March 14, 2020 Issue, Page 4 of 10

Page Text

Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Saturday, March 14, 2020 Opinion Page The Mommy Gene “ElkCituNews Glynda Lomax is a Chris- Days later, I was still over them as if they were Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 tian author and podcaster thinking about it. Why had I still small. And I realized who resides in the Ozark done that? Why was I wor- something else — once that Public health more Mountains of Northern Ar- ried about my grown child’s Mommy Gene is turned on, kansas with her two very diet, when they were intelli- you can’t ever turn it off. bossy dogs. She wrote her important than games first About Life..column in gent and perfectly capable of That was why when my Mom was 86 years old and 2003 for a newspaper in minding their own diets? Dallas. She is planning her I remember every time I I was nearing 50, she was next book. still telling me to drink my Glynda Lomax would take my children over to visit my lovely Grand- orange juice. That explained food with a smile and be As a child, I was always mother in their younger why Grandmother tried to grateful you still have them mystified by those years, she would always ask feed me every time I went with you, because some- girls who always wanted to play us if we would like some to her house. Grandmother “Mommy” or “House.” It fried pies. We always said had given birth to 11 chil- day you won't. Eat the food just never held the same al- No, not wanting her to go to dren and raised 8 of them to even if you’re not hungry. lure to me. Sure, I liked Bar- any trouble, just wanting to adulthood. She babied every Let them fuss over you to bies, but I was pretending they were flying around the spend time with her. But she child who came anywhere their heart’s content because world or solving mysteries, never failed to ask. near her. they can’t help doing it. In not having babies or getting I have two small, very Now, decades later, I real- fact, surprise them by asking married to Ken. — Ericka bossy dogs that I fuss over, ize Grandmother had looked cook for, dress up and pam- disappointed their advice on things. It will Souter every time Michigan Wolverines guard Franz Wagner per. They keep me company we had said No to her friedmake their day. (21) pokes the ball away from Rutgers Scar- I remember years ago vis- in my quiet isolated life and pies. I never tasted Grand- Someday they will be let Knights guard Paul Mulcahy. Photo by iting my beautiful mother in I shower them with love. mother’s fried pies, and I gone, and you will long for Andrew Mills, NJ Advance Media. the care home and as I was One sunny day, I was wish now I could. Knowing those soft hands that once By Don Munsch, Editor leaving, her telling me to pushing my little dogs in what I know now about the fed and took care of you. March Madness is here. be sure and drink my milk their stroller down a nearby Mommy Gene, I would give But it doesn’t feel the same. and orange juice every day. street and I realized I had, in anything for her to ask me Not when the college basketball games will be played I walked out smiling to my- effect, become their Mom- one more time but she went There may be such a thing in empty arenas with just the teams and essential staff and self. I was nearing 50 years my and that I pay just as on to Heaven in 1999 and I as a “mom gene,” accord- limited family in attendance. of age and Mom was still much attention to their diet lost my chance. ing to a research study out At the time of this writing, the games will go on, but any- worried about me drink- and activities as I would a Now that I am an aging of Rockefeller University in thing could happen, as coronavirus continues to infect peo- ing my milk and orange child if I had any at home to Mother and Grandmother, New York. Their conclusion: ple coast to coast and its ripple effect grows. The NBA sus- juice. Though I assured her watch over. I realize why Mom and pended its season on Wednesday. President Donald Trump I would to stop her worry- The Mommy in me was Grandma kept trying to feed Some of us are born with the talked to the nation Wednesday about the government’s ing, I knew she would have me and worried over my diet alive and well. As I began unrelenting need to mother response to COVID-19 in a prime-time address from the been horrified to witness my observing other mothers because I also do it to my and some of us just aren't. Oval Office. actual diet. — some young, but a lot of children and grandchildren. Of course that doesn’t mean There exist many unknowns about COVID-19 now, More than a decade later, them older like me, I real- There’s no Off switch on the which makes the situation all the more scary, but one thing those without it are not ca- I caught myself telling one ized we all needed some- Mommy Gene. I know for sure is this: While I would certainly miss March of my grown children to be thing to shower in love and So the next time your Mom pable of being loving, nur- Madness if it is canceled, the world won’t come to an end. sure and eat this or that, and nags you about your diet or turing moms. We can be and If the games need to be canceled, by all means, cancel ’em. attention. And we all treated we are, It’s just not 50... in- Public health is at stake here. I stopped and smiled. We do our grown children the same Grandma offers to cook for Which brings me to a larger point: As mentioned, there truly become our mothers. way — fussing and worrying you, let them do it, Take the nate. — Ericka Souter are a lot of unknowns here about coronavirus, and yet some Five things you can do now to help people still carry on with a puzzling sense of certitude that COVID-19 is much about ado about nothing — tell that to the victims’ families or even those who just got infected Idon’t understand that view. Why do some people appear your child test with confidence and recovered — and think attention given to the disease has been an extreme overreaction. to be so blithely incurious about this public health crisis? And I have heard the arguments about the flu. True, the By Jan Barrick, CEO, Al- can enter test time with ease. website. You can find them test question, and to use ex- flu kills thousands each year, but, as I stated above, there’s pha Plus Here are 5 things parents at https://sde.ok.gov/oklaho- tra time to go back and dou- a lot unknown about coronavirus, and as reported in an Spring Break is upon us, can do now to help kids pre- ma-academic-standards. ble check answers. NPR story Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the and as families make plans pare to test with confidence: 3. Use those standards for National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warns for the last big break of the 1. Study a grade appropri- nightly practice with your 5. Finally, remind your that the number of cases of the COVID-19 viral disease school year, it’s worth re- ate vocabulary list. We have child. Websites like www. child that testing is