To the Editor:
Re “We’re Pondering About Ache All Incorrect,” by Maia Szalavitz (Opinion visitor essay, Dec. 26):
Thousands and thousands of individuals undergo from ache, which is by far the key symptom about which sufferers complain.
Even supposing most ache might be successfully managed, too many undergo unnecessarily, many intolerably, due to the undertreatment of ache. This has been a significant issue in the US for many years, in keeping with a 2011 Institute of Medication report, “Relieving Ache in America: A Blueprint for Remodeling Prevention, Care, Training and Analysis.”
Medical and nursing faculties haven’t accomplished a great job coaching college students to deal with ache successfully. The overwhelming majority of faculties, inexplicably, shouldn’t have elective programs in ache administration, and solely a small share have required programs. Such programs needs to be mandated. And there must be a severe focus in these programs and persevering with training programs on eliminating bias and disparities within the therapy of individuals of shade and ladies.
Our well being care system has failed to supply the nice ache administration to which sufferers are entitled. Ms. Szalavitz’s article needs to be one other name to motion to the federal and state governments, medical and nursing faculties, and well being care programs to make pressing, main enhancements.
David C. Leven
Pelham, N.Y.
The author is emeritus govt director of and senior guide to Finish of Life Decisions New York.
To the Editor:
One other issue contributing to the stigma of ache, as talked about on this essay, is the worth positioned on stoicism in some quarters of our tradition, as if toughing by way of and stowing away ache are good issues, and as if being overwhelmed by intense and intractable ache is a type of giving in and therefore an ethical failing.
Ache is part of dwelling. It’s omnipresent. Some individuals can deal with their pains higher than others. However when ache is continual and insufferable and the trigger unattainable to alleviate, as within the examples cited by the creator, it’s unreasonable to count on that these can do something however undergo helplessly and intensely.
As a doctor and a compassionate human being, I feel the one correct and moral response from docs is to offer due respect to their sufferers who’re with such ache and to adequately deal with it.
Paul Rosenberg
Palm Seaside, Fla.
The author is a retired psychiatrist.
Strolling within the Metropolis Simply Isn’t What It Used to Be
To the Editor:
Re “The Value When Wanderers Can’t Wander,” by Shaan Sachdev (Opinion visitor essay, Jan. 9):
I used to be disheartened but in addition oddly relieved to see Mr. Sachdev’s essay about strolling in New York Metropolis. After 13 years within the metropolis I’ve been troubled currently that it feels a lot much less nice to take a stroll than I recall earlier than the pandemic.
I assumed that I may be making it up, or that I had misplaced my love for large metropolis dwelling. However his phrases ring true: One thing has modified within the relationship between walkers and autos in our metropolis. Drivers are extra aggressive and extra distracted. Enforcement may be very noticeably down.
Like him, I now discover myself limiting my time outdoors, largely due to the hazardous nature of our metropolis streets when outdoors a car. Strolling New York’s streets is now not a nice diversion however is akin to traversing a harmful and harried impediment course.
Restricted dependence on vehicles and equitable entry to transportation are essential to the long-term well being of any massive metropolis. However our present crop of politicians, and particularly our mayor, stay, sadly, too fearful and too beholden to particular pursuits to shortly make the daring, mandatory modifications to our streetscapes, like improved visibility at intersections.
Right here’s hoping they discover the braveness to concurrently save lives and assist our metropolis rediscover one in all its best property: its walkability.
Kenneth Lay
Brooklyn
To the Editor:
Shaan Sachdev is definitely appropriate accountable the loutishness of sure cyclists and drivers for the rising issue of being a correct flâneur in New York. However there’s one other vital contributing issue: pedestrians who pay extra consideration to their cellphones than to their fellow sidewalk strollers.
It isn’t simply in crossing streets or bike lanes that one now should weave and dodge to keep away from collisions. The solipsistic cellphone consumer could not endanger life and limb of different pedestrians. However their habits usually proves an impediment to those that would similar to to stroll down a block with out having to fret about whether or not the particular person coming towards them is prone to lunge left or proper within the subsequent few steps.
Mark Siderits
New York
Meals Help at Threat
To the Editor:
Re “Meals Help to Moms and Youngsters Is at Threat” (information article, Jan. 12):
When will the Republican Celebration perceive that harmless youngsters who can’t vote will likely be irreparably harmed by price range cutbacks to the Particular Supplemental Diet Program for Girls, Infants and Youngsters, or WIC? An undernourished, hungry little one can’t study or develop correctly.
This combat (but once more) over offering fundamentals to those that can’t, by advantage of their age, present for themselves should sicken all individuals who care about youngsters (and ladies).
Let’s hope the Democrats stress this loudly and clearly.
Barbara Gold
Philadelphia
The author is a retired pediatrician.
To the Editor:
It’s shameful that meals support on this nation ought to ever be in danger. Our coverage needs to be meals support to anybody anyplace anytime. It’s meals.
Ellen Schaffer
Palm Coast, Fla.
The Risk to Beech Bushes
To the Editor:
I loved Jesse Wegman’s deeply felt commentary on the that means of bushes in his life and in ours as effectively (“Within the Shelter of a Weeping Beech,” Opinion, nytimes.com, Dec. 25). Sadly, the beech bushes he refers to could also be doomed. An invasive nematode is attacking the species in a widening vary from Ohio to New England and past.
From the kitchen overlooking our woods in jap Connecticut, a pair of vigorous and sleek beech bushes has been a treasured view. Final 12 months the leaves emerged darkish, striped, brittle and misshapen, and commenced falling early within the season. Our arborist supplied little hope.
As December waned, our beeches and others within the neighborhood now not carried their corona of pale winter leaves that lend a shiny contact to the season in all weathers. We’re getting ready ourselves to say goodbye to those beautiful companions in one other 12 months or two.
Sadly, the beech is simply the newest in a line of lovely and majestic tree species, together with the elm and most just lately the ash, to fall to invasive infections and problems of local weather change.
As Mr. Wegman stated, bushes create a “shelter for no matter or whoever would possibly want it.” I deeply want I may do the identical for them.
Howard Drescher
Mansfield, Conn.
