No. 24 of 108
July 7, 2025
From 2007 to 2022, children in the U.S. were 1.78 times more likely to die than in eighteen developed countries. Primary causes? Gun shot and vehicle fatalities. (Reported today, though you may have missed it among all of the other news.) One in five children don’t have sufficient food on a regular basis. Neonatal deaths overall have decreased over time, but those deaths due to malnutrition and slow fetal growth have increased by almost two percent. Measles, mostly a childhood disease and nearly eradicated in the U.S., is having not only a comeback… “it is a surge”, mostly due to a decline in vaccination rates. Public health groups are suing the Department of Health and Human Services for stopping their long-standing recommendation for COVID vaccinations for children and pregnant mothers, which would discourage and make it more difficult to access those vaccines. Meanwhile, more rain is coming in Texas, where the death toll now stands at ninety-four. There was flash flooding in North Carolina, too. A Ma’ili wildfire, requiring evacuations, is mostly contained. Stay safe! Turn around, don’t drown!
A child has no political analysis or complaints; nonetheless, benefits from and suffers because. Two ‘ōlelo no‘eau, Native Hawaiian traditional wise sayings, remind us of our societal responsibility. He lei poina ‘ole ke keiki – a beloved child is a lei never forgotten. Loa‘a ka lanakila no ka hana pa‘akikī – victory is achieved through hard work. We may despair, wring our hands, raise clenched fists, and namunamu (grumble) about what’s going on. Plenny to namunamu about! In the meanwhile, the hard work we put in to care for and nourish and inspire and cultivate in all of the children is what will determine the future of our places and peoples.
No. 24 of 108