LETTERS FOR 9/29/21

Don't take away abortion rights

Dear Editor: It is incomprehensible to me that people think the debate over abortion and whose right it is to decide is a matter of constitutional opinions or debates about legislative authority. Abortion and the decision to abort is extremely personal and difficult.

I believe in life and make decisions based on what is most life-giving. Is it more life-giving to force a woman, often young, who has been raped to have the child and upend her life? If she has a good support system and some financial capacity, she may decide to have the child, raise them or put them up for adoption, but ultimately she is getting support.

What if she has no support? Do we sacrifice her life for the life of the unborn child? And are we willing to support them after the child is born with health care, child care, parental leave?

Abortion is not an easy decision, but it is a personal decision. Let's not go backwards and take away the right of women to make decisions about their own bodies and their children. Let's support them and maintain their rights.

- Joyce Anderson, Madison

Need to act on climate change

Dear Editor: Your reports of UW System students fighting for environmental justice is a stark reminder that we all must advocate for and act on environmental issues as they directly affect us as Wisconsin residents. I hope we can all call on our elected representatives in Washington to address this crisis.

I live in Beloit and have studied the impacts and harm of climate change.

It's even more important to remember that the impact of climate change is felt more severely on marginalized communities. We have to act, and we must direct resources particularly to low-income communities and communities of color that bear the brunt of the impact of climate change.

I am grateful that Rep. Mark Pocan of the 2nd Congressional District has co-sponsored the Environmental Justice for All Act that would ensure that when we act we also help those that are most impacted by this climate crisis.

- Veeka Malanchuk, Beloit

Pocan toes the corporate line

Dear Editor: "Fighting Bob" would find little in the spirit of fighting against the status quo with our current 2nd Congressional District Rep. Mark Pocan, unless that fighting was for one of the progressive caucus' top performative actor spots. In that regard Pocan does pretty well.

John Nichols writes ("Pocan continues uphill battle to cut military budget," Dec. 14) that Pocan has "battled" to make very modest cuts to the Pentagon budget and redirect the funds to health care and the climate crisis. While few progressives are going to argue with the general goal of those initiatives, there is real damage done as a " progressive" when you are giving cover to the overwhelmingly corporate Democratic Party.

At the start of 2021, Pocan voted for Nancy Pelosi - supporter of the ever-increasing National Defense Authorization Act and opponent of every progressive policy Pocan says he supports - as House speaker again. In September Pocan voted to send an additional $ 1 billion to Israel, more defense contractor welfare, for their Iron Dome defense system so that country can continue to expand settlements in the West Bank.

Despite being a recurrent cosponsor of Medicare for All, another year will have come and passed by 2022 without the bill seeing a single hearing, including in any of the committees Pocan serves on and has sway over. Instead the Dems have sent more subsidies to the health insurance industry.

If we elect progressives to not follow the corporate agenda, but they still curry favor and take orders from those who do, what was the point?

- Richard McGowan, Madison

Johnson prolongs the pandemic

Dear Editor: As an obstetrician/gynecologist in Wisconsin, I am more than concerned about the misinformation that Sen. Ron Johnson continues to spread regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

I find myself having the same conversation over and over again with my patients, strongly recommending vaccination and explaining why. Yet time and time again, people I deeply care about question the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, instead requesting medications that are ineffective and often unsafe, like ivermectin.

I am calling on Johnson to stop spreading misinformation about an unproven drug that has potential for harm, and rather focus his energy on encouraging his constituents to treat each other like neighbors, listen to scientists and medical professionals, and accept the vaccine as the best tool we have to lead us out of this pandemic instead of being saddled by behaviors that will only prolong it.

- Kristin Lyerly, De Pere

Hold insurrectionists accountable

Dear Editor: On Jan. 6, 2021, I was at home in my living room watching the insurrection in real time and could not believe what my eyes were seeing.

I volunteered to spend some of the best years of my life in service to this country because I believe in the ideals of what it stands for. I couldn't believe that elected representatives, including the commander in chief, were seemingly encouraging their supporters to storm the Capitol.

When the assault began I was horrified to see the large crowd start to gather and move toward their objective. I waited to see the security reinforcements arrive. They never did. It became clear that people with authority had something to do with it, that those who had authority called for people to storm the Capitol, and that this influenced many who participated.

We need to hold those accountable who participated in whatever manner to ensure that this does not take place again.

- Randy Bryce, Caledonia

The foul taste of Ron Johnson

Dear Editor: I'm old enough to remember when people like Gaylord Nelson and Bill Proxmire represented Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate. What has happened to our gene pool?

Ron Johnson is a regular embarrassment to the state, most recently with his comment that mouth wash kills the coronavirus. That's a terrible waste of mouthwash. A much better use is to wash out the bad taste Johnson so frequently leaves in our mouths.

- William Becker, Waunakee