We don’t interact in person anymore, and this is the result
At the risk of subjecting myself to retorts of “OK, boomer!” I would offer my take on why we are seeing such a rise in political vitriol and violence, mostly among young men, at this time.
In days gone by, people had no choice but to live in the real world, among real people, and could only interact with others face to face, or via telephone or by writing letters. Now, so many people live their lives online, in chat rooms, watching videos created by influencers, on various social media platforms communicating with people they’ve never met, let alone verified that they are even real. This has created an entire generation of people who are, effectively, very lonely, even though they claim to have many “friends” in an imaginary world created by algorithms.
Maybe if more people would put down their devices and get out to meet others in real life, in public spaces, on sports teams, in places of worship, etc., we might just learn again how to interact with others in a positive way rather than spending our time seeking out in some fantasy world only those who validate our own fears and prejudices.
John Moore, Newton
Say thank you to a nurse
May 6 is National Nurses’ Day. It coincides with National Health Care Professionals Week, May 6 to 12. These workers deserve recognition and our profound gratitude. They provide important services which help all of us It can be difficult and demanding. Not everyone is physically, mentally or emotionally able to do this type of work. It takes someone special.
They don’t get paid for what they are worth because not even Oprah has that much money! I have over 50 years with elderly-as a CNA (verified nurse aide), an activity coordinator, a volunteer, a family member and a resident. On Feb. 2 at age 71, due to effects of a massive stroke, I became a resident of a long-term care facility. Every day I see up close how hard they work plus I know from my own experience how difficult but rewarding this type of work can be.
Please tell health care professionals they are valued and appreciated. It won’t cost you anything, but it will be priceless to those who hear your praise.
La Vonne Anderson, Des Moines
License plate readers can mitigate domestic violence
I recently read a report from the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence that was as sobering as it was alarming. Domestic violence homicides in Iowa have risen every year since 2022. There were 23 lives lost in 2022, 30 in 2023, and 35 in 2024. We cannot accept this pattern as the new normal.
License plate reader (LPR) technology is one of the most practical tools available to help reverse this trend. It gives law enforcement the ability to act in real time, flagging vehicles tied to known abusers and alerting officers the moment those vehicles appear near a protected victim’s home, workplace, or school. That kind of immediate awareness can be the difference between prevention and another life lost.
For survivors who are already living in fear, distance and anonymity are often their only safeguards. LPR technology helps reinforce those safeguards. It gives law enforcement a critical edge and provides victims with an added layer of protection when they need it most.
If we are serious about stopping this rise in violence, we need to use every tool available. Deploying LPRs more broadly could help ensure that fewer families endure the kind of loss these numbers represent.
Denise Bubeck, Grimes
We need to restore respect for teachers
Public education is rooted in the belief that there is value in offering equal educational opportunities for all children. My father attended school in a one-room schoolhouse supported by local property taxes.
At its core that system worked because single women taught at poverty wages. Historically, public education has attracted teachers who willingly undertake the responsibility to help shape our children in a loving and caring manner suited to meet the world as it is. Sadly, many politicians, community leaders and parents have turned on those willing to serve in a manner most would never do.
Respect for the teaching profession has fallen off dramatically. Teachers are physically accosted and cursed, with impunity, by students. Politicians suggest teachers be imprisoned for allowing the “wrong books” to be on shelves in the school library. Teachers are falsely accused of teaching Marxist ideology in the classroom. Funding is directed to private schools, leaving public school teachers with more to do with less support.
As a result, many teachers feel the pressure to leave their profession where so many now are undervalued.
Too many have formed opinions affecting public schools with little understanding of what now goes on in classrooms and what conditions too many children show up with at the schoolhouse door.
Teachers are not the problem. They are the ones with their fingers in the dike attempting to hold off the effect of our culture, social media and oftentimes lack of political and parental support. My response to those who show what is often open contempt toward teachers is: Respect what teachers are being asked to do, visit a classroom, talk to teachers. Become informed.
Education Savings Accounts have become the equivalent of name, image and likeness money in sports, which has upended the collegiate system. Get paid to opt out of your local school system. Let public school teachers figure out how to deal with fewer resources and the children who for a variety of reasons don’t have the same opportunities as those with more well-heeled parents.
Teaching is an honorable profession. Give it the respect and support it deserves.
Fred Dorr, West Des Moines
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Tied to phones, we don’t interact in person, with bad result | Letters
Reporting by The Register’s readers, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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