Letters to the editor: Abortion draft opinion, breaching the dams
Minority rule
The Republican Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe continues the erosion of democracy in the U.S. The hypocrisy of these “judges” and Republicans is grotesque. Republicans do not care about protecting unborn fetuses and certainly do not care about “the sanctity of life.” They need more low-income families to produce children they can exploit. Republicans have twisted the Constitution to obtain absolute power and one-party rule. A minority is firmly in control of the majority. A minority will continue to exploit and reap the benefits of this nation’s wealth while a majority struggle to maintain hope for a better life. Freedom-loving people of this nation need to rise up and break away with a new constitution that provides a democratic system of laws that guarantee a woman’s right to choose, LGBTQ rights, quality health care, affordable education, housing and healthy food. We need to eliminate money from politics and the two-party system that the Republicans have used to divide this country into warring factions. Thomas Jefferson once said that “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” We must proceed with rebellion against the Republican minority tyranny!
Kurt Smith, Boise
Dam lies
Evidently Bryan Smith is so smart he skipped grade school. Had he not, he would know that the four dams driving Idaho’s salmon to extinction are downstream of Idaho on the Lower Snake River in the state of Washington. The science is in, salmon need a river to the ocean and back. All reputable scientists agree. To accuse Congressman Simpson of taking water from Idaho irrigators by breaching these four dams is either poor geographical knowledge of the Columbia River Basin, he’s a liar, or a moron, or possibly all three. The water that passes those four has already exited Idaho...never to be seen by any Idaho irrigator. In fact removing those dams offer the best chance to protect Idaho water. Either the Endangered Species Act, or the Indian Treaties will prevail in saving salmon from extinction. A federal judge could order the release of nearly all of Idaho’s water storage to create a massive flow of water through those dams to overcome the stagnant effects of the reservoirs behind them. If Bryan Smith is willing, or ignorant enough to jeopardize Idaho water we don’t want him.
Mitch Sanchotena, Nampa
Birth control
I am absolutely flabbergasted that Rep. Brent Crane is proposing to restrict women’s access to certain types of contraceptives, due to “health concerns.” It’s bad enough that Idaho has a “trigger” law to ban abortions once Roe vs. Wade is overturned, but to ban emergency contraceptives? Where’s the logic in this? The best way to prevent abortions is to provide access to contraceptives – including emergency contraceptives! And if these types of medications and contraceptives are to be banned, why not Viagra? Viagra can also have severe side effects: deafness or hearing loss, decreased vision, chest pains. Why isn’t he proposing that Viagra should only be prescribed for pulmonary arterial hypertension? Oh, that’s right, Viagra is for men, not women. Women should not be allowed to have any control or rights over their reproductive organs – or at least that’s what I’m reading into this proposal.
Whatever happened to a person’s right for deciding their own medical treatments? This was definitely being supported when there was the proposal to mandate vaccinations for COVID, but now, when it comes to a woman’s reproductive autonomy, it’s not supported? Hypocrite is the kindest word I can come up with.
Carla Smith, Boise