Funding for WIC crucial

The health and well-being of approximately 25,000 Colorado families are in jeopardy if Congress does not sufficiently fund a national program for infants, children, and pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum adults.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides food assistance, along with other health and nutrition supports, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as for children under the age of five – some of the most important years for brain development and healthy growth. It’s geared towards low-income families who may struggle to access adequate nutrition and healthcare due to high costs of living, low wages, inflation and other life storms.

Right now, U.S. Senate and House appropriations bills do not fully fund WIC, meaning there could be a $1 billion shortfall this year. Stagnant program funding would require states to reduce WIC participation by about 2 million nationwide — including 25,000 young children and new or expecting parents in Colorado — by September, according to the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities.

As a registered dietitian and former WIC supervisor, I know firsthand why WIC is an investment in our local communities and future generations. Access to nutrition and nourishment not only supports healthy development and improves educational outcomes but also reduces the burden on healthcare and other assistance programs in the long run. Without increased funding, too many families will miss out on targeted nutrition interventions and vital healthcare — and need to rely upon already overburdened food pantries and food banks.

Congress must uphold its bipartisan commitment to supporting the health and well-being of our children by fully funding WIC. Otherwise, we’ll see benefit reductions and waitlists for eligible families for the first time in 25 years.

Greta Allen, Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Denver

Be very concerned

Your Editorial Jan. 18: ‘Legislature must put mental health care first’ is without substantiation — for either the general public or for legislators and state bureaucrats who might fashion themselves as realistic or even just plain-old pragmatic.

For anything to do with “Mental Health,” our state government and particularly the politicians are sorry examples of who should be dealing with much-too broad, overly-generalized topic. Be very concerned.

And Gazette’s Opinion Staff: tighten up your support for exactly … what? ‘a discussion?’ gimme a break!

Logan MacMillan

Littleton

Bye, bye, Boebert*

Pack up all your cares and woes. There you go, to CD4. Bye, bye, Boebert.

Can’t take the heat so you leave the kitchen. Afraid you’re gonna lose to Adam Frisch-en. Bye, bye, Boebert.

Won’t get Trump’s support ‘cuz leaving makes you look weak. So your campaign looks pretty bleak. Bye, bye, Boebert.

Want him kept on the ballot, “let the voters” decide. Shouldn’t that apply to you; what, you lied? Bye, bye Boebert.

I wish you good luck and good riddance. Won’t take CD4 long to see through your transience. Bye, bye, Boebert.

By the way that means “lasting only for a short time; transitory nature”. Nothing to do with your anti-transgender legislature. Boebert, bye bye.

*Adapted from “Bye, Bye Blackbird”; written by Ray Henderson and Mort Dixon. 1926.

Clare Hydock

Delta

Banning firearms not justifiedWhile we can all agree agree that school shootings are tragic, my guns have killed no children and I refuse to surrender my basic rights due to the actions of criminals, terrorists, or the mentally ill. Only a fool would expect me to.

The AR-15 is a semi-automatic rifle that fires one shot for each pull of the trigger. It is not a military weapon or some terrible weapon of mass destruction. It is essentially no different except in appearance from what has been commercially available in the United States since 1905. The cartridge it fires barely classes as medium power and in fact is banned for use on deer size game by Colorado and several other states due to it’s low power. According to FBI statistics more deaths occur yearly from fists and feet than from rifles of all types. The Supreme Court has already ruled in District of Columbia vs Heller than common firearms in common use for legal purposes are constitutionally protected. Twenty-plus million AR-15s in civilian hands sounds pretty common to me.

Instead of trying to steal rights from the law abiding let’s get gun free zones, which are just unarmed target zones, secure the entrances to our schools, and provide armed resource officers and/or trained armed teachers. Rich folks and politicians have armed security and they’re sure worth a lot less than our kids.

Any law banning a common firearm is obviously unconstitutional. Any politician voting for that law is violating their oath of office to uphold and defend the constitution, and is therefore unfit for any public office.

David Randall

Florence