City should auction off Taylor Swift signs, donate proceeds | Letters

Now that Taylor Swift has left town, why doesn't the city of Cincinnati auction off all the signs and stuff they made for the event and give the money to Children's Hospital? The "Swifties" will pay big bucks for these. They could even make replicas to increase the "take." How about it Cincinnati?

Chuck Deuser, Cold Spring, Ky.

Taylor Swift concert uplifting for all ages

Accolades to Cincinnati for hosting the Taylor Swift concert! After being aware of other venues that have included inappropriate language, dress and behavior on stage, this concert was uplifting for the audience of children, teens and all ages to witness. We need more venues like this to create role models for our youth.Susan Long Dineen, Montgomery

Householder guilty; lawmakers now must fix damage done by HB 6

Although former House Speaker Larry Householder was found guilty of bribery, the damage done be his House Bill 6 scheme has not been corrected by the Ohio Legislature. Two obsolete Ohio Valley Electric Corporation coal plants (Kyger Creek and Clifty Creek) are still operating and receiving $150 million per year in subsidies charged to all Ohio utility bills. This could be corrected by passing HB 120 now.

In addition, the Ohio energy efficiency program was cancelled by the the bribery induced HB 6 in 2019. This could be corrected by establishing a new energy efficiency program through HB 79 currently being considered in the Ohio Legislature. The judge can't change the law, but the Ohio elected representatives should.

Ted Bergh, Anderson Township

Children's Hospital the best in patient care, cancer research

What a wonderful achievement that Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has been awarded not only the No. 1 Children's Hospital in the U.S., but also that their Oncology (Cancer) Division is also ranked No. 1 as well. If, as members of our community, you are thinking of a donation to a national pediatric cancer center, remember the facility in our own neighborhood. Cincinnati Children's Hospital's cancer facility is the best, not only for patient care but for children's cancer research as well.

Patricia Wells, Bellevue, Ky.

Companies should fear wrath of the public more than political activists

It's a shame that fear has to be the deciding factor in some of our actions today as citizens of a free country, but that's where we are. Case in point, over 600 employees at glass plants are losing their jobs because their biggest customer is Anheuser-Busch and that company's business is tanking because of the Bud Light controversy.

Some would say it's time to ease up on the boycott because innocent people are getting hurt by it, but until companies like Anheuser-Busch begin to fear the wrath of the American public more than they fear political activists, now is not the time to allow sympathy into the picture.

Frank Nelson, Anderson Township

Closure of St. Joseph school leaves more questions than answers

I am writing as a concerned citizen addressing the closing of St. Joseph Catholic K-8 grade school for the 2023-2024 school year. The Enquirer's recent article is unclear as to whether this closure was decided to provide well-needed maintenance or to begin the process of permanently closing the school. How can a school be safe one day and unsafe the next?

This removal of St. Joseph School as a school choice leaves a critical gap in our religious community. This inner-city school for years has offered a unique alternative to public schools. The dioceses decision to no longer invest in this school community will be a devastating loss. The decision appears to be sudden and unexpected to the community. I am left with more questions than answers.

As an educator of over 22 years, I am always concerned about the impact on children and on the community. The certified educators from St. Joseph will be able to find new jobs, but what will happen to the children and their families who have depended on this institution to help influence their children’s lives? We need more alternatives in the education sector.

Gary Favors, Avondale

Surprised and pleased by reprimand of UC professor

I'm surprised but pleased that the University of Cincinnati has reprimanded a professor who gave a student a zero on an essay in which the student used the term "biological women." That the professor is appealing the decision isn't shocking, but her reasoning for doing so is well outside the mainstream. She says that the student used "outdated terminology." Huh? Only to a liberal college professor could "biological women" be an outdated term.

Teresa Montour, Maineville

Choice applies to pregnant women, doctors and OBGYNs

Regarding, "Amendment threatens care quality for mothers, babies," (July 2): As the column's author, Dr. Angela Beale Martin, knows, the majority of abortions occur in the first trimester. When there is a lethal fetal malformation, the second and third trimester procedure is preferable for most pregnant women who would otherwise have to risk childbirth (itself not benign). We need OBGYNs capable of doing these procedures while hoping they are rare.

First, there is no reason for an amendment allowing elective abortion up to 40 weeks, when a limit at 16 weeks and saving the life of the mother at any stage is reasonable. Second, if an OBGYN objects to performing abortion, she or he should simply refuse. As a psychiatrist with certain areas of expertise, I refuse to take on patients when I can't help them, or when I don't have adequate time available.

