Letters to the Editor: The truth about smoke from Canadian wildfires

The list of counties most impacted by the recent poor air quality makes me think of my former colleague, an 83-year-old Midland gardener, confined to her living room as the thick haze interacts with her COPD. Or the twenty-something Detroiter whose asthma will make any outdoor activity difficult for her this week. Two weeks ago, she and I were in Washington D.C. with nearly a thousand Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteers, advocating for policies that will transform our energy system to renewable sources.

Yes, the forest fires in Canada are linked to climate change. Yes, our fossil fuel addiction is linked to climate change. Yes, renewable energy is immediately healthier for humans and the atmosphere. Yes, change is possible if we speed up the permitting process for renewable energy infrastructure projects and incentivize the switch to renewable energy with an economy-wide carbon fee and dividend. Yes: Your help is needed, urgently!

Mary Ann Renz

Kalamazoo

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Affirmative action ruling misses the point of 'fairness'

The U.S> Supreme Court just made a monumental decision striking down the use of affirmative action in admission for colleges. This court has once again taken an extremely partisan stance to overturn years of precedent.

As often is the case with conservative arguments, this one seems logical on the surface. However, If you contemplate for more than a minute it’s easy to see how misguided their reasoning is. The common refrain is that it is actually racist to accept students to your university using race as a determining factor, because you are looking at the color of their skin, not the content of their character. The claim is that this is not fair and that America should be colorblind. Let’s skip for a moment the disrespectful act of trying to use Dr. King’s words to hold back diversity, and the faulty assumption that being colorblind is good, and focus on the word “fair.”

Affirmative action was fair. Contrary to what conservatives would have you believe, minority students did not get accepted over more qualified white applicants. Colleges looked at a pool of students that were accepted on merit, and then were allowed to use race as an additional factor to help improve diversity on their campus. If you really want to talk about fairness, Affirmative action and the Civil Rights Act have been in place for only 60 years. This has barely put a dent in the 400 years of oppression that has shaped the lives of minorities in America. Affirmative action was a small but important step to make things more fair for minorities. The removal of this policy signifies a sad day for our country.

Alton Fisher

Redford

Mental Health

The first step toward encouraging early access to mental health services and enhancing psychological wellbeing is understanding the obstacles to seeking help.

When under psychological distress, young adults may find it difficult to get assistance from others. The stigma and unfavorable attitudes around mental illness and requesting assistance may be to blame for the reluctance of low-income people to ask for assistance. In order to enhance the mental health of young adults, particularly those from low-income families who already have mental health problems, it may be required to increase public knowledge of the services and resources that are offered as well as conduct psychological distress screenings in primary care settings. Accessibility issues, trust issues, a preference for unofficial sources of assistance, stigma, and worries about confidentiality are all potential obstacles to obtaining help.

The underutilization of mental health care, especially for frequently occurring behavioral health issues like depression and anxiety, is one of the most widespread and worrisome health inequities. Poor health literacy is linked to many detrimental health and social outcomes, including but not limited to: increased rates of chronic illness; decreased use of health services; increased health care costs; and early mortality, especially in the poor families already struggling with mental health. Recent research has shown this to be the case. Given that health literacy is a better predictor of an individual's health status than money, employment position, education, and race or ethnic group, it is possible that health literacy is the most significant factor among the social determinants of health.

There is a significant disparity between those who require mental health care and those who receive it. Stigmatizing attitudes about mental health illnesses and inadequate insurance literacy have also been recognized as barriers to treatment. Overall, there is a lack of mental health literacy, which is linked to increased rates of stress, depression, anxiety, internalized stigma, and caregiver burden.

Samar Fayed

Farmington

Supreme Court protects democracy

Several high-profile cases were decided by the U.S. Supreme Court this month, but only one, Moore v. Harper, had the potential to impact the very lifeblood of our democracy — voting. This election law case considered, in part, a controversial constitutional theory known as the independent state legislature doctrine. At issue was whether or not state legislatures had absolute power, with no electoral oversight authority by state courts, to regulate federal elections. With unchecked power, state legislators in key swing states could have rejected the voters’ slate of electors and appointed their handpicked substitutes.

The Supreme Court has an obligation to protect our democracy. By rejecting the dangerous independent state legislature theory, the Court safeguarded state-level judiciaries and ensured that our republic, in place since 1789, will remain a true representative system of government.

Jim Paladino

Tampa, Fla.

What's happening to the American dream?

I am a proud American immigrant. My parents came to the U.S. with $300 and two-year-old sons. They brought their dream for a better life and determination. Thankfully, they were able to send their three children to university and have had successful careers. Without a doubt, they lived the American dream.

Now that 2-year-old child is much older. I am the one who is about to send my son to college; but I am left thinking, "Does the American dream still exist?"

For most of my adult life, this country has been in a perpetual war. When we aren't fighting in some foreign land, we make up new wars like the "war on drugs" and the "war on terror." Recently, we have had more creative ways to fight wars, by empowering others with our equipment to go and die.

We have approved spending $113 billion on Ukraine. However, this year the U.S. Department of Education's budget for elementary and secondary education is $36 billion. Is watching others die with our guns four times more important than educating the next generation of Americans?

The questions posed aren't about Ukraine. They are about our values and what is important to us. They are about what it means to still be an American.

Are perpetual wars what it means to be an American? I pray that this is not the legacy that I am leaving my children. I am sure other parents would agree.

Damien Thompson

Commerce

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Letters: Smoke from Canadian wildfires is caused by climate change