Back at It

Apologies for the long layoff--I was on vacation for a bit, and it took me a while to work up the energy to reengage after the layoff. 

One significant change to the blog: from now on, I'll do my best to address commentaries both by Mark Hyman and by Boris Epshteyn.  Hyman has been demoted to fairly ancillary figure in Sinclair's opinion stable.  Former Trump minion Boris Epshteyn is the primary tool in the company's "must-run" segment toolbox.  His pieces tend to be more milquetoast-y, but are perhaps more insidious precisely because of their veneer of pointless banality.

Before getting back on the horse, however, there was a commentary of Mr. Hyman just before I left on vacation that I wanted to revisit for a number of reasons, one of which is that it provides a rare opportunity to give kudos to Hyman.  

In a commentary regarding suicide, Hyman mentioned that his own brother had taken his own life.  Given the stigma that still sadly surrounds suicide, this is admirable and important.  It's not easy to share such a personal pain with a public audience, and bringing this sort of issue into the light is helpful. Hyman deserves unqualified praise for that.

Having said that, one might wish that Hyman would be more receptive to the need for universal healthcare, particularly issues involving mental health and substance abuse.  Indeed, in commenary one week before this one, we noted that Hyman disingenuously critiqued the Affordable Care Act.  

If any one factor could reduce the risk of suicide, it would be affordable, accessible healthcare for all Americans.  It's too bad that while Hyman has the courage to share a personal tragedy, he lacks the fortitude to support a singularly important way of avoiding similar tragedies befalling other families.