Rejecting federal dollars for food program means children will go hungry this summer | Opinion
Summer shouldn’t leave children hungry
A recent press conference held at the State House highlighted child hunger, urging the governor to action.
There are hundreds of hungry children right here in South Carolina.
Gov. McMaster is rejecting federal funds that would give South Carolina kids another year of the summer EBT benefit.
So many children rely on meals provided at their public schools for a large portion of their nutrition.
When the summertime comes and this food is not available, the result is many hungry children.
Our federal tax dollars fund a program that gives families extra funds on their EBT cards to cover the gap.
I truly do not believe that our governor knows the terrible consequences that the decision to reject these funds will cause.
Gov. McMaster, please consider shadowing a DSS caseworker for a day, visiting an after-school program in a rural county or having a conversation with a single mom who works multiple jobs.
Please spend some time with the people who will be impacted by your decision this summer. They are real people, not just numbers.
They are our future professionals and leaders.
There is still time to change your mind.
Heather Blackwell, Columbia
Gerontologist offers these thoughts on aging
Age ain’t nothing but a number. This is true in every sense of the age-old adage.
The fact that we have two presidential candidates who are 81 and 77 alone doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be president.
Or should it?
As a gerontologist, I learned very early on that it’s mindset over age-set.
While medical concerns such as cognitive impairment do increase with age, that doesn’t determine someone’s ability to do things well.
For example, we’ve all forgotten someone’s name, sometimes even people who are close to us, but that does not signify a medical concern.
There are very reasonable explanations for normal age memory impairment and age is not one of them.
A few reasonable considerations when assessing a person’s cognitive ability:
(1) are they stressed?
(2) are they taking medications that have side effects that affect cognition?
(3) do they have an acute illness?
If any of these areas are not addressed properly, cognitive concerns could materialize.
So, in order to ensure we are not committing ageist acts, we should focus more on whether or not candidates for president can perform the duties that are required by the presidency and focus less on how old they are.
Macie Smith, Columbia
Gender bill puts too great an onus on teachers
As if South Carolina’s teachers did not have enough on their shoulders, some legislators want them to be sex sociologists now.
Teachers will be forced to “out” to parents any students whom they may perceive as transgender, i.e. “trans”, under HB 4624.
Teens who are facing gender-identity issues should ideally talk with their parents or guardians.
When that is not possible, young people naturally may turn to a trusted teacher.
Such confidentiality can be vital in preventing suicide in gender-questioning young adults.
Many people have a knee-jerk reaction to things concerning teenage sexuality.
No person and no society is safer when legislators put politicians between any person and their doctor and their medical care. Leave these issues to the medical professionals who are trained and educated to guide young people through them.
Citizens must trust the medical professionals with guiding their decisions.
Legislators must stay out of medical decisions between patients and their doctors.
E. Jones, Columbia