Funding nurses in California schools; deaths in childbirth; Jonah Goldberg on Rand Paul

Placing the blame where it belongs

Re “Down the Capitol rabbit hole,” Column, May 26

The headline for the column by Steve Lopez could not have been more apt.

Instead of blaming the Legislature and the governor for not providing the funds needed to employ school nurses to help care for California’s students, he blames the representatives of the teachers and classified staff for attempting to protect students from unlicensed medical practitioners.

It is just this “Alice in Wonderland” thinking that leads to Lopez dismissing any attempt to hire nurses by writing, “It’s not happening any time soon.”

If we are to make progress in serving our students, columnists like Lopez should stop demonizing the representatives of those who work hard every day in our schools and direct his attention on the real villains here — people such as Assembly member Bob Huff (R- Diamond Bar), who refuses to close tax loopholes that favor the rich and powerful in order to provide students with the resources they deserve.

Martin Hittelman

Los Angeles

The writer is president, California Federation of Teachers.

Lopez should know, as a seasoned journalist, that the devil is always in the details.

Of course teachers and their union would move mountains to help their students who suffer epilepsy, but are we really helping them by agreeing to administer Diastat, which is given via rectal syringe?

This medication is not a pill. I’m a male eighth-grade history teacher. I’m fairly certain parents don’t really want me to administer such a drug to their daughters or sons.

This is an absolutely barbaric example of Republican ideology.

If Third World nations and the state of Arkansas can provide health professionals in their schools, then certainly we in California can also.

Charles Manley

Oak View

A modern horror story

Re “An alarming trend in maternal deaths,” May 23.

Only four months ago, we lost our 31-year-old daughter following a c-section at a renowned local hospital where she had been treated for a blood clot. But unlike Matt Logelin, we also lost the baby, our grandson.

The Times reports that blood clots are the leading cause of maternal mortality, accounting for 20% of cases.

Liz Logelin’s tragic death occurred over two years ago. As in Logelin’s situation, my daughter’s dangerous condition — she had previously recovered from a pulmonary embolism, probably caused by a birth control pill — was known to the doctors and maternity staff.

What progress has been made to stem the tide of dangerous blood clot issues during pregnancy and delivery? The obvious answer is none.

The loss of my daughter and grandson has left a gaping hole in the universe. While Matt Logelin doesn’t blame anyone and says he is not angry, we feel there is plenty of anger and blame to go around.

No doubt Liz Logelin and my daughter are just the tip of a very large iceberg of thousands of young women with clotting issues resulting from birth control pills, pregnancy and c-section deliveries.

Death in childbirth sounds like an ancient curse but is, in fact, a very modern horror story.

Roberta Gold

Encino

Experts are not standing by wondering why such tragedies occur; we are actively seeking and implementing solutions.

The state of California has established a Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, and organizations including the Perinatal Advisory Council are dedicated to reducing the rate of maternal mortality. Every day, organizations like these are providing physicians, nurses and hospitals with the resources and tools they need to improve birth and maternal outcomes. Every single death is devastating to those of us who dedicate our lives to perinatal care.

I want to assure parents that we are serious about improving perinatal care and reducing the rate of maternal mortality in Los Angeles County and beyond.

Cindy Fahey

Tarzana

The writer is executive director of the Perinatal Advisory Council and a member of the core advisory group for the Los Angeles Maternal Care Collaborative.

It’s a military problem

Re “The ‘don’t ask’ compromise,” Editorial, May 26

Your editorial does not take into account the realities in a military organization, where everybody knows who is gay and who is not. There are no problems as long as everybody acts in accordance with stated military disciplinary rules regarding personal conduct.

The problem with rejection of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is that it would allow openly gay people to act openly gay, which would undermine military discipline.

This is also a problem for the military when men and women are grouped together and are “openly men and women.”

Ivan L. Marburger

San Dimas

Why is it that the United States always seems to lag behind the rest of the industrialized world?

Recently, it was universal healthcare coverage. Now, it’s gays serving openly in the military.

Virtually every Western democracy, including all of our NATO allies and countries such as Israel, allow gays to serve openly. Yet here it’s a matter for rancorous debate and pandering politicians.

Interesting that many of those members of Congress who will oppose it have never served in the military, nor will any of their children.

Armchair warriors only pay lip-service to respecting those that put their lives on the line defending our freedoms and liberties, while hypocritically denying the real patriots those very same rights.

Stuart Singer

Arlington, Tex.

Jonah and Jim Crow

Re “Rand Paul revisited,” May 25

Jonah Goldberg asks that we imagine the South without any government interference, in the form of either Jim Crow laws or the Civil Rights Act.

His suggestion is that the free market would have limited or eliminated discrimination.

Really?

Charles Otwell

Orange

We’re used to seeing Goldberg stand logic on its head, but this one takes the cake.

In a stunning act of revisionism, he tells us that “one of Jim Crow’s greatest evils was its intrusion on the property rights of whites.”

Aw, poor white businessmen, being denied such a lucrative market for their goods and services — right, Jonah? Those silly blacks should feel sorry for them instead of whining so much.

This is probably the most preposterous bit of contortion (and racist apologia) I’ve seen in any modern newspaper column.

Honestly, it’s as if he’s deliberately planting complete nonsense in the middle of his piece just to see if anyone’s paying attention.

Dennis Castanares

Los Angeles