Idaho Republicans wouldn’t dare put abortion on the ballot | Opinion

Abortion

Dear Idaho Republicans. I dare you to put the issue of abortion rights and choice on the ballot. I dare you. But you won’t, because you know the majority of Idahoans support a woman’s right to choose, along with her partner and her doctor, what to do with her body, and to make often very difficult decisions to protect her health. You cannot treat women like breeding cattle and expect to get away with it. This is 2023, not 1823.

Chris Rudd, Boise

Election

If Tuesday’s election results around the country prove anything, it is that truth prevails over lies, love prevails over hate, and democracy is a stronger and far better way to deal with the challenges and vicissitudes of a complicated, chaotic world than the rigid, freedom-killing authoritarianism that is being ponied up as a substitute.

What they also demonstrate is the resilience of the American voter — those who in spite of a media-driven despondency over the state of our national and state politics somehow manage to think and act for themselves to do the right thing.

MAGA and its sister sycophantic organizations like the Idaho Freedom Foundation and Dorothy Moon’s lap dogs in the state Republican party would be wise to take heed and start packing their bags, for there is deep hope in all of this for the rest of us — a lot of it. The veil of darkness these extremists and their witless followers have been foisting these many years may finally be lifting. Their moral bankruptcy has been exposed and it is not selling.

Douglas Siddoway, Ashton

Woke

What is “woke”? It’s being aware of what’s going on around you (a.k.a. “situational awareness”); woke is knowing our collective American history; it’s doing something about racial injustice. Woke is knowing when you’re being lied to and why they’re lying. Woke is rejecting cry-baby political malpractice by wannabe dictators; woke is applying the law equally to everyone, not purging the Department of Justice or “suspending the Constitution.”

Woke is seeking justice for the January 6, 2021, assault against democracy and prosecuting all of the insurrectionists — from the top down. Woke is your right and access to vote and have it counted. Woke is eyes-wide-open to see through the thickening fog of malodorous, malicious “right-wing” disinformation. Woke is calling book banning what it is — petty (and dangerous) Communist-style censorship.

Woke is rejecting fascism, authoritarianism, Nazism and Communism (the “FAN-C” Conservative quadrumvirate). Woke is respecting body and sexual autonomy. Woke is anguish that a leading cause of child mortality in America is bullets. Woke is despair about “conservative” lust for the almighty assault-style rifle. Woke is keeping your noses out of other peoples’ lifestyles, bathrooms and bedrooms. Being woke requires waking up. Being woke is American. Being woke is freedom. Being woke is democracy.

Jefferson B. Young, Boise

Trump haters

This is for the Trump haters on the right. The folks who fell for the Russian hoax, echo the left’s talking points, and work to undermine Trump at every opportunity. Heck, they probably even voted for Biden.

Let’s start with the state of the country. Open borders, rampant crime, fentanyl deaths and inflation. Now for the Department of Justice and FBI. Crossfire Hurricane, labeling parents as domestic terrorists, two-tiered justice system, colluding with big tech to suppress information in the last election, 250,000-plus illegal searches of Americans, and protecting the Biden family. And Trump is the biggest threat to our democracy.

How about internationally? Russia/Ukraine War, botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, stranding Americans and leaving $7 billion in weapons and equipment to the Taliban, and now the Iran-sponsored Hamas attack on Israel. Do you really feel safer than three years ago?

Lastly, the Biden administration and its allies going after their odds-on opponent for the 2024 election. They know Trump is the biggest threat to their power, they can’t afford for him to win and will do everything they can to defeat him.

And yet with all of this, look who you side with. With Republicans like you, who needs Democrats?

Kendall Kemmer, Boise

House speaker

I recently wrote a letter to Rep. Mike Simpson asking what he is going to do, when House Speaker Mike Johnson, a MAGA election denier, refuses to certify the election in 2024, when Biden, once again, beats Trump. Instead of answering my question, Simpson went into a long detailed history of the recent votes for speaker. I know all of the history. I actually wrote, and called him, to thank him for voting against Jim Jordan, another MAGA election denier. I don’t need a history lesson. I need a simple answer to an important question, that could destroy our Democracy, as we know it. Once he answers this simple question, I have many other questions. What is he going to do when Johnson tries to do away with the separation of church and state, and make us a Christian nation? How is he going to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community, and those of women, with this far right evangelical Christian speaker? I could go on! Once again Simpson has proven that he doesn’t represent me, or many of my friends, who live in his district.

Michal Voloshen, Boise

Religion

Religion is destroying America. We don’t let religion burn women as witches anymore, but we let religion ruin millions of lives. Why do we let someone’s religion push laws that ban books, change history curriculum, take medical choices away from women and transgender Americans. Your religion can control your life, but it should have no effect on the lives of others. Why should your religion control the rights and freedoms of all Americans? Do we really want to have a religious Theocracy? We have examples of them in countries like Iran, that use religion to take rights away from women and homosexuals. American religions have decided that that is what they want for America. We were founded as a country free from religion and the freedoms that religions take from people. Let’s get back to freedom instead of religious dictates. The religious fanatics need to mind their own business and let others live their lives. Two men or women getting married or a woman having an abortion does not affect your life. It’s none of your business what they do. Show some respect for other people and let them be free from your religion.

Allen L. Wenger, Boise