The first textbook example of a readily available treatment dismissed was Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis’ discovery in Vienna in 1847 that simple handwashing by physicians between obstetrical patients greatly reduced puerperal (child bed) fever. His discovery was at first ignored and refuted by his fellow physicians out of arrogance that their trained hands could not possibly carry disease. Such hubris doesn’t merely hurt — it can kill. Around the same time in London, groundwater contamination at public water pumps was found to cause cholera. Dr. John Snow, now referred to as the father of epidemiology, removed the pump handle so citizens could not continue using the foul water.
Let’s go back to the question: how do we reach the Sam’s and Jen’s who are COVID and vaccination non-believers? As a respiratory care professional and currently as a public health educator, I can sum up a few ideas. First, I would investigate how our COVID-defying duo have come to their confirmation bias (i.e. they self-select information that fits their preconceived beliefs) regarding COVID and vaccination. I would then diplomatically, but firmly, point out the differences between their sources and peer-reviewed publications such as medical journals and other well researched material. Lastly, the old adage “when the student is ready, the master will appear” shows it is never too late to begin class.
- Jerry A. O’Ryan, Centerville
Korey Cocking is off base with her editorial saying that gun control would not have prevented the disaster in the Oregon District. Many of these vigilantes likely act due to the fact that they have high-powered rifles to get their thrills and publicity. If that boy had only a handgun, he likely would not have done this shooting for those reasons. The same applies to Adam Lanza in the Sandy Hook shooting. Ditto for the Las Vegas massacre.
- Thomas W. Billing, Springfield
It was nice to see Ray Marcano’s column on Nov. 28 that described Charlotte McGuire’s ascension to the Ohio School Board presidency. Marcano did a nice job of detailing the quagmire that Charlotte has entered into. One point of his, concerning race and education, missed the mark, however.
He says: “There are polar opposites in this debate.” In reality, those involved in the rancorous debate about race and education are similar to each other in that neither is proposing that race be taught thoroughly. The views expressed most adamantly are all from a narrow, edited position.
A thorough education and understanding might, for example, draw from economic historian Robert Higgs’ book, “Competition and Coercion.” One point that Higgs presents is that 45 years after emancipation, Black Americans, almost entirely in the South, had acquired 15,000,000 acres of rural land which they farmed for their own account. This land was not gifted, nor was it stolen. Each parcel was negotiated and sold. Furthermore, these 200,000 farmers had to be productive enough to justify owning this land, which entailed selling the product of their work, primarily to white buyers. Higgs does not shy away from obstacles, sometimes brutal, that hindered black Americans progress in the post-Civil War years, but the history Higgs presents suggests an overall situation where these obstacles, in many instances, could be and were overcome.
If one were to read Walter Williams’ “Race and Economics,” they would learn that emancipated Black Americans were more likely to have gainful employment than white Americans until the enactment of minimum wage legislation in the 1930′s, which was explicitly and openly pressed for as a way to keep black laborers from outcompeting white laborers.
If Richard Rothstein’s book, “The Color of Law,” was perused, his description of Levittown, the largest private development of single-family residential properties in the U.S., might shock some. The federal government refused to guarantee loans unless every one of the 17,000 deeds explicitly excluded non-whites from the ability to purchase these homes. The builder could not receive financing without this guarantee, so they complied. That the federal government acted in this way as late as 1947 might surprise many.
Economist Thomas Sowell has documented Black history in the U.S. that undermines popular conceptions: Children born into slavery in the U.S. were nearly as likely to be raised by both of their parents as white children born into 21st century U.S. are; Black children born in the 1950′s were far more likely to be born of married parents than the children of white parents in more recent U.S. history; Black teenagers were employed at a higher rate than white teenagers as late as the 1950′s.
There is no doubt that there are many scholars available for consultation, but unwilling to engage in caustic debate. If the fury could subside, I am sure that they will be able to construct age-appropriate curricula that will provide a solid foundation for students to do their own thinking in the years to come. That is what we want, isn’t it?
- Ron Browning, Kettering