Abortion ruling turns women like me into second-class citizens

Abortion ruling

It’s a dark day in this country now that women, non-binary people and trans men are second-class citizens and have no right to control our bodies and determine whether we wish to carry a pregnancy to term. We must stand up to Republicans and the tyranny of the minority. The only recourse we have left is to vote, protest and demand accountability. I fear for our future as a democracy, but I’m not without hope that together we are stronger than the arrogant fools trying to keep us down.

Sarah Baldwin, Chapel Hill

Abortion rights

Now that a constitutional right to abortion has been overturned, every state where it is illegal should provide free contraception to every person of child-bearing age.

Eleanor Kinnaird, Chapel Hill

Supreme Court

One begins to wonder what the Supreme Court justices are thinking. Between their rulings on carrying handguns and outlawing abortion, their decisions are counter the desires of the American public. What happened to government “of the people, by the people and for the people”? Thomas Jefferson famously said we should revise the Constitution every 20 years. He felt one generation has no right to tell the next how to live. Perhaps it’s time we follow his advice.

Robert D. Brown, Cary

Court’s focus

There has been much consternation about the Supreme Court abortion ruling and the ruling that overturned the New York legislature’s law adding requirements to concealed carry permit requirements.

It seems that people misunderstand the mission of the Supreme Court. They are not here to decide right from wrong, just from un-just, moral from immoral, or for that matter, even sensible from total insanity. They have a singular, albeit deficient, focus: to determine whether or not something is “constitutional,” as seen through the lens of their own definitions. God help us.

John Marlow, Raleigh

Climate disasters

It was my birthday last week. I turned 13. I got a new iPhone and some other things, but if you asked me what I wanted most I wouldn’t say an iPhone or an Xbox. I’d say something completely different.

Every day we hear more bad news about the climate. Heat waves, hurricanes, droughts. I don’t want to grow up in that world. I don’t want to grow up in a world where there are wars over water access, millions dying each year in Africa and the Middle East, half the world under water.

How did this happen? The answer is simple. The current generation let us down. They poisoned our air and water, cut down our forests, killed our animals, put millions in hunger and poverty.

When will you start caring more about your children’s future than about Johnny Depp winning $15 million from his ex-wife? When will you save my generation?

Jack Dervin, Durham

Raleigh tax hike

Confusion and disappointment would be an accurate description of my reaction to the Raleigh City Council’s decision to raise taxes and increase council members’ salaries by such a large amount at a time of economic uncertainty. It’s even more perplexing when you consider that one of the top issues in Raleigh has been affordable housing. The bar just got set higher for home ownership. There is a growing disconnect with this Council that needs to be reconciled at the next election.

J. D. Howard, Raleigh

NC DEQ decision

Regarding “DEQ renews permit for plant fueled by poultry waste” (June 21):

Environmental justice activist Donna Chavis used the term “environmental apartheid” to describe the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s decision to allow North Carolina Renewable Power-Lumberton to reopen a Lumberton plant that has a history of “cumulative and disproportionate” air quality violations in a part of the state with almost 90% African American and indigenous residents.

Chavis’ comments brought to mind another term: “environmental racism,” used in 1982 by the Rev. Ben Chavis regarding a PCB dump the state placed in Warren County — another case of N.C. exploiting poor people of color. The dump caused toxic poisoning of the local environment. Tragically, some things never change in this state, where instead of uplifting the vulnerable among us we just dump on them.

Patrick O’Neill, Garner

Mark Meadows

The Department of Justice refused to charge Mark Meadows with contempt of Congress for withholding documents vital to the Jan. 6 case. Are there honest men left in government?

Meadows can change the course of history and give the truth about what he knows about the “Big Lie” conspiracy. Let’s stop playing hide and seek and fearing Trump. Show integrity again.

Norman Singer, Cary

NRA blood money

Gun sellers are running ads essentially telling kids to “man up.” Congress needs to “man up” and repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which protects gun manufacturers and dealers from liability. It must also raise the age to buy firearms to 21 and reinstate the assault rifle ban. We cannot continue to let the gun lobby hold America hostage while elected officials cower behind stacks of NRA blood money.

Lynn Andrews, Durham

This story was originally published June 24, 2022 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Abortion ruling turns women like me into second-class citizens."