Oklahomans helping storm victims; poll accusations sickening; Black maternal death rates | Letters

Oklahomans quick to respond 'when tough times comes our way'

On May 4, my wife and I went down to Sulphur to deliver needed items to the Murray County Expo Center. While we were there, we tried to help out, cleaning up debris, but there was no way possible as there was more than enough help everywhere.

We were reminded how well fellow Oklahomans respond when tough times come our way. Let's keep praying for friends that are rebuilding along with the ones that lost a loved one due to these tornadoes.

― Stephen C. Hall, Piedmont

More: A Sulphur man reconsiders his saying of 'if a tornado gets me, it's how I was meant to go'

Sen. Brenda Stanley's text about noncitizens sickens poll worker

I received a text from my state senator, Brenda Stanley, telling me noncitizens are voting in San Francisco, Vermont and Washington, D.C. I know this is untrue, and I'm pretty sure she knows it is, too. This is just another ploy to gin up fear in order to get Donald Trump elected.

I resent this as a poll worker and I am sickened by the sheer evil perpetrated by our elected officials with no thought of the damage they are doing to our country.

― Maureen Harvey, Choctaw

Let's change the maternal death rate for Oklahoma's Black mothers

Black mothers are dying. Not only are they dying, but they are doing so at an alarming rate. Oklahoma has consistently ranked among the states with higher maternal death rates. Maternal death disproportionately affects Black women, destroys families and negatively impacts communities.

Black women are four times as likely as white women to die during childbirth. The rate of Black mothers dying in Oklahoma exceeds the national average. Maternal death profoundly impacts the lives of children by increasing the likelihood of illness and infant death, causing significant impacts to mental health and issues affecting education. Maternal death impacts socioeconomic status of families and perpetuates systems of poverty in communities.

More: Grading Oklahoma: The state of maternal morbidity

Community interventions like culturally appropriate patient and provider education, the use of midwives, doulas, birth centers and group care can change the outcome for Black mothers.

I am a graduate social work student studying the impact of health issues on vulnerable minority communities. I want to continue to shine light on this critical issue. I am advocating for increased community interventions, such as local free-standing birth centers and group prenatal care in Oklahoma. I am calling for a change in legislation and policy in support of adequate reimbursement for providers, such as midwives and doulas.

We can help to make sure no child has to grow up without their mother. The death of even one woman during childbirth is one death too many.

― Tiffany Woodfork, Norman

More: Guest: State of maternal health in Oklahoma is bleak. We are failing women, especially Black women

Too many selfish priorities?

I see occasional posts on social media advising people not to patronize a certain business because of something minor that happened. For instance, the clerk was impolite or they had to wait too long for their meal. I know one person who urges people not to patronize a certain restaurant chain because they didn’t like the food they had ordered at one of their restaurants!

I don’t think it’s fair to cause a business financial loss over a one-time incident. Such actions seem pretty childish. Why not just discuss it with the manager so he or she can correct the problem, instead of broadcasting our complaint to the whole world!

Or, maybe we should just let it go, remembering the part of the Lord’s Prayer that states: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

I will never forget two “letters to the editor” I read many years ago. The first was from a woman whose husband had died and she was struggling to feed her hungry children and buy shoes for them to wear to school. The next letter was from a businessman who spent a weekend at a state lodge and was angrily complaining that the lodge didn’t have a shoeshine boy and he had to shine his own shoes! Strange how people differ in their priorities!

I remember an old proverb that seems appropriate to this discussion: “I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.”

— Ed Koonce, Mustang

'What a great ride this season'

Thank you, Thunder!

Now it’s back to work, normal barn chores, and outside activity versus planning the weekly evening routine around, “Do we tip off at 7 p.m. or the dreaded 8:30 p.m. on a work night?”

What a great ride this season has been with this talented group of young men that play with poise, resilience and wisdom far beyond some of the veterans that they match up against.

It’s time for each of you players and coaches to take well-deserved time off and rest up. Spend time with family, friends and even travel to some places that don’t involve a post-game interview.

It’s important for us as Oklahomans to say thank you, young men, and job well done! You bring joy to people all over our state! You share time and resources generously. You inspire and bring hope to some you may never know.

There is no doubt that SGA is the real MVP along with his supporting cast of amazing and talented teammates. To Mr. Presti, Coach D, and the entire Thunder organization, please do your very best this off-season to continue building a team that will provide the supporting cast needed, so they want to stay and play here in our great state. Even though the mainstream media may still consider us as a flyover state, the OKC Thunder has made a name for themselves and are here to stay. Onward!

— Audrey M. Seeliger, Maud

Kid's personal health is private

Having read the article by the Rev. Lori Allen Walke in regard to health information for girls in particular, I would be very concerned as a parent of a female student in filling out this form. What business is it of the school and all the staff to know intimate details of my daughter's personal health information that is no one's business but hers and our family as needed?

More: Will student medical forms to play sports and be in band be used against them?

Also I agree that this information could be used in nefarious ways to compromise my daughter in the future. As a parent of a child in the school system, I would be very uneasy about furnishing such details and would likely refuse to do so. As a parent it is my responsibility to watch over my child and make sure he/she is fit for sports before allowing he/she to participate. The school/staff can keep their noses out of my kid's private health matters and stop this invasion into personal health issues.

― Suzanne M. Rogers, Edmond

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahomans helping; poll worker upset; Black women and childbirth; OKC Thunder