Respect for the individual is above all
Tyson Langhofer’s April 27 column, “Warning to Those Pushing ‘Radical Gender Identity,’” is flawed. Nothing is or can be more valuable than an individual’s right to self-identification and self-determination.
trans woman:Being looked down upon by adults is an unfortunate “rite of passage for people like us”
Moreover, Langhofer’s position would authorize the professor to assign any derogatory label he wishes to a student with whom he disagrees.
Respect for the person must come first.
Ronald L. Solove, Christopher Columbus
Have compassion for people with mental disorders
I read with interest and disappointment the article about the professor’s resignation from Ohio State University while he was going through a mental health crisis. People with mental disorders suffer discrimination in silence, well aware of the stigma, so it took courage for Angela Bryant to share her story with The Dispatch.
Court case:Ohio State professor who resigned sues university for not accommodating her disability
We ask people experiencing heights of mania, depths of depression, or fear of impending doom from panic disorder to negotiate convoluted human resource systems, reach out to employees or comply with unrealistic performance improvement plans, only to tell them later that they were away from work too long, did not meet expectations, or did not not complete the forms on time, when they are unable to do any of these things due to their current mental state.
These people would be offered other options and would be treated with concern and consideration if they had another medical condition. Instead, they are overlooked for promotions or fired or their impulsive resignations are accepted.
In some institutions, including Ohio State, there is no opportunity to apply for the same position or another, even if they receive the care they need to manage their mental health conditions. We can and must do better.
The City hires its own workers:Columbus hires its own 911 mental health crisis responders after Netcare deal
Share your thoughts:How to Submit a Letter to the Editor for The Columbus Dispatch
One in five of us will suffer from a mental health disorder at some point in our lives. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Show compassion the next time you have the opportunity to help someone with a mental health issue and give meaning and action to sound bites like “On your sleeve”, “You n ‘re not alone” and “You count”.
Maxey L. Wellman, Columbus
Children need interaction after isolation
It has been some time now since Columbus reopened and mandatory isolation was lifted. Although we have returned to a life of closer interaction, one question remains in the minds of paediatricians: what impact has the last two years of isolation had on the development of children?
After:Schools prepare for students who will need social and emotional support this fall
Children go through periods of development where the brain makes connections through the influence of the environment. They learn social and communication skills by connecting and experimenting with the world around them. These experiences are considered healthy stages of development.
For two years, the children decreased their human-to-human interactions and their engagement with the world. Lockdowns have taken children out of school and daycare, reducing peer-to-peer contact and access to social supports. For these reasons, many researchers study child development to get a clearer picture of long-term outcomes.
After:How pandemic isolation affects preschoolers’ language and hearing
As pediatricians, we know a few things for sure: that timing is critical to a child’s overall, healthy development, and that children are resilient. We need to work with parents and providers to re-engage these children as soon as possible.
Through child care, early learning, in-person education or community programming, we can help children re-immerse themselves in the world together and get back on track.
Dr. Jonathan A. Wheeler, Columbus