im- “will continue to grow because containment measures and membering that when kids these available free on our khanacademy.org will al- portant, but it isn’t every- contact tracing have failed to prevent community spread of return to school, state testing website, www.alphaplus. low you to type in the exact thing. Your child will test the virus.” will soon begin. org. Choose a few words to standard your child will be with more confidence if While it’s true that most people who contract the disease As a former classroom practice at the dinner table tested on, and utilize appro- you speak positively about recover from it, there’s no cure for coronavirus, and a vac- teacher, I know what anxi- each evening. priate practice exercises for their preparedness. They’re cine won't be coming for another 12 to 18 months, health ety this can bring to kids and 2, Review the Academic each subject and grade level. experts say. Flu vaccines are widely available, as most peo- parents alike. I also know Standards for your child's 4. Don’t forget the testing ready, and you'll be proud ple know. that with a little extra prepa- grade level on the Oklahoma basics! Remind your child to of their effort, regardless of Even those who recover from the coronavirus face the prospect of a quarantine and long recovery — one that could ration, everyone involved Department of Education’s take his or her time on each how they score! drag on for several weeks. The flu bug is usually over in a few days. If you live paycheck to paycheck, don’t have sick leave or insurance at your workplace or don’t have the means to protect yourself financially during a coronavirus infection, you could be in for a major hardship. Sure, some SQ 805: Let’s continue justice people can work from home, but others can’t. We'll wait to see what the government does here to help those who can’t absorb a big hit to their monthly budgets. And to those who say if they get coronavirus they will reform in Oklahoma just recover from it and life goes on, I say, sure maybe that By Carrie Blumert tice policies that keep fami- of sentence enhancements mon-sense reform which is true for those people. What if those people, asymptom- As a proponent of crimi- lies together, increase ac- and extreme prison sen- will end the use of sentence atic at the time, were to infect an older person? That indi- nal justice reform and Dis- cess to treatment, boost our tences. Sentence enhance- enhancements for nonvio- vidual could face a harder road to recovery. trict 1 county commissioner state’s economy, and benefit ments allow _ prosecutors lent offenders. It will also al- Some people think the coronavirus story has been media all Oklahomans. Let’s keep to add years or even life in low those who are currently hype or overhype. And while I can’t defend all of the press overseeing the local jail, I'm this incredible momentum prison to any sentence, even coverage because I have not seen or read all of it, it doesn’t proud to have worked to- serving an extreme sentence going by supporting State for minor drug and property to petition a court for relief. change the reality that this disease continues to be a con- ward implementing smart, Question 805. crimes. Thanks to this ar- cern, as fears exist about its current and future impact. common-sense criminal jus- SQ 805 has bipartisan With a background in chaic practice, Oklahomans support among Oklahomans public health, I have to think spend 70% longer in prison — two-thirds of voters sup- about criminal justice re- to the editor Letter for property crimes and port the reform described in form and how it affects the 79% longer for drug crimes health of our entire state. So compared to people in other the state question. This re- many of our fellow Oklaho- states. form is an important step to mans are sitting behind bars Research shows that long end sentence enhancements Please retire, Joe due to failed public policies prison sentences do not for nonviolent offenses and and lack of treatment for make us safer and sentence reduce our state’s incarcera- mental illness and addiction. enhancements impose a tion rate. A top 10 state can- I believe that public officials huge cost on the economy not be #2 in incarceration, By Jeff Pickens tion Biden’s honesty. He is ing to risk themselves for the like myself have a responsi- without improving public and it’s vital we continue to In 2008 and 2012, I sup- greater good. a damaged candidate against bility to push for treatment safety or health. When we enact reform to help Okla- ported Barack Obama and Trump. Joe Biden missed his over punishment in the in- remove Oklahomans from homa thrive. Joe Biden’s election. There The impeachment was terest of our constituents and their loved ones for long pe- I urge voters to act today are quite a few pictures of Biden’s chance to prove he chance to be a hero and communities. tiods of time, our children by signing the petition to put me helping with the cam- is still competent and fo- prove he is still mentally We've made great prog- suffer and communities are State Question 805 on the paign both times. cused enough to answer stable. Of the older candi- ress on this issue as a state, shattered. They are unable ballot. I thought Joe Biden was a questions under oath. I think dates, I believe Biden is the but there’s still more work to secure rehabilitative treat- Let’s do what's best for great Vice President. How- this was also his chance to least competent. I think Vice to do. Oklahomans want ment and lack resources Oklahoma. It will take us ever, I do not support him pressure the Senate for more their government to use ‘once they exit prison. This President Biden should end acting in the best interest of holding office now. witnesses. He may have their tax dollars wisely, to- is especially true for com- The deciding event for me been able to pressure them his campaign and help in ward what will actually help munities of color who have our communities and neigh- was Biden’s refusal to testi- to allow John Bolton to tes- some other way. I hope he people become productive, more drastically _experi- bors. It will take us working fy at the impeachment trial. I tify. This is the kind of stress will continue to help with healthy, and at home in their enced Oklahoma’s obses- hard and working together thought this was the moment a president faces every day the coalition to elect a better community. Supporting SQ sion with incarceration. to get this done. Will you for him to disprove claims of and Joe refused to do it. Yes, 805 does just that. Right now, Oklahoma join me? his involvement in corrup- the demand for him to testify president. One of the biggest reasons voters can take direct action Carrie Blumert is the tion. Now, the Ukraine thing was obviously a trap. Still, 1 Jeff Pickens for our ongoing incarcera- on this issue by supporting County Commissioner for will be an easv way to aues- want a president who is will- Stillwater tion crisis is Oklahoma’s use State Question 805, a com- District 1.