This Week’s Letters to the Editor
Concern Over Closure of Aurora Behavioral Health Services in Sheboygan
I want to raise my voice about the serious decision to close Aurora’s inpatient behavioral health services in Sheboygan, set to happen on September 19. This closure will greatly affect our community, and I ask you to think about what this really means.
Aurora is saying that there has been a 67% drop in admissions, but that doesn’t reflect what community members and staff are saying. It seems this decline is more about staffing problems than a decrease in need.
Shutting down such an important service because of what seems like a misunderstanding of usage is deeply troubling. Mental health emergencies don’t wait for the right time to be addressed. Telling patients to go to Wauwatosa is unrealistic—many people in crisis can’t travel an hour, and not all families can offer that level of support. This could lead to overcrowding in Wauwatosa and leave Sheboygan residents without the care they need when they need it most.
This is personal for me. I’ve faced challenges with mental health, and I tragically lost a family member to suicide when there was no space for them at the hospital. The thought of others possibly facing a similar fate because of this closure is truly frightening.
This decision not only risks lives but also adds to the stigma around mental health by making it feel less important than other health issues. We cannot let our community lose this essential resource.
I urge everyone to take action—let’s demand clarity about the reasons behind this closure and find ways to support those in need in our community. I will not stay quiet; I plan to speak out and make our concerns known.
— Ali Dellger, Sheboygan Falls
Calling Attention to Human Rights Concerns
As long as I draw breath, I will stand up for the basic human rights outlined in our Constitution: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everyone.
Each day brings new threats to these rights from our government. Recently, Senator Chris Larson from Milwaukee spoke out about Trump’s plans to end mail-in voting and the use of voting machines. Many people in Wisconsin depend on mail-in voting to make their voices heard.
Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich mentioned that Trump might send the Army and National Guard into cities led by Democrats. Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin expressed that under Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., children and families in Wisconsin will face serious struggles.
The decision to cancel a $500 million investment in mRNA vaccine research may go down as one of their worst choices. By the end of 2021, vaccines had saved over 20 million lives worldwide, including more than 1 million in the U.S. Now, that progress seems at risk.
Let’s unite and speak out against these serious threats to our rights! Contact Senator Baldwin at 202-224-5653, Senator Ron Johnson at 608-240-9629, and Representative Glenn Grothman at 920-907-0624.
— Geralyn Leannah, Sheboygan
Our Letters Policy
We publish letters to the editor in the order they are received, and writers can have one letter published per month. You can send your letters to news@sheboyganpress.com and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com. Please keep letters to 250 words or less, and ensure they focus on local topics. All letters should include the author’s name, city of residence, and a contact phone number. We edit letters for style, grammar, length, and fairness.
