LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - Genocide in Gaza

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Hitler murdered 6 million Jewish people during World War II. The world expressed shock and disbelief when the atrocities committed in the concentration camps were discovered. Jewish people were killed in mass shooting operations, through deliberate privation of food and water, through brutal treatment and the gas chambers.

Compare the plight of the Jewish people then to the plight of the people in Gaza today. There are roughly two million people crammed onto a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea that are prohibited from leaving the area. Food and medical supplies are literally within sight, but none are allowed to enter while the population experiences starvation and medical trauma exacerbated by daily bombing of schools, hospitals and areas crowded with people. No part of Gaza is exempt from aerial bombing and assaults with tanks and small arms fire.

The Israeli military claims they are seeking Hamas militants, but their indiscriminate shelling often kills dozens of innocents leaving many more wounded with no confirmation of any Hamas casualties. Genocide is the only term to adequately express what is going on in Gaza.

Why are people not shocked to see starving men, women and children when food is readily available, but not allowed in? Why are people not horrified to see people arriving at bombed out hospitals in need of medical supplies readily available, but not allowed in? Why is America condoning all of this wanton killing by supplying the bombs and standing idly by watching? At the same time we honor the troops that ended Hitler’s holocaust we watch the Netanyahu slaughter of Gazans. The president supports Netanyahu. Where is our congressman and senators? Where are our values and our sense of decency?

Bryce Luchterhand Unity

As healthcare professionals, we see the effects of poor dental health every day — especially in children, seniors, and families who lack access to regular dental care. That’s why we strongly support keeping fluoride in community water systems. Water fluoridation is one of the most successful public health measures of the last century. It reduces tooth decay by about 25%, lowers the need for fillings and extractions, and helps prevent serious oral infections — all while being safe and cost-effective.

We understand some residents have questions or concerns about fluoride, and it’s good to ask questions about our health. That means you care about health, and we respect that. If you have questions regarding fluoride, please reach out to your local dental and/or medical providers.

At recommended levels (0.7 mg/L), fluoride in drinking water is safe. It is endorsed by the Wisconsin Dental Association, Wisconsin Oral Health Coalition, American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and more — because the evidence and science supports it. The 0.7 mg/L level is based on decades of research. Fluoride is only harmful at much higher levels (>4.0 mg/L). Public water systems are tightly regulated to stay well below unsafe levels.

Nutrients are added to food to keep people healthy, such as putting Vitamin D in milk or iodine in salt. Adding fluoride to water works the same way. If we take it out, more people, especially children and low-income families, could end up with more cavities and worse dental health. Fluoride especially helps those who need it the most: children, people on fixed incomes, and residents who don’t have dental insurance. It protects everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, just by drinking tap water.

Removing fluoride would not only put our most vulnerable neighbors at greater risk of dental disease, but it would also increase long-term health costs for families and the city.

Tooth decay continues to be a significant health challenge among students such as those in the Loyal School District.

2023-2024 School Year

■ Clark County Seal-A-Smile Student Participants: 104

■ Students with Tooth Decay: 29% 2024-2025 School Year*

■ Clark County Seal-A-Smile Student Participants: 67

■ Students with Tooth Decay: 22%

■ *Data for the school year has not been finalized.

The importance of preventive oral health measures, including water fluoridation, is clearly demonstrated by what happened in Canada:

■ In 2011, Calgary, Canada made the decision to remove fluoride from its public water supply.• Between 2011 and 2018, hospitalizations of children for dental infections requiring IV antibiotics at Alberta Children’s Hospital increased by 700%.

■ Most of these cases involved children under the age of 5—highlighting the vulnerability of young children to dental decay when fluoride is not present.

■ Recognizing the severity of the issue, Calgary voters elected to reinstate water fluoridation.

Let’s keep fluoride in our water, because it’s the right thing to do for the health of our entire community.

Brittany Mews, RN BSN-Health Officer/ Director-Clark County Health Department Clark County Seal-A-Smile Dr. Maryann Forsell, DMD, MPH-Family Health Center-Neillsville Dental Center Jordyn Pieper, PA-C-Marshfield Clinic Neillsville Ashley Kaiser, PA-C-Marshfield Clinic Colby-Abbotsford Heidi Allen, RDH