Forensic pathologist Dr. Werner Splitz was an inspiration | Letters to the Editor
Yes, the great "cause of death” pathologist, Werner Spitz, has left the building, a loss to all. His brilliance and genius were always on display, but so was his prodigious humanity. Testifying in a case I tried in 2007, rock star Werner Spitz strutted into the courtroom with the adulation of the court staff asking for autographs, as her honor looked down her nose at being upstaged. ("World-renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz, 97, dies," Detroit Free Press, April 15, 2024.)
During my direct examination, the judge chided Dr. Spitz to make sure he put on the court provided rubber gloves before he touched the lead bullet fragments, to which he responded, "Don’t worry about me, your honor, I know what I’m doing." When I had medical questions involving my own mortality, Werner was quick to respond and gave me the exact advice I needed.
When any of us would-be writers needed a review for our book, Werner was there. When I left my own 75th birthday party at Portofino's in Wyandotte, exhausted by the celebration, Werner was still there, a 91-year-old sitting at the bar and sharing a bottle of wine with friends and admirers.
How did this guy remain eternally young, eternally brilliant and eternally human? God bless your noble, fighting spirit, Dr. Werner Spitz. Thank you for your genius, your humanity and your concern for your fellow travelers. You stood out in so many ways, but you always stood with us.
Rest in the peace you have earned, as you never stopped fighting the good fight. And say hello to your fellow traveler, psychological expert witness Dr. Newton Jackson, whose humanity paralleled yours and who left the building the same day you did.
Fred Lauck
Milford
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Trump betrays democracy with recent comments
In his address to the American people on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, former President Donald Trump asserted: "I immediately deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders."
Deploy means to "move troops into position for military action." As evidenced by (footage) from that day, I believe his statement is clearly false.
More importantly, there is no evidence.
Trump betrays the basic responsibility of a president to tell the truth in a democracy.
Terry Hansen
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
We need to protect people who work in extreme heat
This past March was the hottest month on record for the tenth month in a row. If this is any indication, the upcoming summer will be a doozy. Which is fine if you have the luxury of working inside with air conditioning, but not if you work in agriculture, construction, or landscaping.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, annual heat-related deaths have risen 95% from 2010 to 2022, in no small part due to climate change. If we want this trend to stop, our states and cities must adopt extreme heat protection laws.
Luke Daniels
Rochester
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: We need to protect people who work in extreme heat | Letters to the Editor
