Thoughts and prayers to all Acton Derangement Syndrome sufferers
It seems that regular Dispatch contributor Phillip Derrow and Enquirer contributor Steve Goodin may have survived the COVID-19 pandemic but are now severely afflicted with ADS − Acton Derangement Syndrome.
In retrospect and from our Sunday afternoon armchair quarterback perch, one might make the case that health officials in Ohio and across the country made some questionable decisions during the pandemic, not out of malice, as some suggest, but because of the oath they took to care for all as best they could based on the knowledge they had at the time about a heretofore unknown disease.
Dwelling on the past and learning from it are two different things.
Dwelling on the past to perpetuate
the policies of the most extreme administration in the nation’s history is just the opposite of what medical professionals do every day.
The former focuses on taking care of the interests of the few, while the latter works to build a community that guarantees health care for all.
ADS is a curable disease. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Messrs. Derrow and Goodin and their brethren for a speedy recovery.
Alan Swank, Athens
Take the wheel by seizing the phone
When my 6 a.m. alarm goes off, I regret staying up until midnight scrolling on TikTok. As a 27-year-old adult, I know better, but I still often make the wrong choice. Unable to put my phone down, I am tired and less productive the following day.
If I struggle with this, I can only imagine how much more challenging it can be for preteens and teens with their phones. Friends up late texting, classmates posting on TikTok, new Snapchats from their friends.
Our kids deserve sleep. They deserve to be well-rested. They deserve to grow and do normal kid things. Kids don’t have the same prefrontal cortex that we do as adults. They don’t have the same concept of consequences, like waking up tired. Parents should help control this.
By taking kids' phones before bed and requiring all phones to be charged in the kitchen, this could bring back your well-rested child.
I recommend a physical alarm clock, separate from a phone, and no phones in the bedroom. I have now implemented this for myself for one month and think it could be a real game changer for preteens and teens. Go to sleep! And you can get your well-rested kid back.
Taylor Selby, Grandview
Ginther promotes his own desire
Kudos to Shannon Hardin, who isrunning for mayor of Columbus.
This challenge to Andrew Ginther, the current mayor, is most welcomed. Let’s bring back transparency to the city’s management to avoid “behind closed doors” deals, as with the Haslams, to sponsor the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). This cost Franklin County taxpayers $50 million, and a neighborhood lost its McCoy Park.
And where was Mr. Ginther going to find the funds for the proposed tuition-free college education for the 41,000 students at Columbus State Community College? Another “behind closed doors” promise in the making?
It was Mr. Ginther’s decision to have the Statue of Columbus, a gift from Genoa, Italy, in 1955, removed in 2020 and put in storage. Ohio residents were never allowed to vote on such a decision.
The governing of a city, state or country is a sacred trust given to individuals to lead and direct with honesty, openness and competency regarding the law, budgeting and prioritizing. These people, politicians, represent the Democrat and Republican parties and should be able to consider the value of a policy, suggested action, etc., regardless of a person’s party affiliation.
There is value in term limits since politicians too often succumb to the power they have, promote their own desires and forget the people they represent. It is, in fact, time for a change.
Ruth W. Johnson, Columbus
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Acton Derangement Syndrome sufferers deserve thoughts and prayers | Letters