Choice applies to pregnant women and to OBGYNs or family doctors who perform procedures.

Dr. Marcia Kaplan, Clifton

A definition of 'woke' that's hard to argue

Persons on the right rarely attempt coherent explanations of what they really mean when they drip with sarcasm about the concept of being "woke." But progressive folks, unfortunately, seem to struggle to counter these vague attacks. So please allow me to offer a concise and robust definition of "woke." I claim no authorship, I saw this somewhere a few weeks ago, but I feel it's definitely worth widely passing on:

"Woke means being open to the fullness of truth about our shared past, present and future: the good, the bad, the ugly. Wokeness is understanding that our pluralistic, complex democracy must be open to all our voices, perspectives, stories, histories and visions of the future, even and especially those of the most marginalized. In this way, wokeness is a commitment to truth and justice as the American way.

"Staying asleep among the ranks of the unwoke is a choice. It may be more comfortable. It is also fundamentally undemocratic and un-American."

Chew on that, Mr. and Mrs. Right, and let me know where you might want to take issue with it, if your credibility is up to the challenge.

Jack Brennan, Clifton

Fairness Act is designed to serve all Ohioans

Since when does "religious liberty" take precedence over "fairness for all?" We have more religious freedom in this country than almost every other country. Do the "religious" get freedom to discriminate? Are not "religious" folks supposed to be loving, compassionate and understanding of all God's people? Doesn't our Republican-controlled legislature represent all of Ohio's citizens? What is their problem? The Ohio Fairness Act should not be a "political" win or loss. It is designed to serve all Ohio citizens.

Ann Thompson, Green Township 

Michigan bill would require respect of preferred gender pronouns

If you're in favor of the new definition(s) of personal pronouns and you want to feel protected, you might want to consider moving to the state of Michigan. House Democrats in that state just passed legislation (House Bill 4474) that would make intimidating someone by intentionally using their unpreferred gender pronouns a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for no more than five years.

I guess the old saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" has been officially outlawed, at least in the Great Lakes State. Can you imagine how busy the court system will become up there?

Rob Burke, West Chester Township

Find someplace other than Burnet Woods for dog park

While I do really like dogs, I don’t think Burnet Woods is the place for a dog park. The Preserve Burnet Woods group speaks clearly about a few of the many reasons why it’s not the place in their recent Forum article, "Park Board ignores concerns about dog park," (July 2).

My question is: Besides the Cincinnati Park Board of Commissioners seemingly not understanding community engagement, does anyone on the board have any ecological knowledge? The next Park Board meeting is Thursday, July 20, at 9 a.m. My public comment will be "find another place for the dog park."

Deborah Jordan, East Price Hill

Just say you don't want to smell dog poop at the park

I love dogs. I’ve taken my black lab mix to the dog park located 2.2 miles from my house hundreds of times in the past 15 years. I would never use the proposed Burnet Woods dog park so it will have no effect on me one way or another. I think an organization loses some of its credibility when it tries to convince the public that a small patch of land with a bunch of dogs on it "negatively affects the quality of wildlife habitat." It’s absurd on its face. Folks should just come out be honest and say, "We don’t want to smell dog poop when we walk through the park." I can respect that point of view.

Howard Bueker, Green Township

Someone can be a law-abiding gun owner until they're not

Someone I know has a gun and gun training, for example, uses a gun range, knows gun safety, knows laws related to when to use a gun. The frustration for me is that a person can be a "law-abiding gun owner" until he or she is not. I will use Dylann Roof as an example.

Roof could not keep a job, stayed at his father's or mother's home (they were divorced), took target practice outside his abode, harassed or stalked folks at the mall, used alcohol, pot and cocaine. So his sire gifted Roof with a Glock gun for his birthday. Roof sat through Bible study at a church, then killed all present.

How do we prevent this and other mass murders?

The Columbine High School killers were very intelligent and upper class. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold both had felonies and qualified for a diversion program, and the sheriff traced a bomb to Harris. Law enforcement never processed a search warrant, and they would have found Harris' home had an arsenal! I can't help but think that Roof, Harris and Klebold could have been caught before their hideous crimes.

By the way, the Columbine murderers were too young to buy guns in Colorado, and had two adults buy the guns for them.

Cheryl D. Spencer, Sycamore Township 

Can the Enquirer stop beating a dead horse with Tracie Hunter?

