Opinion | Abortion on the Ballot: ‘Remember, You Are Alone in the Voting Booth’

To the Editor

I am a white, 41-year-old, single, Catholic woman, Midwestern Republican, and a practicing Catholic. I am disgusted at Roe v. Wade’s overturning.

This is contrary to my conservative values of fiscal conservatism and smaller government. Practically speaking, why is it a government concern to prevent dangerous or unwelcome pregnancies from being completed?

I’ve seen the effects of abortion on my friends and family. Reasons I’ve seen for having one include date rape, accidental pregnancies, irresponsible lack of birth control and unviable pregnancies. No one escaped the psychological impact of what happened or took the decision lightly.

Women across their lifetimes deal with everyone else’s interest in and opinion of their bodies. I don’t think most men understand how we manage our bodies. Men who wish to insert a portion of their bodies into ours. Doctors who go inside. There are many ways to kill and injure the inside of your body.

It’s a lot to manage. I recommend that we let each individual manage the situation in a truly Republican manner.

Emily Smith
St. Louis

To the Editor

I felt an overwhelming feeling of love when my son was born. I couldn’t imagine loving anyone more than I loved him. My most treasured memories are of giving birth and having a baby. Every child deserves to feel loved and wanted.

I am a prochoice Democrat. I am also prolife. And by pro-life I don’t mean the pro-fetus, anti-abortion view of the conservative, religious right. Pro-life for me means ensuring women have affordable prenatal care, adequate parental leave, and affordable childcare. Pro-life is good nutrition, decent parental jobs that pay a living wages, safe, affordable housing, and excellent public education.

It is time for Democrats and all who love children to claim the mantle of “pro-life” as ours and to recognize that anti-abortionists care only about the delivery of a fetus no matter how it was conceived and whether is it born alive or dead. We must restore women’s bodily autonomy and right to choose when and how to have a child.

Nancy H. Hensel
Laguna Woods, Calif.

To the Editor

Those Americans celebrating our nation’s reactionary lurch back to the dark days of government control over women’s bodies are, no doubt, deeply grateful to the millions of self-described progressive and/or Democratic Party-aligned voters who in 2016 opted not to cast a vote at all rather than to vote for Hillary Clinton.

Without the help of those anti-Clinton members of the electorate, it’s highly unlikely the radical right could have fulfilled its dream of creating a top court controlled by overtly activist justices who now, one decision at a time, are ensuring that the politics of white privilege and patriarchal thinking reign supreme.

It’s a stark reminder that polls indicating that a majority of voters continue to favor a woman’s right to choose are meaningless if lots of those same voters choose not to vote.

Andy Parker
Portland, Ore.

To the Editor

At this tragic time for women’s rights, I remember a letter to the editor, in this very paper, that was written 30 years ago. We were at the center of a significant presidential race, in which many Supreme Court seats could be at stake.

The letter’s author took the liberty to alter a quote from Julia Child who was an ardent supporter Planned Parenthood. Julia accidentally flipped food onto the floor while cooking on one of her cooking programs.

As she picked it up from the floor and tossed it back into the pan, she looked into the camera and said, “Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?”

The writer of that letter reminded women, “Remember, you are alone in the voting booth.”

I hope that all women, regardless their political affiliation, will remember this advice this November as we fight to get our rights.

Katrina Saba
Oakland, Calif.

The Supreme Court Ruling on a Gerrymandered map

To the Editor

Re “Justices Revive G.O.P.-Drawn Map in Louisiana” (news article, June 29):

The Supreme Court’s reinstatement of the highly partisan gerrymandered voting map by the Louisiana Legislature simply highlights the politicization of the six conservative justices and the court’s continued decline of legitimacy in the public eye.

The trial court found that the Republican-drawn map diluted Black voters’ rights and required the Louisiana Legislature to redraw the map for the coming November election. The six justices arbitrarily blocked the trial court’s order without giving any reason.

Although overshadowed by the abortion, gun permit and church-state cases, this result-oriented order simply reinforces the public’s skepticism of the court’s partisan bent. So much for the Republicans’ historic denunciation of “activist judges.”

Ken Goldman
Beverly Hills, Calif.
The writer is a lawyer.

Talks in the Russia-Ukraine War

To the Editor

According to Jens Stoltenberg (NATO secretary general), the conflict in Ukraine is likely to continue for some time. Recent days have seen European leaders express serious interest in talks.

Negotiation may be more promising if the focus shifts from a final resolution of the protracted conflict to an interim plan with these initial objectives: (a) to cease the fighting and (b) to consider occupied territory “neutral,” and under a protectorate, until a complete resolution can be determined.

Implementing these steps will take some doing, but each, in some form, is essential to limit human suffering, physical damage and economic loss as well as to establish and support a forum for negotiations, one in which “the interests” of the nations, rather than their “positions,” frame the discussions.

This approach allows neither party to claim victory. They can however agree to work together for a peaceful Europe that is as important for Russia and Ukraine as for the stability and prosperity of the world.

Linda Stamato
Sanford M. Jaffe
Morristown, N.J.
The writers are codirectors of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy), Rutgers University.

‘Stolen’ Election? Do it.

To the Editor

The House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol has systematically presented a compelling, fact-based case as to what happened that day and why.

I am still awaiting the same from those who believe that the 2020 election was “stolen.” What is their case? Where are their facts? Instead of a well-organized, marshaled argument, all I hear is shouts, shouts, and hyperbole.

I am reminded of President Lincoln’s observation in the midst of a similar hysteria: “Passion has helped us; but can do so no more. It will become our enemy in the future. Reason, cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials for our future support and defence.”

This must be our nation’s watchword going forward.

Philip Taft
Hopewell, N.J.

Is it time for a new Constitutional Convention?

To the Editor

Many of us feel frustrated that the institutions that we look to for guidance in our democracy aren’t working: a Supreme Court which interprets law hundreds of centuries ago; a Senate, and House often stuck in gridlock; an executive that has been nearly overthrown by partisans who chant false information about electoral fraud.

There is clearly something wrong and we need to be the adults to help.

Perhaps it’s time for a new constitutional convention to update the contract between the people and our government so it works for all of us again.

Richard M. Schubert
Portland, Ore.