Lack of trust in local leaders of state’s public schools creates alarming environment | Opinion
Where’s the trust?
Legislation is pending to empower the state superintendent of education to approve all books in all South Carolina public schools.
Perhaps our new education czar learned how to do this with her degree from Bob Jones University.
Doesn’t she have a smidgen of trust in local elected school boards, librarians and administrators?
And would not the time of parents supporting this be better spent helping their children with homework?
How many more bureaucrats will have to be hired to accomplish this mammoth task?
Russell D. Mellette, Lexington
Support Red Cross
Note: The writer is CEO of American Red Cross of South Carolina.
As we come together with loved ones over the next few weeks, it’s important to remember the ways we can be a beacon of hope for those who need our support and care.
I think of the families whose lives have been turned upside down by the growing frequency and intensity of disasters. In fact, 2023 is a record year of extreme climate and weather events with each causing losses exceeding $1 billion.
Year-round, 1,741 local volunteers from the American Red Cross of South Carolina answer the call to help in people’s darkest hours.
With no signs of extreme disasters slowing down, we must work together to do more.
You can help by visiting redcross.org, becoming a Red Cross volunteer or giving blood over the holiday season.
It takes all of us to care for one another.
During the holiday season, turn your compassion into action for the families who depend on our collective support.
Rod Tolbert, Columbia
Improve healthcare
Note: The writer is president of IndeDocs.
Our healthcare system is infamous for its complexity, high costs and lack of transparency.
As an independent physician, I witness daily the impact of our broken system on patients and doctors.
It won’t fix itself. It’s time to drive the changes that put the power of choice back in the hands of patients and their chosen doctors. Ways you can help:
1. Challenge non-competes: Let’s ban contracts that make it inconvenient, or impossible, for doctors to practice where they want and for their patients to follow.
2 Incentivize charity care: Tax credits for doctors who provide true pro-bono medical care would help mitigate their costs and give more options to patients in need.
3. Empower patients with real prices: Transparent billing allows patients to make informed choices, allocate funds wisely, and challenge the inflated prices perpetuated by the current ‘somebody will pay’ model.
In a society where choices abound for housing, transportation, food, and recreation, we need a similar revolution in healthcare choices.
The prescription for a better future involves community demand, informed decision-making and a collective push toward healthcare transparency.
I encourage you to proactively seek independent doctor-owned practices, question hospital bills, and advocate for alternatives and choices.
Dr. Marcelo Hochman, Mt. Pleasant
Alzheimer’s event
African Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than their Caucasian counterparts, and are least likely to have access to information, education and resources. Data bear out these inequities as it relates to African Americans and Alzheimer’s disease, but very little is being done to address this issue head on.
A feature film that is well positioned to address these issues is coming to Columbia on Saturday, Dec. 16, with a film screening and panel discussion.
The holiday film, “Forgetting Christmas,” is about an African-American family fighting through loss and the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease to find hope during the holidays.
The film was, the best feature film winner at the 2023 Prince George’s Film Festival, touches on trust, tradition, religion, faith, compassion and forgiveness and provides an in-depth look at what families experience as they journey through early-stage Alzheimer’s.
After the film screening, there will be a panel discussion and a Q & A with audience members, cast members, community leaders, and caregiver advocates.
To learn more, visit nickelodeon.org.
Macie Smith, Columbia
