large numbers of unvaccinated people who are being allowed entry on our Southern borders and could potentially re-infect us with smallpox, polio and God knows what else. Smallpox, polio and tuberculosis were all but unheard of for most of my 76 years due to the vaccinations that most Americans received. Open borders and globalism are really great, right?
Leo H. Mazerall Jr.
Stockton Springs