Bleeding is often the main cause of death in accidents. Here's how you can help

We’ve seen a recent increase in crashes and traumatic injuries in Jacksonville. Additionally, Florida has the highest rate of car crashes in the country involving other cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. In 2023, there were about 400,000 car crashes in Florida, and over half of them resulted in injuries. Nearly 4,000 were fatal, and bleeding is often the leading cause of death.

Duval County has a higher accident rate compared to other areas because it is one of the larger counties in the state. As of December 15, 2023, there have been over 23,000 car accidents in Duval County. Over 100 of these car accidents resulted in deaths, while more than 15,000 resulted in injuries.

Our aim is to prevent accidents and injuries, but with numbers rising, it is imperative that bystanders have the means to help whenever possible, so being prepared for what to do in the event of an accident is a practical step in the process.

The good news is the Stop the Bleed training program can save lives by educating and training the public on simple steps to take in an accident to prevent excessive blood loss. The free training is available online at StoptheBleed.org/training/online-course/.

Additionally, Stop the Bleed kits can be ordered online or in-store.

Accidents and injuries can happen anywhere, anytime – at home, at school, on the street and in public places. Bleeding can be the first consequence. By controlling it, we can potentially save a life and reduce comorbidities. By raising awareness of Stop the Bleed training and increasing the availability of the relevant kit in public places, we can save lives.

Monica Dobs, pediatrician, Jacksonville

Where are the women?

As an independent voter, I am frustrated by the lack of decency and vision that are so important to us today. Wars, an overabundance of immigrants, a rollback of women’s rights, crime, the inability to pay for Medicare and Social Security, and the financial state of our country.

Why are there so few good female presidential candidates? Michelle Obama has no interest in running, but would still have a good chance of winning. Former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard might have been an excellent candidate, but is now hoping for a position in Donald Trump’s cabinet if he wins.

Another outstanding presidential candidate who is not interested is Maria Shriver. She has been doing humanitarian work for decades. Today she is working to find a solution to Alzheimer’s disease.

She has the potential to be the best president we’ve seen in a long time. Her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is running for president but isn’t having much success, so why not pass the baton to her?

If Joe Biden had the sense to give Shriver his throne, I think she could win. People know her from decades of serving our country. Whether in business, as an American journalist, or as First Lady of California, Shriver has always been front and center.

There are so many other women who could lead the change in this country from hate to kindness. Stop the madness and division that surrounds our “United” States; unite us through actions – not words. How do we encourage women to run?

Lori Halpenny, Saint John’s

The legacy of racism remains

In my late 70s, I participated in a church program that focused on the works of black authors, and it fundamentally changed my perspective on racial issues. This exposure opened my eyes to the reality of racism in America, a truth I had unwittingly perpetuated out of ignorance.

As with any complex subject—business, science, even medicine—lack of education breeds ignorance. Throughout history, especially over the past four centuries, we have been fed a narrative about Black people that is riddled with inaccuracies. This distorted view has fed prejudice and continues to impact the lives of Black Americans today.

The legacy of racism continues in the form of:

These are not isolated problems, but interconnected threads woven from the fabric of historical injustice.

My journey of self-discovery through literature sparked a passion for understanding and fighting racism. I urge everyone to actively seek out diverse voices and engage with the realities of racial inequality. Let’s forget the lies of the past and work toward a future where equity and opportunity are truly colorblind.

William Malone, Jacksonville

Florida’s “dystopian” state, without a doubt

As reported in this newspaper on June 17, a lawyer representing education officials appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to Judge Britt Grant’s hypothesis by saying, “In the classroom, the professor’s speech is the government’s speech, and the government can restrict professors’ content and prohibit them from expressing opposing views,” such as criticism of the governor.

Do we live in a totalitarian state? When did the citizens of Florida give up their basic freedoms? No wonder U.S. District Judge Mark Walker blocked a key provision of the so-called “Stop WOKE Act,” calling it “downright dystopian,” like George Orwell’s novel “1984,” in which lies become truth.

Judge Grant then asked the ACLU attorney whether the Florida legislature could intervene if a professor taught that “the moon landing never happened or that 9/11 was an inside job.” While the attorney for the Florida professors challenging the law said that was the university’s responsibility, she should have turned the question around.

There are members of Congress and the Florida Legislature who apparently believe in crazy, false conspiracy theories like “Italian satellites changed votes in the 2020 election” or “Nancy Pelosi is responsible for the Capitol insurrection on January 6.” What if a governor and legislators passed a law forcing professors to teach these theories as legitimate?

The sole responsibility of the legislature is to provide a quality education to all students so that all can grow into thoughtful, informed citizens who can think, judge, and distinguish fact from fiction.

Roy Goldman, Atlantic Beach

Single fertilized egg, not a human

Peter True wrote on June 16 that abortion laws are based not on religion but on observable, reproducible scientific “facts,” although he does not explain them. He claims that human life begins at conception and then deftly moves on to giving personality to a single-cell fertilized egg (a clearly religious concept promoted by Christian influence groups).

This view is religiously based, and one cannot deny the overwhelming presence of Christian protesters in places where abortion is a concern. The answer to True’s rhetorical search for scientific evidence to allow abortion is that the laws are (and should be) based on core medical and legal principles of women’s bodily autonomy and right to privacy.

The viability of the fetus, which is entirely dependent on the pregnant woman, should be only the beginning of the consideration of personhood. The crucial question is who decides (and overrides) a person’s autonomy, especially when their religious views are against it?

Here’s a simple – if crude – response to pro-lifers who impose their will on others: “If you don’t like abortion, that’s fine, don’t have one.”

It troubles me that so many ardent pro-lifers focus primarily on embryos and fetuses. But that concern dissolves when real children suffer the scourges of gun violence, pollution, hunger, lack of access to health care, and poverty.

Michael Miller, Ponte Vedra Beach

New union rules are retaliation

Nate Monroe wrote an excellent editorial on June 13 titled “Governor DeSantis’ selective war on unions is about the future of public education.”

Unions and private companies have their own PACs. In Florida, our governor has shown that he will take revenge if a union doesn’t support him. In that case, the United Teachers of Dade opposed his re-election.

He then signed a law that stripped unions of the right to automatically deduct their membership fees from teachers’ salaries and required 60% membership or face disenrollment.

He said he did it because it would save the state money. Coincidentally, the police and fire unions supported him, even though they were magically exempt from the legislation. How is that going to save money? To me, this is a clear case of retaliation.

Now he says he’s giving teachers a raise (and he’s doing it from a charter school). Obviously his goal is to make all schools charter, but we should just ask most teachers who have been there for a long time how they really benefit from his actions.

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