Protect right to choose
In 1991, when I first took a job working at an early abortion clinic in Pennsylvania as a counselor, I was uncertain how I felt about it.
Then, the GYN doctor that I worked with described what it was like prior to Roe v. Wade, where 20 to 60 women per week showed up dying of septic abortions. “These were our friends, neighbors, people’s children and parents dying, even our co-workers at the hospital,” he sighed. He decided that when it was legal, he would do anything he could to keep women safe, no matter their choice.
Unfortunately, once again women are avoiding the hospital in life-threatening situations for fear of prosecution, and people who are dying of septic abortions are unable to get the treatment that they need to live. We will see massive unintended consequences if people aren’t allowed to make their own health care decisions, which is why we must see action at the state government level to help protect a woman’s right to choose.
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Barbara McKean
Northwest side
Fascist letter writer
Re: the Sept. 12 letter “I am a fascist.”
The letter writer’s puff piece on being a fascist made me cringe. I wanted a better understanding of fascism, so I found an essay by Umberto Eco listing the 14 characteristics of fascism.
If you follow the letter writer’s usual two-week dump of vitriol comprised of his master list of grievances, you would expect to find it is from the likes of Jim Jordan, Fox News, and Ted Cruz’s talking points, it becomes very clear that he does fill a lot of boxes on Umberto’s list.
Meanwhile, Rusty Bowers (who served honorably for 30 years) explains how he derailed Republican legislation that in essence would allow the Republican legislature to override the will of the people and choose their party’s choice of presidential candidate.
Rusty is gone now, because he wasn’t Trump enough. In November, if we vote in a Republican legislature, and a Republican governor, we may get to find out what fascism really is all about.
Larry Robinson
Northwest side
Media bias and the truth
As a registered Independent, I have tried to find truth in politics. It has been a frustrating effort. Everyone is biased — and that’s OK. There’s no such thing as unbiased news.
A recent survey was conducted by the Knight Foundation and Gallup. Among its findings: About 49% of Americans see “a great deal” of political bias in news coverage, while 37% see “a fair amount.”
The vast majority of Americans (81%) say that the news media is “critical” to democracy.
I have found the following to be true. On the far left you have the New York Times and CNN. Leaning left you have AP, The Washington Post, Insider and the Guardian.
On the far right, you have Fox News, National Review and Newsmax.
Leaning to the right, you have the New York Post and Epoch Times.
I personally find the least biased to be the Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Reuters and Newsweek.
These four appear to me to come closest to the truth.
Thomas McGorray
Northwest side
Kelly vs. Masters
Like you, I can’t stand political ads. For the most part, their only purpose is to scare us into voting for their candidate. If they do talk about issues they support, they brag about what they will do. In days gone by this might have been true, but not now. Remember when McCain was a maverick? When you cast your vote, don’t think about the candidate but about the party. With only rare exceptions does an elected person depart from the party line. Whether senator or representative they are required to toe the party line.
If you support the current Democratic programs, then you need to vote for Kelly. If you don’t, you must vote for Masters. I am not trying to persuade you either way. I am only trying to convince you what you should consider before voting and tune out all political ads.
Jack Walters
Northeast side
Water in the Southwest
Re: the Sept. 18 article “Ways to solve crisis in affordable housing.”
This article ignores realities for long-term growth in our region. Better planning for housing can provide more homes affordable for more people. However, it cannot ensure they will have water.
The authors’ entire reference to that issue is “There’s also an impact on water supply in the Western States.” Government plans are underway for drastic reductions in use of Colorado River water. Groundwater use is almost always unsustainable. Desalinated groundwater from the Gulf of California would be very expensive.
Every time a new faucet is added, no matter how well planned, means increased water usage. In Cochise County, people are losing their homes because they cannot afford to extend wells needed for unsustainable and unregulated groundwater use. The pumping already is leading to ground subsidence and the crushing and elimination of aquifers.
No amount of planning will enable limitless growth with unsustainable resources.
Roger McManus
Midtown
Can’t trust Finchem
The campaign poster for Mark Finchem, the Republican candidate for secretary of state, says a lot about how he would fulfill his duties. “Election Integrity,” fine; it’s the primary duty of that office. But “Defend Gun Rights”? The Secretary of State has nothing to do with that. He is clearly appealing to and likely to act in lockstep with the fringe Republicans who deny the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election (a well-demonstrated lie), wish to deny a significant portion of the population of the right to vote, and seek to overturn election results if they don’t go their way. And elections are the primary responsibility of the office for which he is running. A Democrat and a Republican are on the ballot, but the winner must act in a strictly non-partisan manner. Mark Finchem shows us that we cannot trust him to do the job.
Joel Yelland
Northwest side
Applaud efforts by Grijalva
In a recent Politico story, Congressman Raul Grijalva, the long-standing chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, “asked the Department of Interior head Deb Haaland to step in and compel major water delivery cuts along the Colorado River in a bid to prevent a massive water and power crisis across the West.” Last Thursday, Grijalva wrote, “If all of the Basin states cannot meet the undeniable urgency of this moment, then the Department must provide the clarity and certainty of a federal plan to preserve our dwindling water resources for the tens of millions of Americans who rely on the Colorado River.”
Grijalva’s effort should be roundly applauded. While not perfect, bureaucratic expertise, rather than political might, can provide a more even-handed, near-term response to the depletion of the Colorado River’s former abundance. The dozens of writers to the editor in past months, calling for decisive action, have a reason finally to feel encouraged.
Richard Kaiset
Midtown
Vote for Trump?
Vote for Trump if you: approve of a person who has been convicted of stealing from his own charity, ran a real estate school scam, patronized and bribed a woman during his campaign and forced his attorney to take the fall just after his wife had given birth, asked Russia for help in his campaign, ran his own business while president, begged/threatened Georgia secretary of state, and others, to find thousands of non-existent votes for him, made off with Top Security material claiming he could declassify telepathically, ditto hundred (plus or minus) boxes of papers belonging to the United States, simultaneously committing tax and bank fraud for years and joining QAnon and threatening mayhem should he be indicted for some or all of the above, and twice impeached.
Vote for Trump in 2024.
Susan VonKersburg
Foothills
Vote for honesty and mercy
Voting is as basic to democracy as breathing is to life. I vote earnestly because it is forbidden in China, my birthplace. My choice of candidates and approval of propositions must be consistent with my core values and my understanding of the world around me. I, a Christian, a physicist, and an immigrant, all by choice, take living on a life-sustaining Earth of utmost value for all creatures on this planet, our only home. Without a supportive ecosystem, life is doomed; without human mutual caring, we’ll destroy ourselves. Therefore, I choose candidates who respect facts in the physical world as well as in human affairs and treat other human beings, regardless of race, gender, religion or social status, as equals with compassion; and approve propositions that promote equality, freedom and justice for all. Sadly, no Republican candidates fit my bill; and only Propositions 209, 210, 211, 308 and 310 meet my approval. God have mercy!
Ke Chiang Hsieh
Midtown
