Letters to the editor: latchkey kids, gender inequality, causes of pregnancy and others

Latchkey kids

I remember when I was I kid I would come home and be alone for an hour, and I couldn’t begin to imagine being so young and being stuck alone until 10 or 11 at night. But some kids are stuck alone late into the evenings, meaning that they are responsible for making themselves food and providing for themselves and doing anything around the house . While researching I found a commonly known term, and I decided to look into it more, the term “Latchkey Kid ‘‘ first made an appearance in the early 40s and is still talked about to this day. Kids coming home from school to an empty house can not only mean bad things. It can teach them to be more responsible in the future and can help them later in life. Growing up, some kids have parents who play a large role in their childhood, coaching their little league teams, volunteering as the class parent, attending all their events, and much more. Other kids have one or both parents who may be less active in their lives, not by choice, but because they have to work more hours to sustain and provide for their families.

Mason Bothof, Caldwell

Gender inequality

Over the years, there still proceeds to be harassment, sexual abuse and inequality for women in politics and in the workplace. This has decreased the capabilities in the country of what we can do to improve, making the country a better place. Yes we have started over the years creating groups to decrease the inequality in women culture. But 1 in 5 women between 15 and 49 years old report experiencing sexual violence by a partner within a 12-month period. There are still 130 million girls in the world who do not participate in school where women still have a lower rate of receiving education than men. These statistics around the world show that we still don’t give every woman the same opportunity as men. So what can we do? We can use education to help younger kids learn about the social problems we have been enduring and enforce more laws and or policies, especially in education and in the workplace, for a better America. Not only can this help build a better productive and significant society, but discover and create new findings in the world.

Averie Bayne, Caldwell

Causes of pregnancy

The latest abortion upheaval has once again forgotten that two people are involved in creating an unplanned pregnancy. Women’s ‘partners’ might include a rapist, her uncle, brother, father, married lover, friend, lover or husband. Apparently, even violent procreation is her fault.

Women have taken the blame and the brunt of unwanted pregnancy letting men sail blithely along with no accountability, leaving the mom, the baby, and/or the state to pay the consequences.

Here’s a solution for government intervention into women’s bodies. Every unwanted pregnancy will go to term after forced paternity tests, and forced vasectomies accompanied by lifelong financial support for the child. Vasectomies can be reversed when the man is mature enough to be a father.

If the woman dies in childbirth, then the father and the state will be accessories to murder.

When the insanity continues and factions press to eliminate birth control altogether, to insure sex for procreation only, Big Brother will need to harness male testosterone. Women may have libido but do men have to worry about walking down darkened streets, or drinking a date rape drug, or being the victim of a predator?

Unplanned pregnancy is a mutual responsibility.

Martha Edgar, Salmon

Gas prices

Gas prices are ridiculous. Again. Idaho often has some of the highest gas prices in the nation. We don’t have a refinery in the state, so we pay to get gas here by pipeline or truck. That gas comes from Texas, or Saudi Arabia, or someplace not here. We don’t have to be in this situation.

It’s time we used Idaho energy to power our vehicles. We are blessed with hydro energy from dams and canals, geothermal energy under our feet, and solar and wind energy ready for the taking.

Are you ready to tell the big oil companies to shove it? Consider an electric vehicle or at least a hybrid. Ditch the gasoline habit. Abandon the quickie oil change stations. Start using energy from Idaho.

Rick Just, Boise

Price gouging

Are you sick and tired of the high gas prices? Well did you know that last Monday the Democrats were working with the Republicans in an effort to have the FTC investigate the oil companies for price gouging. Every Republican in the committee voted to kill the investigation.

Now, its all possible that you could have been saving up to a dollar a gallon, but your Republicans that you voted for feel you don’t deserve to save that money.

It appears, that your Republicans haven’t a clue on how to curb this inflation, and they are sure that if the Democrats come up with a bill that will save you money they will vote against it.

Is this what you people want; you want these anti-American workers to keep getting overcharged for fuel that you need to do your job. So, let’s get rid of the anti-Biden stickers and realize that you’re paying high prices because your Republican representatives don’t care about you.

Jerry Johnson, Payette

Kuna fire

The Kuna Rural Fire District (The KRFD) provides emergency services to 33,390 people across 110 square miles. Call volumes in our fire district have increased 72.42% in 10 years. Overlapping calls occur 25% of the time, and that number is climbing.

Population growth and call volume increases are straining our resources. Specifically, we require more emergency personnel and a fire station to meet the emergency service needs of our community.

The KRFD is considering asking voters for a small operations levy increase to fund additional personnel, and a facilities bond for a fire station. A bond is temporary, paid back over time, and reduces the annual amount required of property owners to fund these needs.

There will be public meetings to discuss this further. We hope you will take part and learn more about this important issue.

T.J. Lawrence, fire chief, Kuna Rural Fire District