SC congressmen can help fight Alzheimer’s disease, a reader writes. Here’s how

Fight Alzheimer’s

November is National Family Caregivers Month, offering an important reminder to support the 197,000 South Carolina caregivers. Alzheimer’s disease is devastating for the more than six million Americans living with the disease and the 11 million family and friends serving as unpaid caregivers.I am one of these caregivers with my brother and father. Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 73. My father’s health declined from the stress of being a caregiver and last year he had a stroke. My brother and I are now caring for both parents. I am urging Congress to build upon the past decade of progress by updating and expanding the work of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), which led our nation to address Alzheimer’s disease, by supporting two pieces of legislation seeking to advance this effort, the NAPA Reauthorization Act of 2022 or NAPA (S. 4203 / H.R. 7775) and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (S. 4202 / H.R. 7773). The national plan provides hope and reassurance that our nation is dedicated to addressing this disease. Join me today in asking Rep. Joe Wilson, Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Tim Scott to co-sponsor NAPA and Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act.

Susan Jackson, Columbia

RISEE ACT

Recently, Representative Nancy Mace once again took a bipartisan step in the best interests of the Lowcountry, the nation and the planet. She became a co-sponsor of the RISEE ACT officially named, Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems. If the bill passes, it will free up funds currently focused on the Gulf of Mexico and make them available to coastal states for coastal restoration, hurricane protection, and research to protect fisheries and all marine ecosystems. Watching the tides in front of my house and the storm damage on Hunting Island, I’ll be personally happy, as many of you, to have these resources available. In addition, the bill will make 50% of the funds from offshore wind leases available to neighboring coastal states. As an advocate for addressing climate change, I know development of wind and solar production is critical to our future safety. The RISSEE ACT makes an important contribution toward that end. The bill will fail without bipartisan support. Unfortunately, bipartisanship is a bruising endeavor in our Congress. Please express your appreciation to Congresswoman Mace and let Senators Graham and Scott know that we want them on board too. Call, email or go to cclusa.org/write.

Tim Joy, Chapter Leader, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Beaufort

Cruel hunting

The first thing I saw when I opened the The State e-edition on Thanksgiving Day was a photo of the dead body of a black bear, surrounded by dogs (one of whom had his nose up the bear’s butt) and the lower extremities of several hunters. I sure didn’t want to look at that, so I scrolled past that page as fast as I could, and on page 6 there was another poor dead bear! The article had to do with the fact that S.C. “sportsmen” (note: hunting is not a “sport;” all participants in a real sport are there voluntarily, and that’s certainly not the case with the animals being hunted) had killed a record number of bears this year, as if that is an achievement to be proud of. I thought about writing in to object to the publication of these gruesome pictures, but then it occurred to me that maybe they would shock some readers into demanding an end to this pointless sadism. If so, please print more photos like these, and maybe someday we can ban this cruelty once and for all.

Phil Dematteis, Columbia

Grandma rocking babies to sleep

I am a grandmother of four granddaughters. The youngest is one. For me to hold this precious child in my arms and say, “Here is Grammy.” She feels my heart beat and I feel hers. I listen to her coo cooing. Her perfect little hands reach for me. Even after this little girl falls asleep I enjoy to hold her in my arms to pray. The human touch is something that is priceless. I was raised with many hugs. My mom would say four a day is good. They help you grow. While Grammy is at my granddaughters home it is my wish to hold her so much. Another relative commented the parents do not have time to rock, to hold, to pray. Well, hello, that is why God made grandparents. This little baby is only 1 year old for a short time. Rocking a baby to sleep does no harm.

Grammy Maureen Glynn Wilson, Bluffton