Is bear hunting in SC cruel? Should it be stopped? A reader thinks so

Cruel hunting

The first thing I saw when I opened the The State e-edition on Thanksgiving Day was a photo of the dead body of a black bear, surrounded by dogs (one of whom had his nose up the bear’s butt) and the lower extremities of several hunters. I sure didn’t want to look at that, so I scrolled past that page as fast as I could, and on page 6 there was another poor dead bear! The article had to do with the fact that S.C. “sportsmen” (note: hunting is not a “sport;” all participants in a real sport are there voluntarily, and that’s certainly not the case with the animals being hunted) had killed a record number of bears this year, as if that is an achievement to be proud of. I thought about writing in to object to the publication of these gruesome pictures, but then it occurred to me that maybe they would shock some readers into demanding an end to this pointless sadism. If so, please print more photos like these, and maybe someday we can ban this cruelty once and for all.

Phil Dematteis, Columbia

Fight Alzheimer’s

November is National Family Caregivers Month, offering an important reminder to support the 197,000 South Carolina caregivers. Alzheimer’s disease is devastating for the more than six million Americans living with the disease and the 11 million family and friends serving as unpaid caregivers.I am one of these caregivers with my brother and father. Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 73. My father’s health declined from the stress of being a caregiver and last year he had a stroke. My brother and I are now caring for both parents. I am urging Congress to build upon the past decade of progress by updating and expanding the work of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), which led our nation to address Alzheimer’s disease, by supporting two pieces of legislation seeking to advance this effort, the NAPA Reauthorization Act of 2022 or NAPA (S. 4203 / H.R. 7775) and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (S. 4202 / H.R. 7773). The national plan provides hope and reassurance that our nation is dedicated to addressing this disease. Join me today in asking Rep. Joe Wilson, Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Tim Scott to co-sponsor NAPA and Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act.

Susan Jackson, Columbia

Toilets

I write this letter on Nov. 19 World Toilet Day. Across the world, people with inadequate sanitary facilities watch as another year passes without access to one of the most valuable public health measures humankind has devised. This is why I am so puzzled by Rapid Shelter Columbia. This 50-unit “pallet village” offers a small, safe living environment for homeless people who are reluctant or unable to participate in other sheltering options. That is a start on human dignity and privacy. But I cannot understand why none of these housing units includes a toilet that flushes and a sink with running water. There is a central facility that residents can use. That’s perfectly fine for the occasional shower, but it’s inadequate when one wakes up in the middle of a 30-degree night needing to defecate. Much easier, I suspect, to just go outside the door when the need arises. Basic plumbing is more expensive to install, no question. But I suspect Rapid Shelter Columbia would be a safer, healthier, and more dignified environment if toilets and sinks were included in each unit. If we all made donations to that cause, would Columbia get its act together and do it?

Davida Weinberg, Columbia

Bad Bathrooms

On a recent night out with a friend who requires an electric scooter, I was made aware of just how far behind local businesses are on providing adequate handicap restroom facilities. My friend was unable to get full access to restrooms at Long Horn Steak House in the heart of the Vista and The Koger Center in the heart of the Vista in partnership with USC. The stalls were either too small to accommodate a scooter entirely or were too small to maneuver and fully close the door. Not to mention sink heights, and soap and paper towel dispenser locations. While it’s understood the buildings in that area are “original” and may be grandfathered in on various building codes, access for people with mobility issues to ANY facility much less a restroom, should not be one of them. Considering the two fastest growing age groups in America are 65-80 and 80+, it would seem logical to me that owners/managers would have stepped up by now. Providing access to ALL customers should be at the forefront of their business model. Our money spends as easily as anyone’s but will now be spent outside of downtown Columbia

Krista Smith, Lexington