Richard Moore, Washington
Focusing on children’s health
The April 11 news article “Ohio’s Republican governor touts public health with focus on children” has important implications. Investing in children’s health is the most powerful way to create healthier societies and stronger economies. “It’s hard to sell things on the basis of public health,” said Gov. Mike DeWine (R). I understand how you feel. As a pediatric surgeon and CEO of a pediatric health system, I fight the uphill battle of selling public health every day.
I think Mr. DeWine got it right. In this country, we mistakenly equate health with medicine. Healthcare is an important but relatively small part of health. The governor’s health policy is rightly centered on children. This includes safety, good nutrition, freedom from violence and early education. All of these factors are major determinants of health and can be significantly influenced by small investments in early life.
In addition to improving the population’s health, the economic benefits of this agenda are enough to appeal to both sides. Research shows that every dollar you spend now to raise a child to a lifetime of good health has surprisingly high returns for taxpayers and the economy as a whole for years, decades, and even generations to come. I already know. DeWine is right when he says, “Everyone wants to see kids get better.” I couldn’t agree more. It’s time to prioritize public health by investing in children.
R. Lawrence Moss, Jacksonville, Florida
The author is president and chief executive officer of Nemours Children’s Health.
Incorporating nature into urban planning
Regarding the April 10th Climate Institute analysis “Mapping America’s access to nature by region”:
NatureScore confirms that urban nature is absolutely critical to the health of cities and their residents. We saw this all too clearly during the pandemic that started in 2020. At the time, city dwellers relied on green spaces as a valuable source of beautiful, socially distanced outdoor respite.
Climate change provides us with a clear urgency and opportunity to prioritize nature in U.S. urban planning. What does this look like? A study by the Global Center for Clean Air Research found that botanical gardens’ unique infrastructure has a measurable cooling effect on city temperatures. This highlights the importance of plants, including trees, in urban greening. By restoring and preserving plant diversity, especially in dense urban environments, we create cities that are more livable for people, wildlife and future generations.
Equally valuable is the community that green space fosters. Urban farms and community gardens are powerful ways to expand nature within cities while instilling social connections.
We urge all city leaders and urban planners to support well-managed urban conservation projects and green spaces. Living in a city has transformative potential, as the proportion of Americans living in cities is rapidly increasing.
jennifer bernstein, new york
The author is president and CEO of the New York Botanical Garden.
Not all experiences are the same
Commentary on Ariel Dorfman’s Thursday, April 11th opinion, “Ecuador takes a swipe at Pinochet over embassy attack”:
What Dorfman didn’t say in his article before sending Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa to purgatory for violating Mexico’s sovereignty by storming the Mexican embassy in Quito and arresting former Vice President Jorge Glass. Let’s look at. Dorfman compares this action to his own experience in 1973, when he took refuge in the Argentine embassy in Santiago, Chile, escaping certain death at the hands of oppressive military dictator Augusto Pinochet. .
But Mr. Dorfman was in a truly vulnerable position, and his refugee status saved his life. Meanwhile, Mr. Glass was twice convicted of corruption and sentenced to six and eight years in prison. In one case, he was convicted of accepting millions of dollars from a Brazilian construction company, and in another, he was convicted of participating in a scheme to collect bribes for public procurement. .
A controversial ruling by Judge Emerson Klipallo led to Glass’ early release, raising further questions about whether he deserved asylum. Judge Kripallo is currently in custody pending an investigation into his alleged involvement in a bribery scheme that resulted in verdicts in favor of drug lords and others.
Dorfman cited the importance of respecting the 20th century refugee protections enshrined in a series of treaties and laws. Are these protections designed for convicted criminals? If so, where does the search for asylum by the bad guys end?
Reconsider these agreements and laws to ensure that the most vulnerable are protected in their time of need, perhaps without giving protection to convicted criminals like Mr. Glass. Maybe the time has come.
curtis schafer, falls church
Regarding the April 15th news article “Iran attack slows aid efforts to Israel, heightens urgency”:
I support Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza without reservation. I completely agree that Israel is of central political and historical importance to the United States. That said, I think he agrees with Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) that “Israel is a much closer ally and core to America’s national security interests than Ukraine.” I object to that.
Mr. Vance is completely wrong. When Israel is attacked, we must ensure that we support it with the weapons and supplies it needs to ensure its self-defense. But as far as I know, we are not bound by treaties to station troops in Israel or to go to war directly with other countries on Israel’s behalf. The same cannot be said for Europe.
Russia has made it clear that it hopes to eventually reconquer the European countries that once made up the Soviet empire. Ukraine stands in the way of that desire. Some former Soviet Union countries are now NATO allies, and we are officially required to defend them if attacked. If history guides Ukraine to collapse, Russia could begin seizing territory from NATO’s easternmost member, capturing the borders of its former client state and choosing its location there. In this case, we would have to send even more U.S. troops to Europe, creating untold risks to us and the entire world.
In a real sense, the United States is already at war with Russia. But the Ukrainian people are fighting for us. Their lives and blood will be lost, not ours. What do we gain by providing money and equipment to NATO and Ukraine? We have the privilege of watching wars being fought on European soil. It costs our people a lot and it doesn’t cost us as much. In my opinion, it’s quite a bargain.
Mr. Vance and his Republican colleagues in Congress appear to be defending Russia, in effect advocating Russia’s cause. My response: Please don’t compare the gravity and enormity of our obligations to NATO (or Ukraine) with our close relationship with Israel, or link this to our problems on the border with Mexico. It’s neither fair nor accurate.
Three people are not a group
In the April 9, 2024 Prompt newsletter, “Why is it so hard to find winning third-party candidates?”, Alexi McCammond and colleagues make several useful points. did. However, third-party and independent candidates have argued that rules controlled by the two-party duopoly and designed to stifle competition include the state’s built-in laws, such as reprieve and secession laws. It is important to note that various obstacles must be contended with.
Moreover, in the case of No Labels’ recent attempt to recruit a “unified ticket,” potential candidates feared acting as spoilers and shifting the election to Donald Trump. Much of the criticism of no-label ballot access efforts becomes moot if states enact a uniform, bipartisan, open primary system combined with ranked-choice voting (RCV), as is done in Alaska. It won’t happen. RCV eliminates spoiler debate by eliminating the candidate with the fewest votes each round until one candidate receives a majority of votes. Such reforms provide a long-term solution to reducing political polarization and allow independent and unaffiliated voters to participate in state-funded primaries, rather than disenfranchisement. Fairness can be maintained. No Labels and other like-minded groups can work together to advocate for such reforms, and we don’t need to win an election to win the day.
Kenneth F. Cerullo, Mahwah, New Jersey
The author is a representative of the “No Labels” movement.
