Letters for July-August 23. 6 – Daily press

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The whole question of abortion is largely misplaced. What politician can tell when a fetus acquires a soul? Are there soulless humans? These are all questions in the field of religion.

No politician or lawyer can properly handle such issues. Probably no woman in the world likes abortion, but there are millions of people who object to politicians telling them what is right or wrong and what they can or cannot do about it. their own body.

Of course, the word “abortion” does not appear in the Constitution because the US government never intended to mix religion with US law.

Richard Dunn, Williamsburg

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In issues of the Gazette, Professor Filko, to his credit, mentions that he finds the responses to his opinion pieces, even critical ones, to be primarily informative. Additionally, on July 13, he offered a thoughtful explanation of recent Supreme Court rulings on abortion, gun laws, and environmental protection.

It mentions emotional reactions to decisions, and there is a recommendation “to understand the reasoning used by judges in both majority and dissenting opinion”, opposed to “partisan rants” from “biased politicians, activists and media sources “.

The recommendation: To avoid “emotional outbursts” and judgmental comments, “listen to the 2-hour ‘consolidated oral argument'” instead of reading “the entirety of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade”.

Although the comments are true in class, they miss the mark. For pro-choicers, it’s visceral, more about a woman’s right to choose rather than whether the Constitution contains a right to privacy. On the pro-life side, the problem is not constitutional nicety, it’s an abhorrence of the destruction of human life.

His formula above, although well thought out, works on Mr. Spock’s planet where emotions don’t exist. The same could be said of gun laws and environmental issues. On Earth, you have to deal with the emotional right side of the human brain.

Result: demagogy benefits, chaos reigns, extremist views triumph, septic abortions.

Direct your emotions: less heat, acknowledge that both sides are hurting, beware of unfavorable maternal issues, respect common humanity.

Ronald J. Ruszkowski, MD, Williamsburg

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I couldn’t agree more with Joseph Filko’s recent column in the Gazette in which he warned that a subversion of our language threatened us all.

We all remember the presentation of “alternative facts”, the blatant lies of our former president and of course the characterization of a violent coup attempt as “legitimate political discourse”. Ridiculously false claims of a rigged election and fraudulent vote continue to this day, and the Republican representatives in Congress who supported that coup are desperately twisting the language to distract from their complicity.

Mr. Filko’s warnings ring true: we need to see through the smokescreens, manipulative half-truths and hand-picked history to fully appreciate the truth of what the right is doing to our country.

Ken BlakelyWilliamsburg

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I will keep it simple. No one who continues to insist that the Democrats stole the 2020 election and uses that lie as a basis for enacting voter suppression measures is not fit to hold public office. Drop the mic.

Douglas Woods, Williamsburg

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For the first time in far too long, I feel optimistic about our future.

Joe Biden is doing his best for all of us, even with the heavy loads he has to carry. Every day more and more people feel better with each other, many have become kinder and help their neighbors more with meals, childcare, acts of silent caring for the elderly and infirm, hungry people and people in physical and emotional pain. Fewer, it seems, are racist or bigoted, and others are just minding their own business.

I’m just happy to be alive and relatively healthy and to feel loved by my family. I hope and pray that what I feel spreads to others. It’s as good a time to be alive and healthy as any. I hope you and yours too.

Toni Beacham, Williamsburg

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The only way to fix our damaged judicial branch is to add more justices to the Supreme Court. For at least 20 years he has ventured into politics and now leans heavily towards conservative positions with his views on guns, the environment and abortion.

Apparently he abandoned the doctrine of the separation of church and state, enshrining in law the religious question of reproduction; he ignored the preamble of the U.S. Constitution (“to secure domestic tranquility” and “promote the general welfare”) by ignoring the majority of the citizens and causing mass unrest, and he set the stage for many more deaths Americans through gun violence and atmospheric pollution.

We can achieve political balance by adding judges, and then only hope that a refreshed SCOTUS will reorient itself.

Richard Dunn, James City County

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Dr. Jade Ranger is a busy citizen of Williamsburg. She and her husband, Henry, are pharmacists and owners of the popular local family pharmacy, The Prescription Shoppe. They have two young children.

Jade participates in a number of community activities, is a member of the New Zion Baptist Church and writes a monthly newspaper column. Like many women, she could easily be overwhelmed by her hectic schedule, but she was made possible by these words of Jesus: “I tell you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: “Move away from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

And now Dr. Ranger has published a book – “Mustard Seed Mentality” – in which she offers examples from her own life to detail the ways the mustard seed mentality can help women, and all of us, do coping with life stressors. (She signed me a copy from Barnes & Noble. “Mustard Seed Mentality” is also available from Palmetto Publishing and amazon.com.)

Sandy BreuerWilliamsburg

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