Letters to the Editor | May 23, 2023

Wednesday marks one year since a gunman opened fire inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers. You might think that such a horrifically awful event would create a backlash that ushers in a new era of tough gun control regulation. You would be wrong. After the politicos finished with their perfunctory offerings of prayers and sorrow, very little of actual substance happened. Congress did what it does best — talking about how this carnage is unacceptable and must stop but offering no new remedies. If an immense tragedy like the Uvalde massacre could not precipitate fundamental change, what will? The answer is that nothing is likely to make such change palatable to our gun-loving society and the congressional pawns who pander to its extremism. To some, such tragedies are merely unfortunate collateral damage that is a byproduct of a free, unfettered democratic society. This is not acceptable. We can, and we must, do better.

Ken Derow, Swarthmore

During the last 50 years, literally millions of jobs have been eliminated. Most of those jobs have been replaced with lower-paying positions that have fewer benefits, such as health care, education, and pensions. What has been the effect? Today, the United States has more people who live in prison than any other nation in the world. Drug overdose deaths have skyrocketed. Millions of immigrants, who were once welcomed into this country, are now being deported. Philadelphia is the poorest of the large cities in the country.

Cherelle Parker, who will likely be mayor, wants to get tough on crime — as did all her Democratic opponents. Allow me to say something that none of the mayoral candidates said: Everyone deserves the right to a job that will provide a lifetime right of food, clothing, housing, health care, and education. We have had the resources to make this a reality for a long time. We need the will to do what is necessary to make this happen.

Steven Halpern, Philadelphia, hnbpjs@gmail.com

Amidst the challenges the pandemic brought, there have been notable gains. The medical community has acquired greater humility, recognizing both our limitations and strengths. We have identified and can now address deep health-care disparities. We have adapted to new forms of providing health care with the use of technology, and our pharmaceutical industry developed a lifesaving vaccine in record time. However, the gains achieved are overshadowed by the losses incurred. COVID-19 not only took our loved ones, but it also sowed deep divisions within our country, and citizens lost faith in what were trusted governmental and public health institutions. Moreover, we have lost countless seasoned health-care workers to burnout and now face a critical shortage.

While the pandemic emergency may be ending, another crisis is emerging. Our country needs fully staffed health-care entities with dedicated professionals. We can do this by recognizing the commitment of those who remain dedicated to the profession post-pandemic and by creating supportive working environments to help retain and attract qualified professionals. This requires that we be attentive, not only to patient-to-provider ratios but to the acuity of those patients so that we ensure those charged with caring for them have what they need to do so well.

Donna Miles, nurse practitioner, Havertown

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