Thousands facing Alzheimer’s crisis could benefit from alert system, reader suggests

Create Alzheimer Alert

We would greatly minimize the frequency of patients who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease going missing if South Carolina’s legislators would write into law an “Alzheimer’s Alert.”

In the same way the Amber Alert law has helped to successfully recover 1,100+ children since 2006, an Alzheimer’s Alert law could also be an effective way to coordinate resources in our state to improve communications between families and law enforcement agencies.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health crisis in South Carolina that affects 95,000 people aged 65 and older. And this number is expected to rise.

A few months ago, I reached out to S.C. Rep. Leon Howard, D- Richland, to suggest introducing an Alzheimer’s Alert bill during the 2023 Legislative Session. He was ecstatic about this idea, and I truly believe he will make this happen.

All South Carolinians, Democrats and Republicans alike, should support this bill and push it through to be signed into law because Alzheimer’s is a mentally and physically disabling disease that can negatively impact any family.

Bridget Deline, Columbia

U.S. morality police?

World outrage is extremely justified over the beating death of the young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini by Tehran’s morality police. There is a dress code law for women and choosing to wear what you choose can have grave consequences.

I’ve been thinking there are morality police coming into existence in the United States. American women are now under laws regarding their personal healthcare decisions.

As in Iran, when a law is disregarded as it violates personal rights, America’s morality police are ready to pounce if a woman needs to not have a baby.

Cynthia Newman, Beaufort

Keep women free

Testimonies have been given for and against the ban on abortion, but the issue isn’t really abortion. It’s the loss of a woman’s freedom to make very personal and often traumatic decisions about a pregnancy.

For many, there is no choice. It’s a matter of harsh reality.

Such a poignant decision should be made only by the mother because only she knows the challenges ahead. What if she’s gravely ill? What if she’s poor or homeless? What if she’s being abused?

What future would the child have?

Consider these realities: The child could become one of nearly 13 million children living in poverty; one of 17 million struggling with hunger; and one of more than 400,000 in foster care, of whom some 25% will wait years to be adopted. Too many will never be adopted.

More frightening: One out of 7 children will face abuse or neglect. If we can’t care for these children, how can we care for thousands more?

Let’s not condemn a mother and child to a life of grief. Let’s rally behind a woman’s freedom to decide.

Lynn Gerson, Bluffton

Integrity matters

The season to choose our political leaders is upon us and has triggered my thoughts concerning leaders and leadership, which reflect my belief that God has purposed each of us to lead in some capacity in response to the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:16-20).

This argument centers on integrity as the key measurement to use for choosing a political leader or any leader for that matter. I believe that to be a good leader you must have integrity.

I have soured on using party affiliation to choose a political leader, and I am putting forward what I think is a better measurement by simply asking: Does the leader have integrity and traffic in the truth?

I believe using integrity as a choosing tool will yield good leaders, eliminating holding your nose and voting for a leader/candidate.

Jay Brown, Chapin

This story was originally published October 2, 2022 at 6:00 AM.