Letters: Keeping a lifeline out for abuse victims (4/19/20)
Keeping a lifeline out for abuse victims
I am writing today to call your attention to a serious issue related to the COVID-19 health crisis: domestic violence. Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children in the United States.
COVID-19 has impacted people experiencing domestic violence in unique and dangerous ways. Sheltering in place for victims of domestic violence means living with the monster that they know — the batterer — versus taking a chance with the monster that they do not know — COVID-19.
That is why, during this time, Gateway Domestic Violence Services remains 100% open and operational. Those experiencing violence are not alone. Anyone experiencing domestic violence in their home can still access help. They can call one of the many domestic violence organizations that are open throughout the pandemic. Gateway’s free and confidential, 24/7 helpline is also available at 303-343-1851.
Domestic violence isn’t the victim’s fault, nor is it “a minor inconvenience.” Domestic violence is a crime. Those in immediate danger should call 911.
Over the past 40 years, Gateway has served more than 350,000 individuals impacted by domestic violence. In all of that time, we have never heard one single survivor say that they regretted leaving their batterer.
James Gillespie, Aurora
Editor’s note: Gillespie is executive director of Gateway Domestic Violence Services.
More resources
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: thehotline.org or 1-800-799-7233 for free, 24-hour help.
• Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: co4kids.org/ or call the 24/7 hotline at 844-CO4-KIDS for help or to report a concern.
• Violence Free Colorado: The website provides a map showing resources by county in Colorado and offers a guide to helping someone you know who is being abused.
• SafeHouse Denver: safehouse-denver.org or call the 24-hour crisis and information line at 303-318-9989.
Facing those life and death decisions
As a “past-due” terminally ill man, I am aware of the concerns of an unknown future. I know there are people who want to give up during this challenging (virus) time. “Here is a test to find out if your mission on earth is finished: If you are alive, it isn’t.” (“Illusions,” by Richard Bach)
Our challenges in life can either be an anchor to hold us back (fear, depression) or a sail to move us forward (uniting the world’s people together again). Knowing that — what we think about, we bring about — I hope we think about rigging the sail.
Alan Haynes, Aurora
Re: “Not OK with fateful decisions,” April 9 letter to the editor
Like the letter writer, I also am a Coloradan who served in Vietnam. Since he served in the military, he should know that triage is an acceptable aspect of any medical situation when there is not enough immediate health care for the number of casualties. Choices need to be made based on best-case survival chances and not on whether a person is a long time Coloradan or a “20-year-old hippie ski bum.”
George Burson, Louisville
Re: “Patient care rules decided,” April 6 news story
I read with interest about the governor’s Expert Emergencies Epidemic Response Committee that came up with guidelines for how to prioritize health care when medical systems are overwhelmed and doctors would be forced to decide which critical patients get scarce equipment and staffing to keep them alive.
This brings up the importance of people expressing their wishes for what they would like their end-of-life health care to look like by completing advance directives for health care and discussing what their documents say with their loved ones and health care providers. Too often, people get more aggressive end-of-life health care than they want. It would make it much easier for health care providers if patients help make these decisions for them by completing their advance directives.
John Lobitz, Denver
Editor’s note: Lobitz is board president for Tomorrow’s Choices, a Colorado non-profit that promotes advance care planning for health care.
Re: “Colorado readies guidelines for prioritizing patient care,” April 1 news story
An Open Letter to Matthew Wynia, M.D.
Dear Dr. Wynia:
I am pleased to see from this morning’s Denver Post that you are involved with the governor’s Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee. As a member of the COVID at-risk community, i.e., older, I am taking the appropriate precautions to protect myself, including isolating to the extent possible, so I am hopeful of getting through this pandemic without suffering from COVID-19. However, I realize I do not have complete control over that outcome.
I am very concerned about the medical community’s health and well-being, physical and emotional. Because I do not want to add to a physician’s stress by having to decide which patients are provided ventilators, I have instructed my agent for medical decisions to volunteer me for forgoing that treatment should that become an issue. I am not looking to die, but I believe that in a time of crisis, it is important to preserve those sorts of medical resources for younger people.
While I do not know where to draw a “bright line” for policy purposes, I am comfortable with making that decision for myself. I hope the statewide guidance the committee is developing will respect such a decision made by those of us who are older.
I thank you and the other committee members for your work on this difficult issue during a difficult time.
Flo Phillips, Denver
Crisis emphasizes need for universal health care
Though I wasn’t a Bernie Sanders supporter, I must give him credit for his prescience on the need for a whole new health care system. We are now seeing the flaws in our present system in bright lights.
We are relying on heroics and sacrifice rather than preparedness and universal access. Too many people are falling between the cracks.
Until we are sure that we can truly isolate and treat those who carry the virus, our economic and social lives will be in limbo. We need to start moving to universal health care now.
And that is not the only lesson. Because of distrust of the idea of equal opportunity for all citizens rather than just those with plenty of money, we have neglected our infrastructure, such as internet access.
We have emasculated the bureaucratic institutions that should be best able to deliver services to all citizens, rural or urban, wealthy or poor, red state or blue state.
I am not asking our leaders to convert us to a social democracy, but there is nothing like a pandemic to teach us that we need to lift the boat from the bottom up and make sure we aren’t leaving a lot of holes in that bottom.
The last thing we need is leaders who refuse to learn these lessons and who cling to their favorite archaic solutions.
Lynn Buschhoff, Denver
Praying for us all
Today, remodeling the bathrooms isn’t important anymore, nor is planning for the annual spring vacation to the mountains. Everything has changed since COVID-19, and I don’t know if life will ever go back to how it was.
Now, I find myself in prayer to a God with whom I have my trust.
I pray for my mother, who is in a nursing home where an outbreak of the virus has occurred.
I pray for all the brave front line workers who are in the nursing homes, hospitals, grocery stores and on the streets protecting our cities.
I pray for a nation in chaos as the government tries to determine direction.
Even though we can’t see the end in sight, I do believe with our American resolve and help from above, we will find a way to overcome this terrible pandemic.
Cynthia Jennings, Westminster
Reach out and touch someone
When I read that phone calls are making a comeback, I was so happy. I always have preferred the human voice over texts but succumbed to texting when I realized that was the only way some people chose to communicate.
Granted, texting is great in the interim, but it will never replace the precious interaction of two people conversing back and forth over the phone. The voice reflects many different feelings regarding whether a person is sad, upset, happy or joyful.
A face emoji just can’t convey the depth of the emotions.
During this time of social distancing, when we don’t have the ability to hug each other or have in-person interactions, I have been calling my older neighbors, friends and family offering assistance. Some of the wonderful conversations have lasted up to an hour or two, and no matter what we talk about, there is always laughter. Sometimes even gut laughter — take that “LOL”!
When our conversations end, they thank me for thinking about them and are grateful I took the time to call.
Do you remember the heartfelt, landline AT&T commercials years ago that encouraged people to reach out and touch someone? Well, there is no better time than now.
Cyndi Angelu, Aurora
Better than trashing food
Re: “Dumped milk and buried vegetables,” April 12 news story
With all of the people out of work, and food banks hurting for food, why can’t the farmers give this food to the food banks, instead of wasting it? I know they’ll get to write off on their taxes, but the government could allow that, and still have the food donated to do some good.
PJ Evans, Denver
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