Regarding, "Tracie Hunter tells Supreme Court: 'Dismiss this complaint against me,'" (July 2): Tracie Hunter’s story is kind of like a skin blemish that just never seems to really go away. OK, it may disappear for a while, but you always know that it will reappear someday and continue to irritate you. Ms. Hunter has been that blemish, and for the Enquirer, the gift that keeps on giving to fill up what should be valuable print space.

In the recent case, it’s another half page on top of the countless lines and pictures in the paper since 2013 (10 years). Is she that significant, or is there really so little valuable news to report on that the Hunter chronicles still deserves such attention? Talk about beating a dead horse.

William H. Gerak, Hebron, Ky.

Student loan forgiveness shifts repayment to taxpayers

I earned my college degrees through academic and financial hard work. I paid off my student loan. President Joe Biden does not acknowledge the obvious. College students need to be held responsible for their legitimate loans. He does not have the authority or right to force repayment from other U.S. citizens through implied tax increases or increasing the already obscene national debt.

Keith Klesk, Loveland

Issue 1 about more than woman's right to choose

Vote "No" on Issue 1 because it is more than the current struggle to protect a woman’s right to choose; it’s about protecting collaborative work/union representation (2011); it’s about the ability to fund new bond levies that pay for Ohios roads bridges and over 1,200 new school buildings; it’s about increasing the minimum wage in (2006). All of these issues passed by less than a 60% affirming vote. And it’s about fixing the gerrymandering issue that passed with a 70% affirmative vote but that the current legislature has seen fit to ignore.

Those who want you to vote for this bill are hypocritically claiming the petition process is too easy and we need to make the threshold more difficult, yet they pass this legislation with "only" a majority of 50% plus one. Those who want you to vote for this bill say, hypocritically, that they want to protect the constitution from out-of-state special interests, yet they rely on a billionaire from Illinois to bankroll this bill's passage.

This process has served the state for over 110 years, but now when they see the power of the citizens throughout Ohio, the legislature decides that they don’t want the citizens to have power, they want only themselves to control the levers of power.

Don’t be duped by the out-of-state, wealthy special interests that are backing this anti-democratic agenda based on the lies and hypocrisy of protecting our state constitution. A "No" vote will protect the power of citizens to require the legislature to abide by the will of the majority in protecting unions, fair districts, bond funding for critical infrastructure, and health care decisions that must remain only between a doctor and their patient.

Vote no is a bipartisan issue and is supported by two Republican and two Democratic ex-governors (John Kasich, Bob Taft, Ted Strickland and Dick Celeste, respectively).

Greg Fritz, Mount Airy 

Going back to church can help stem America's moral crisis

Recent surveys have confirmed that church attendance in our country is continuing to decline among all faiths and particularly at younger ages. As a result, America, once a bastion for the Judeo-Christian ethic, is facing a moral crisis where everything is relative and absolutes have all but ceased to exist. Since all of the great civilizations in history began their decline by rotting from within, it seems to me that the burden falls on the family unit to get us "back to basics," including going to church.

Ollie Smith, Edgewood, Ky.

Biden vows to circumvent other branches of government

Sometimes it seems as though our leaders in Washington have forgotten about the basic tripartite structure of our government.

The legislature, whose members are directly elected by the people, considers and enacts laws deemed beneficial for the nation. The executive, embodied in the president elected by the people through an indirect process, shall "faithfully execute" the laws passed by the legislature. The judiciary, whose members are chosen by the executive and the legislative arms acting together, interprets and applies the laws in individual cases brought before it.

Recently, the judiciary has ruled that the executive branch has tried to execute a nonexistent law (one which the legislature considered earlier and declined to enact). The executive disagrees with this decision. President Joe Biden has vowed to find a way to circumvent the Supreme Court ruling; he wants to spend $450 billion (over and above the current deficit) to buy 25 million votes. The corruption is mind-boggling!

Clyde Stauffer, Finneytown

A few tweaks could make FC Cincinnati games more enjoyable

I attended the FC Cincinnati game versus New England. I had a good time, but I wanted to point out a few constructive criticisms.

We were seated behind the goal and were constantly bombarded by the series of flashing advertisement that are situated close to the playing field. It was a source of continued distraction, not to mention how the players on the field must feel while concentrating on the game and being subjected to this.

Also fans seem to stand a lot during exciting happenings, which is fine, but it obstructs vision and there is only one big screen for the whole arena and on several occasions that screen was not honed into the happenings on the field, but continued to flash FCC advertisement. Why is the camera not directed to the action going on?

Constance Breitbeil, Westwood

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: City should auction off Taylor Swift signs, donate proceeds | Letters