Letters to the editor: abortion, Trump, Kavanaugh, scooters, war simulation

Abortion

Tim Teater writes, “it is this religious cudgel, as well as medical misinformation about fetal development and complications of abortion, that are used to manipulate and convince women to give up their essential rights to bodily integrity.”

The medical misinformation he speaks of is actually from the other side. For decades, women have been told that what was growing in their wombs was just a “blob of tissue.” It is a medical fact that the heart beats around the age of 21 days. This is a baby.

He suggested that Roe may be overturned and “women’s lives matter.” His assertion that the reason there is an outcry against abortion is due to the heavy-handedness of men, is bogus. The outcry against abortion is due to the love for life and the great desire to stop this culture of death. There are people who have moral principles and realize that at one time or another, we all need a hand up.

Pregnancy help clinics across the U.S. assist women in crisis. The largely volunteer clinics have the goal of giving women the truth so they can make an informed decision.

Donald Trump

The letter of Sept. 11, expressing angst of past negative Trump letters: My view, they are questioning Trump’s credibility, integrity and leadership capabilities. His continued display of narcissism and delusion is extremely dangerous for all of us.

In the past 19 months, 19 people have left various White House positions; beginning with senior Cabinet members and an array of various White House staff. Some voluntarily, most unceremoniously. Associates are now convicted felons; foreign policy adviser in jail. Asking the Justice Department to intervene in the investigation of two congressmen. Adulation expressed publicly for the leadership of North Korea and Russia. More than 4,700 misleading or completely false statements made to date. (Fact checker confirmed.)

Revoking security clearance of a naysayer, threaten other holders of security clearance because they speak out against his governing. An untold number of minor migrant children still in holding facilities, no parental reunion in sight for them.

These are not alternative facts; sadly, these are real facts. Trump has exhibited zero capability to deal with real facts.

Kavanaugh

I retired as an Idaho attorney in 2016 after 45 years in civil litigation. Quite apart from the objective truth or unsubstantiality of the accusations of sexual misconduct against Judge Kavanaugh, I found his appearance before the Senate committee Sept. 27 undignified, belligerent and alarmingly partisan. It is one thing to steadfastly defend one’s integrity, but it is another for a federal judge within a hair’s breadth of attaining the greatest position the American legal system can offer, to petulantly announce that he is the victim of “a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election,” as “revenge on behalf of the Clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups.” This was not a seasoned appellate judge defending his professional ability and integrity. It was, instead, the angry language of a conspiracy fantasist, delivered with repellant self-righteousness. I would certainly not recommend to a client that we take a case before a judge who has made such statements on the public record, if our case had the slightest connection with parties, politics, causes or interests that the judge has already announced are out to get him.

Kavanaugh

After watching the U.S. Senate hearings with Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh, I was extremely surprised by what I observed. Having worked several years in federal law enforcement which involved working directly with federal judges, I was struck by how unprofessional Judge Kavanaugh appeared and presented himself. I simply cannot imagine the many and various federal judges I worked with behaving in such a manner.

Rather, I was struck by the fact that I did observe a number of criminal defendants behaving similarly to Judge Kavanaugh. And, in fairness, I observed many criminal defendants, with no formal education and disadvantaged backgrounds, conduct themselves with more dignity and composure than Judge Kavanaugh.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is drifting from impartiality to partisanship.

First, we now expect both Republicans and Democrats to hold seats vacant on the high court for political advantage.

Second, the Senate rules changed so that only 50 senators plus the vice president, not 60 senators, are needed to confirm a new judge. This move allows the majority party to pick “their guy” without regard to the minority party or impartiality.

Finally, even the veneer of impartiality is abandoned with partisan rants from the candidate against the “other side.”

After Judge Kavanaugh, partisan comments will be acceptable for all future Supreme Court nominees.

Scooters

Being a citizen who lives downtown and often has to use the Greenbelt to get to and from various areas of my neighborhood, I loathe the idea of the scooters they want to bring into Boise that can travel or move up to 20 miles per hour. The newscast stated they are to be used on the streets and the Greenbelt. If these things are allowed on the Greenbelt and are able to move up to 20 miles per hour, and I guarantee you not one of them will say on your left or do anything as they fly by and scare us to death. Somebody needs to do something about the safety of our citizens and the pedestrians who want and should be able to use the Greenbelt at will.

War simulations

I glanced at the Sept. 24 guest opinion by Kevin Cahill about war simulations in downtown Boise but didn’t read it. Then last night I saw the movie “Fahrenheit 11/9” and was amazed to see the documentary evidence of a war simulation in Flint, Mich., a few years ago. That was rather appalling to me because I hadn’t realized that it ever happened. It was excused by saying that it was held there because of all the empty buildings. So I came home and closely read Cahill’s guest opinion about something similar in Boise and was likewise appalled. I am not anti-military. I was in the Army during the time the Berlin Wall was built and received an honorable discharge. I also have a stepson who retired from the Army as a full colonel after seeing combat in the first Gulf War and being military attaché at several embassies in the Middle East, among other service. It seems to me that brushing off any effort to explain the need for this kind of activity here and its possible effects on Boise both economic and lifestyle-wise is superficial at best. We deserve better than that. I recommend that everyone see “Fahrenheit 11/9” before forming an opinion.