Trust women with their own bodies | Letters to the editor: Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022
Trust women with their own bodies
Re “Human life needs protecting” (Letters, Sept. 11): Fr. Misael Avila states that “reason dictates that human life has dignity and needs protection” and also that it “is obvious that the fertilized egg is not yet a human being.” I advocate for a female’s right to control her own reproductive capacity to the extent that she can. Does she not have dignity? Does she not need “protection” from bearing a deformed, nonviable fetus or a child she may not be able to provide for?
Humans are fallible, birth control is not always available, and some methods are not 100% effective. A female of child-bearing age is already a human being with her own needs and should be trusted to know and act upon her own best interests and the interests of her family. That is why I am pro-choice, for keeping abortion a medically safe and legal option, and against forced birth.
Frances A. Lopez, Modesto
Act now on climate change
Society generally takes appropriate action only when a crisis is reached. Floods, droughts, winds, heat, and fire events are rapidly increasing in frequency and severity, resulting in widespread death and destruction. The crisis has been reached and will take decades to turn around. If we do not act immediately and effectively, we will pay with ever-increasing, devastating losses. The response by society has been totally insufficient. What should we be doing to try to minimize damage?
1. Write to your representatives and urge passage of legislation that will decrease the use of fossil fuels.
2. Buy small hybrid cars, install solar panels, turn your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer, carpool, consolidate trips and very importantly, drive slower.
3. Recognize that our climate emergency is not a partisan crisis. The recent passing of productive Biden climate change legislation is the first step of a tall but still surmountable staircase. However, on that legislation, zero of 257 Republican members of Congress voted to help save the planet. We must elect leaders who will work to save our planet.
4. Learn about climate change. Check out MJC’s MAPS presentation scheduled for Jan. 27 at murov.info/maps.htm .
Steve Murov, Hughson