Regarding the very tragic death of 5-year-old AJ Freund: In my view as a supervisor with the Connecticut Department of Social Services, all of the warning signs that are associated with abuse and neglect were present in this case. AJ’s horrific death should have never occurred. My heart is broken for this child whom I do not know. I only know that he did not have to be killed by the ones who are supposed to love, cherish and protect him. To little AJ, I am so sorry your time here on Earth was such a scary experience for you. May you finally find the peace and love that should have been given to you while you were here. Please rest now, you are safe and will always have what you deserved.
— Cristina MacGillis, Ellington, Conn.
Prevention for opioid crisis
Thank you for the editorial “The opioid crisis in Illinois: How to combat drug overdoses” (April 15). There is no doubt that wrestling with this epidemic requires more resources and an extraordinary amount of cooperation from agencies at the local, state and federal levels.
In Lake County, a network of over 30 police departments collects unused pain medications and takes 12,000 pounds of pills a year off the streets. This is just one example of a collective effort from many in Lake County, and we’re starting to see some progress with opiate pill overdose deaths dropping.
But we’re still facing the reality that prescription opioids remain readily available, and new forms of opioids on the street have never been as addictive or deadly as they are today. To impact the crisis, we need to look upstream.
It’s striking that prevention measures are so often overlooked in addressing the opioid crisis. My law enforcement colleagues and I have long recognized that proven prevention programs — starting at the beginning of people’s lives — have myriad benefits in addressing individuals’ long-term well-being.
Home-visiting programs, for example, provide voluntary parent coaching to at-risk parents who are expecting or have a child younger than 5. The evidence shows that mothers participating in these programs are less likely to be arrested, and that their kids grow up less likely to have brushes with the law.
A recent report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois — an organization for which I serve as co-chair — indicates home visits might also be an effective means to address childhood trauma and the potential for subsequent opioid abuse, as well as a way of connecting parents with services to deal with their own drug addiction problems.
The report cites recent studies that link childhood traumas with later opioid misuse and addiction. One study found that nearly half the people seeking treatment for opioid dependency had experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. That’s more than three times the rate for the general population in Illinois.
The bottom line: Reducing the incidence of ACEs in young children can, in turn, help reduce opioid abuse.
But we’ve fallen short in Illinois of reaching even a small fraction of the families that could benefit from home-visiting initiatives. As Illinois policymakers finalize the state budget, let’s strengthen funding for critical, prevention-oriented supports for children, families and our communities.
— Michael Nerheim,
Lake County state’s attorney, Waukegan
We need better sex ed
Are all unwanted pregnancies avoidable? No. Are most? Yes. If that’s the case, why are women still seeking abortions? Because there is a large gap in health education in this country. The new “heartbeat bill” signed earlier this month by Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio bans abortion after six weeks unless the life of the mother is at risk. This is not the first, and it will not be the last, restrictive abortion measure brought forth, but lawmakers are attacking the wrong side of this issue. If we educate students about preventative measures, fewer people will need to seek abortions. While no, not all unwanted pregnancies can be prevented, most can be through contraceptive methods of which there are many. Currently, only 24 states and D.C. require sex education in schools, and only 13 of those states require it be medically accurate. Teach young kids how to have responsible sex and avoid abortions in the future. If legislators truly cared about the abortions happening, they would see where this issue stems from and incite change where it will have an impact. We do not need stricter abortion laws; we need better sex education.
— Hillary Wolff, Deerfield
Don’t nominate a far-left Dem
Regarding Frank Fisher’s letter (“Opposed to Dems' control,” April 26): I am a Democrat. I, too, am somewhat apprehensive about a far-left Democratic president being elected, or even nominated. There is an obvious solution to that: Don’t nominate a Democrat who is far left! Pick a seasoned, highly respected candidate whose views you know and trust — and like.There are several excellent middle-of-the-road people in the pipeline. And any one of them would give us a whole lot more than “(Donald) Trump’s lack of civility, buffoonery and recklessness with the truth.” Oh yes, and wherever you can, try to persuade the youngest Democratic voters that the far-left candidates simply cannot be elected in this environment. Which is absolutely true, no matter how much they might wish it weren’t.
— Bindy Bitterman, Chicago
The myth of Trump’s success
The proposition that a successful businessperson would make a good president remains untested. What we do know, to a certainty, is that a failed, thrice-bankrupt businessman who played a successful businessman on TV does not make a good president.
— Michael Gorman, Chicago
Teach, don’t remove, the past
Instead of removing a Works Progress Administration mural (from Julian Middle School) painted in 1937 that represented what Oak Park looked like then, why not commission a mural that shows the diversity of Oak Park today and hang them side by side? You cannot erase your past by hiding it.
— George Recchia, Oak Park