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Opinion

Letters to the Editor — Cardiac arrest, gender identity services, voting, Kalita Humphreys

Two doctors offer tips for handling cardiac arrest; other writers support parents being informed about gender identity services; share what’s on voter cards; and share what they recommend about the Kalita Humphreys renovation plans.

Learn how to save a life

The frightening scenario that unfolded recently when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the football field highlights the importance of quickly responding to life-threatening events.

Medical personnel were on hand to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use a defibrillator to restart Hamlin’s heart within minutes, his doctors said. But these are lifesaving steps anyone can take in a similar situation — if properly trained in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators.

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On TV, depictions of CPR involve chest compressions and blowing into the victim’s mouth. But the American Heart Association changed its guidelines in 2010 to reflect that hands-only CPR is an effective technique for adult patients. This means that simply doing chest compressions with the appropriate depth and frequency is sufficient to keep the blood pumping and protect the vital organs without having to breathe into the person’s mouth. The most important objective is to get the blood circulating.

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The public should also be familiar with AEDs, devices that can restart the heart when it is in a dangerous arrhythmia. In Texas, defibrillators are now required in schools, nursing homes, dental offices and extended-care facilities and are also available in some government buildings, businesses, malls and churches.

An automated external defibrillator measures the patient’s heartbeat to determine if there’s a “shockable” rhythm that the device can reset, then delivers an electric shock to the chest to reset the rhythm.

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According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, sudden cardiac arrest is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., striking 1,000 people of all ages each day, with only 1 in 10 victims surviving. And as the NFL incident shows, cardiac arrest can strike young people who are physically fit.

We strongly encourage everyone to learn CPR. And if you had training years ago, please take a refresher course. Being properly prepared to rush to the aid of a loved one or unknown victim of cardiac arrest may just save a life.

Drs. Ben Levine and Mark Link, Dallas

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UT Southwestern Medical Center

Parents must be included

Re: “Parents have a right to know — While well-intentioned, schools must not keep a student’s gender identity secret,” Jan. 26 editorial.

Thank you for your coverage of this issue. Per the Cass Review, a government-ordered independent review of gender identity services for children and young people in the United Kingdom, social transition is an active intervention and should not be undertaken lightly, certainly not by school staff.

“It is important to view it as an active intervention because it may have significant effects on the child or young person in terms of their psychological functioning,” the report read. “There are different views on the benefits versus the harms of early social transition. Whatever position one takes, it is important to acknowledge that it is not a neutral act, and better information is needed about outcomes.”

Some of the earliest adopters of transition among minors in Europe are backing away from the practice, discouraging social transition and focusing on the underlying mental health issues many of these kids have.

The U.S. medical associations should take note. Social transition concretizes a child’s identity and leads to medical treatments that have known and unknown consequences, and most significantly, sterilization. So yes, parents have the right to know!

Beth Levy, Allen

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Extra time for police offenders

When it comes to police reform, individual accountability obviously must be our nation’s new mantra. Nothing will change without building from this foundation. Further, I would say that any law enforcement officer convicted of a serious crime should automatically have a mandatory period of extra time tacked onto their sentence. Betraying a public trust should invoke an extra penalty.

Hall Harris, Dallas/Knox-Henderson

Voter registration cards useful

Re: “Do we still need these?” by Glen Kelly, Wednesday Letters.

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In regard to Kelly’s letter, the voter registration card carries a lot of information. First of all, it has the number of the various districts that you are included in which can make it easier to follow local candidates in a crowded metroplex.

It also includes your VUID (Voter Unique Identifier) to use on absentee ballots and mail-in ballots so that you do not have to write your Texas driver license number or Social Security number on the ballot, or on the outside of the envelope if you exercise your right to vote in this way.

Madeleine Brennaman, The Colony

Renovate theater; spare park

Re: “$308M theater rehab bill too steep for city — Council wants redo on Wright building, but funding is a problem,” Jan. 19 Metro & Business story.

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Regarding the recent story about restoring Kalita Humphreys Theater, I urge our Dallas City Council to vote for the approximately $50 million proposal to renovate the historic theater. Vote against the rest of the $300 million plan to develop the park on Turtle Creek. This development will ruin the serenity of the park and will destroy the beautiful environment surrounding the theater.

The designs I have seen are hideous. Respect the vision of Frank Lloyd Wright, who always designed his buildings in harmony with nature. He must be turning in his grave. Must we commercialize every inch of green space in Dallas?

Beverly White, East Dallas

Paper delivery appreciated

Thanks to the driver who delivered my Dallas Morning News Wednesday morning. I appreciate you braving the icy roads and cold temperatures to get to my house in Colleyville. As I read the paper, my coffee tasted just a little better because of you.

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Dave Dudziak, Colleyville

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