Letters to the editor: Abortion, salmon, human rights, Trump
Abortion
Banning abortion in Idaho won’t make it less common – it will simply make it less safe. Dangerous abortion ban legislation criminalizes doctors who provide safe, legal medical care, and does nothing to address the root causes of unplanned and unsafe pregnancies. For the sake of all Idahoans who deserve accurate, comprehensive, and compassionate health care – Idaho lawmakers must do better.
Idahoans face significant barriers to accessing preventative reproductive health care such as birth control and STD testing. Instead of pushing harmful and dangerous abortion restrictions such as unconstitutional gestational limits and TRAP laws (Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers), Idaho legislators should focus on improving the health care Idahoans need to stay healthy and prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place. Everyone in Idaho, regardless of their geographical location, deserves comprehensive care that will improve health outcomes and promote healthy, planned pregnancies.
Paige McMahon, Boise
Power
Bonneville Power has a fifteen percent surplus that is being sold out-of-state!
The lower four dams on the Snake River are almost a non-entity in power production. Meanwhile, they are the major contributor to the destruction of a billion-dollar steelhead and salmon fishery! Never mind, also driving the Orca populations extinct who depend on Salmon primarily produced in the Upper Snake River!
Why are a few wealthy wheat farmers with their twenty thousand dollar, taxpayer funded, per barge subsidy more important than all the up river towns on the Snake River whose economy to a large extent depends on the steelhead/salmon fishery?
Seventeen Sockeye returned to Redfish Lake! Are we going to go through that again?
The wild steelhead and salmon deserve to live, just because they do!
Breach the lower four Snake River dams!
Odos Lowery, Boise
Human rights
In 1969, Idaho undertook the momentous task of placing together framework affording Idahoans access to everyday services and pursuit of life free from discrimination. With both will and determination present and our state leaders provided a blueprint forward in the establishment of the Idaho Human Rights Commission. In 2020 do we still strive for the same goals? Are we perfect? Did we grow and mature as a State? Some argue yes while some argue no to these questions. The January 14, 2020 cowardly and undignified Republican Party line rejection of the rules for The Idaho Human Rights Commission will no doubt cause harm and prolong needed work. I would ask readers look inside and ask the hard question will I stand for others? Will you voice support of a family member, friend, co-worker or even a stranger and say I value you as person and commit to helping you. We must honor present and past contributions and sacrifices of the bold individuals from our State History. United as a strong community we can compel our legislature to secure the future of the Idaho Human Rights Commission. My name is Joseph member of the LGBT Community will you stand with me?
Joseph Kibbe, Nampa
Trump
It is time for Mike Crapo and James Risch to stand up for the country over party and vote to remove this president. He has shown categorically a disregard for ethical norms and broken the law and trust of this nation. He continually hides behind racist ideologies and self-serving tactics to further his personal interests to the great detriment of our national life. It plays directly into Russia’s hand at destabilizing the West. I urge our senators to join others from across the aisle to rebuke his behavior and impeach him. Our nation needs leaders who heal the great divides within our country and history.
Samuel Paden, Garden City
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 12:18 PM.