Letters to the Editor: The pandemic endangers kids' mental health, too

More than ever, children need

mental health support in schools

headline

Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed an immediate risk on children’s mental and physical well-being.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation points out that children who have suffered from COVID-19 are more likely than their counterparts to have a mental health condition after returning to school. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, acute and posttraumaticstress disorder, depression and anxiety were among the illnesses found to be associated with COVID-19 and children.

Moreover, children who have already faced adverse childhood experiences such as poverty, malnourishment, violence, abuse and natural disasters are up to seven times more likely to face mental health issues after COVID-19 infection. These concerns then translate to disruptions in many children’s success in school.

In two years, the pandemic has made it clearer than ever that America’s children need a more adequate support system in schools.

Chris Smith, Austin

Worth discussion: Our laws

haven't been applied equally

With the weaponization of critical race theory across Texas and other states’ school boards, and our governor's office, I'd like to separate fact from the fiction.

First, according to an expert on CRT, it’s "a form of study that applies a lens to the study of law.” It's a critique of the legal system mostly discussed in law school, not high school. Is there anyone out there who can't agree with the statement that our justice system is weighted in favor of those of privilege and race?

We call ourselves the greatest democracy in the world, but it wasn't until 1920 that women could vote. And the Voting Rights Act didn’t pass until 1965. We need to realize that our democracy is not always in line with the laws we pass, and that those laws have not been applied equally to persons of color and social standing.

Isn't this a topic worthy of discussion?

Mark Dennis, Lakeway

Texas protects free speech,

but there's an important limit?

Re: Dec. 5 article, "'Save Chick-fil-A'? Texas Supreme Court is weighing 2019 state law."

Let me get this straight.

If I don’t want to do business with Israel, because I believe it violates the civil rights of Palestinians, it’s okay for Texas to refuse to do business with me.

If I don’t want to do business with Chick-fil-A because they discriminate against the LGBTQ community, Texas prohibits me from doing so.

From this I deduce that Texas protects my right to free speech only so long as my speech does not conflict with Texas’ state religion.

Mark Harwell, Lago Vista

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin American-Statesman Letters to the Editor: Dec. 7, 2021