Online gambling, South Shore Hospital interpreter program
A digital advertisement for the online gambling company FanDuel on display during an NBA basketball game last week. Credit: AP/Brandon Dill
Online gambling can lead to addiction
The NBA gambling story has been the topic of extensive media coverage [“Regulated gambling beats alternative,” Opinion, Oct. 29]. The FBI news conference laid out the extent of the alleged crimes, but the real criminals are the ones who have made online gambling legal.
Online gambling is out of control. For many, gambling online has become an addiction. It introduces this to our youth, many of whom can fall into a bad habit.
And the players face temptation. By betting on the over/under total points in a game, a player can easily affect the outcome of some games in which he makes a wager. Don’t blame only the wolf when online betting leaves the door to the henhouse open.
I bet online gambling is here to stay.
— Gerald Schappert, Babylon
Retain hospital’s interpreter program
As a local faith leader, I am deeply disturbed by South Shore University Hospital’s decision to eliminate its in-person interpreters program [“Hospital interpreter program ends,” News, Oct. 18].
This department in Bay Shore served our community for over 22 years, helping non-English speaking patients receive compassionate, clear, and culturally competent care. Its removal is a disservice to those who already face language, cultural, and economic barriers to health.
Health care is not just a clinical exchange; it is a deeply human one. In times of illness, crisis and grief, people need to be heard, understood and treated with dignity. Remote interpreting through phones or iPads cannot replace the trust and nuance that only trained, in-person interpreters can provide. These interpreters were more than language professionals; they were advocates and bridges between vulnerable patients and lifesaving care.
This decision undermines our shared responsibility to care for the most vulnerable. Our hospitals should be sanctuaries of trust and healing, not places where our neighbors feel unseen, misunderstood, and unsafe.
If Northwell Health, the hospital’s operator, truly believes in delivering immediate and equitable access to interpretation, I urge its decision-makers to restore this essential department and uphold the values of compassion and equity in care.
— Sister Jane Reilly, Brentwood
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN OUR DAILY CONVERSATION. Just go to newsday.com/submitaletter and follow the prompts. Or email your opinion to letters@newsday.com. Submissions should be no more than 200 words. Please provide your full name, hometown, phone number and any relevant expertise or affiliation. Include the headline and date of the article you are responding to. Letters become the property of Newsday and are edited for all media. Due to volume, readers are limited to one letter in print every 45 days. Published letters reflect the ratio received on each topic.
