Recent editorials from West Virginia newspapers:
Dec. 11
The Parkersburg News and Sentinel on the obesity rate in West Virginia:
West Virginians are accustomed to seeing their state rank at or near the bottom in national reports. In the case of a couple of recently released analyses, however, it is no better news to be at the top. The Mountain State has the highest adult obesity rate in the nation and second-highest rate for kids ages 10 to 17, according to the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity rate among children ages 2 to 4 participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children increased from 14.4 percent in 2010 to 16.6 percent in 2016. That is the third-highest rate in the nation, which is particularly disturbing because 41 states and territories saw decreases in their rates during the same period.
It does not escape attention that the numbers from which these particular rankings were determined are already almost four years old. The situation may be better (or worse) now.
But it remains a good reminder that there are dots still not being connected in our state’s decades-long struggle against obesity and the health problems that accompany it.
WIC is supposed to give families access to healthy foods and nutrition education, to improve the health and wellbeing of kids. It appears to be doing that in 41 other parts of the country. What is going wrong in West Virginia?
It is likely the nation-leading obesity rate among adults has something to do with it. If adults do not have the education, wherewithal or motivation to take care of their own health, they aren’t likely to do much better for their kids; and certainly aren’t setting the best example in terms of healthy eating and physical activity.
Policymakers who point out the lack of access to healthy foods in some parts of the state have a point, and that is a matter that must continue to be addressed. But it is not the whole picture. Are incentives for meeting certain health benchmarks in order? Can we do a better job of educating, not just about healthy eating, but of the consequences of poor choices?
With nearly 40 percent of West Virginians classified as obese (and that IS an up-to-date figure), this is a statewide health crisis that affects more people than the substance abuse epidemic. (On the other hand, its roots might be found in the same socio-economic struggles that sparked that plague.)
Lawmakers, policy specialists, health experts and educators who already have plenty on their hands would do well in the coming year to spend a little time addressing this crisis, too.
Online: https://www.newsandsentinel.com/
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Dec. 10
The Exponent Telegram on a group of correctional officers photographed raising their hands in a Nazi salute:
Once again, the state of West Virginia has suffered a black eye on the national stage. It’s the kind of thing that can’t help draw people to live here when we’re hemorrhaging population.
A photo surfaced last week of a group of correctional officers who all had raised their hands in a Nazi salute.
The investigation continues, but the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety has already fired three people and suspended 34 without pay.
Some reports say it was intended as a joke toward a classroom instructor. Regardless of why they chose to use the Nazi salute, it is unacceptable.
The reaction nationwide was immediate and strong.
“This photo is outrageous and morally repugnant,” said James Pasch, spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League. “There’s nothing more shocking than to see uniformed officers in training raising their arms in a Nazi salute. There’s simply no justification for this act or the message it sends.”
“This blatant act of anti-Semitism and hate must be repudiated by relevant authorities through actions, not just words,” the Council on American-Islamic Relations said.
Gov. Jim Justice told The Charleston Gazette-Mail that the offenders will be held accountable.
“If somebody is willing to do that, then, really and truly, they need to be suffering the consequences,” he said.
One of the consequences should be that these people never work a day as correctional officers or in any other state position.
Think for a moment: If you were a nurse or teacher or doctor out of state, planning to take a job in West Virginia, would you think twice after seeing the photo?
People across the country must be thinking the worst about West Virginia.
Or if you are a nurse, teacher or doctor already living in West Virginia, would you seriously consider moving to another state?
We cannot tolerate such behavior, and we must condemn it in the strongest terms.
As for the would-be corrections officers, Gov. Justice said he “can’t sympathize with stupidity.”
And stupidity is a large component in this scandal. If these people in the photo would pick up a history book every now and then, they would know just how horrible the Nazis were and the atrocities they committed.
Perhaps in today’s climate, people feel less encumbered when it comes to hate speech. But the state government, nonetheless, must act swiftly and act strongly in this case.
Government workers must know that there will be serious repercussions when they take part in such hateful activity.
Online: https://www.wvnews.com/theet/
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Dec. 9
Charleston Gazette-Mail on an argument from a West Virginia lawmaker against a LGBTQ equal protection bill:
Like Delegate Eric Porterfield, R-Mercer, before him, Delegate Jim Butler, R-Mason, accidentally gave a pretty compelling argument for why West Virginia needs to add equal rights protection for the LGBTQ community in state law.
During the 2019 session, Porterfield went on a rant about the LGBTQ community, equating them to the Ku Klux Klan and later suggesting he might drown his children if they were gay. Butler, last week, released a statement excoriating Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, whom Butler is hoping to beat in an upcoming primary, for even sitting down and talking with Fairness West Virginia about ending discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
In his attack, Butler used a strange argument about athletic competition being unfairly slanted because of gender identity and claimed lawsuits punishing state institutions and businesses would be inevitable by giving these groups equal protection. In fact, Butler argued it would somehow put the LGBTQ community in a category better protected than other citizens, which is ridiculous. Butler is projecting, thinking most businesses would discriminate against this community, so of course there would be lawsuits, when it’s far from clear that’s a majority opinion.
Butler’s argument that these groups already have protection under the current law is also a farce, as West Virginia courts have consistently ruled against hate crime prosecution based on sexual orientation.
He also said, “It is troubling that this meeting is taking place just before Christmas at a time when Biblical principles, like the basic First Amendment right of freedom of religion that the United States was founded upon, are under attack from many directions.”
Butler is simply pandering here, and showing he thinks voters are pretty gullible. Of course, the First Amendment also guarantees separation of church and state, so it’s hard to peg what kind of “Biblical principle” that embodies or how it is “under attack.”
Carmichael responded that Butler’s statement says more about Butler than it does about himself, and that there’s nothing wrong with attending a meeting to discuss such things with organizations like Fairness West Virginia.
We’ve been tough on Carmichael, especially as he has tried to break West Virginia public school teachers and their unions over the past two years. But, in this case, he’s spot on. In fact, Carmichael didn’t even really throw his entire support behind proposed legislation, which we’d like to see him do.
Adding protection against discrimination for the LGBTQ community is not a new idea. A bill that would do this has been introduced in nearly every legislative session for years now. It didn’t get passed when Democrats had control of the Legislature, and it hasn’t gained any ground under GOP control.
Despite continual bipartisan support, state politicians have been loathe to take on whatever heat may come their way on the issue. But the enormous lack of empathy and understanding demonstrated by public officials like Porterfield and Butler show exactly why the 2020 session is the time to get over any political fear and get this bill passed.
Online: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/
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