[LAP-news] Read, write and swim, said Plato

[Mark Rauterkus]

>From SwimNerd:

“
<https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/kXI3k2eLliU4rH1ilDucfaLi8z-kcbLQ4AW312ZD86S-dX2HnX4ygHgeOj3f02zpws7weImo760ZjNcK9nfOhTDBzzpbE7E_m5MC3mSepRYA5-Vdv4wITirKV8FU7-FYs8yoonWeh5znl92cBGSK9daBQRoaEWsj92C63zOxTVsiUmYlt20WXLXz5vR6tCKuCABSSx4W9GzBRTT9NDF59pLZoebjb9CctBkQOc7NLFw/3xr/zUtkToy6Sl63er3cXP_7sA/h18/XJQFZUKZwszF_lEb0qZCZZxYY2XdpOZ0tfX5kCrpDRw>*Drowning
Is No. 1 Killer of Young Children. U.S. Efforts to Fix It Are Lagging.”
<https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/kXI3k2eLliU4rH1ilDucfaLi8z-kcbLQ4AW312ZD86S-dX2HnX4ygHgeOj3f02zpws7weImo760ZjNcK9nfOhTDBzzpbE7E_m5MC3mSepRYA5-Vdv4wITirKV8FU7-FYs8yoonWeh5znl92cBGSK9daBQRoaEWsj92C63zOxTVsiUmYlt20WXLXz5vR6tCKuCABSSx4W9GzBRTT9NDF59pLZoebjb9CctBkQOc7NLFw/3xr/zUtkToy6Sl63er3cXP_7sA/h19/WMfIfyd_tVW276i1wBn1t7fkcL49hz0pavgJfb0sX_4>*

Thank you, Emily Baumgaertner
<https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/FEuS28ZeqU0dvf-HL728Ky6Oot1XQwUijFrQIvdFWfYzePHOW-z3lo1oUiKWkl_TBvL1xMcpau-2D1XKGP8ovGGV9u9jAmoqAL2X4tmgJwoBJzzgREgiUer_RhnpteEko4Z1rH9OvahmEbs22TBs2k9BGmNqdAEt20-2LKyBtSBlHCEn2zzScL-9e64Dnn1S/3xr/zUtkToy6Sl63er3cXP_7sA/h20/2nvqU_Qh0wgcZ1QonFOfX37KqPig7E8Vjv-rml_FTeY>,
for writing this piece in the NY Times.

It serves as a call to action to the US government by discussing the
critical issue of drowning deaths among children in the United States and
the disparity in such deaths among racial and socioeconomic groups.

*Drowning (4,000 deaths annually with 1,000 being child deaths) is the
leading cause of death for American children between 1 and 4 years old. *

And, the US lacks a federal plan to address this issue, despite calls
(finally!) from the United Nations.
<https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/kXI3k2eLliU4rH1ilDucfaylVtUgd82RFnWjbuA8qy0g-UrAT1tBJbuW1RC9j4YZxBA8v3HKwlrUEtLg7yX06vs1F5Xbjfbe1csb3r7z1lD_mA6US--q6Fdu3J_NVqrxVVyJ7YFD4e09n_QS2AYAcEteTF19uffXMZBkWbrLjnGqrzJL9LRcjmVuYrjH6_A_EMYRZ4VNnOlLEP0yI1HhXaiE6vjxibp6oanhiSbsofE/3xr/zUtkToy6Sl63er3cXP_7sA/h21/N9VfY40n-fN3GClx2KMjBr7bGOjcqmsOsCW_Nqx_3O0>

Despite the urgency of this year-after-year, decade-after-decade,
century-after-century problem, the US does not have a national action plan
to tackle the issue. Countries like Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand,
and South Africa have such plans in place.

The National Institutes of Health and the CDC are endeavoring to understand
drowning prevention strategies and factors contributing to childhood
drownings. “Little is known” they say about which methods work. This is
such a typical public health nerd, response. What a bunch of malarkey.

However, a group of nonprofits has launched the U.S. National Water Safety
Action Plan
<https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/kXI3k2eLliU4rH1ilDucfdI-0zHBs702o9N7UlqB7CIxuCMY5nL8kZS6VUrHnywMHipUq89THpnWuvmE04ul1yfYi-Jf9zHNySO-SAO5TqM0UlEl9VdSHRELCc_-BfcxmCDmSVdSzNhnsBtvygKRgpumnm-wharReZtD2EOf9eg/3xr/zUtkToy6Sl63er3cXP_7sA/h22/kblJ0rYwm4lole7BslmKIeot-f-6jijbEQ1QV9cezRY>,
whose mission is to make every American water safe in, on, and around
water.

This issue is a significant public health challenge, requiring not only
community action but government policy changes and interventions for
effective resolution.

It further underscores the importance of universally accessible life-saving
skills such as swimming and the reality of disparities that persist.

It’s time for the United States to step up.
*“A man is not learned until he can read, write, and swim.” - Plato*
-- 

--
Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark at Rauterkus.com
Webmaster, International Swim Coaches Association, SwimISCA.org
Executive Director of SKWIM USA, a 501(c)(3), SKWIM.us
Coach at The Ellis School for Varsity & Middle School Swimming
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team & Renegades (Masters)
Sports Complex Director & Coach at Montour Heights Country Club

412 298 3432 = cell

New course: Mental Skills for Young Athletes
<https://Read.SwimISCA.org/why/mental-skills-for-young-athletes>
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