Will history repeat without Roe v. Wade?
In 1944-45, Helen Cooper was a first-year teacher in Cincinnati when she told her seventh-graders their classmate had died from a “botched up” abortion.
My mother related the story in a letter to the Cincinnati Post on Dec. 30, 1985: “Our principal, wise before his time, insisted that we deal with this subject in our classroom — and I scarcely knew the meaning of the word abortion! The girl had been impregnated by a relative, and the family dealt with this tragedy in the only way that was available to them at that time. Is this what [Cincinnatian and National Right to Life president] Dr. John Wilke would have our young people do? Seek help from parents who are unable to deal with the problem? Would pro-life groups have our young people resort to some unscrupulous character whose unsanitary methods could cost them their lives?”
That girl didn’t have the option my mom’s aunt, a nurse, had told her about for women who got a “D&C,” dilation and curettage, that scraped the uterus of something that did not belong there.
I knew the girl’s story but not more about its impact until that letter.
Signed “Helen Cooper Howe,” the letter included our address. I was alone when a stranger got out of his truck and approached our house. I decided it was safe to open the door. He asked for “Miss Cooper.” He had seen the letter and wanted to connect with his teacher after
40-plus years. Mom called him when she got home from the beauty shop, where her hairdresser Maxine had cried so hard that she could hardly cut Mom’s hair. Maxine had been in that class, too.
Who was the girl? She’s “every girl.” She’s why I’m pro-choice. Will her story be repeated if Roe v. Wade is overturned?
Barb Howe
Morgantown
Vote for officials who will reform gun laws
Another horrific mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas. It is one too many in a lengthy list.
Schools should be the center of teaching and learning. Students are our future responsible citizens, and schools need to provide a safe and academic environment.
Instead, parents live in fear they may never see their kid after they are dropped off at school. The United States is the only developed country in the world with a recurring frequency of shooting incidents. It is easier to get a gun without a background check or training than to get a driver’s license in Texas.
Commonsense gun reform is long overdue. Kind words and condolences are futile. Legislators, what are we doing? Nothing. Congress lacks moral courage, particularly the GOP. Mainstream America supports gun control, but our governing body is so far removed from representing the people.
Anger and emotions need to be translated into action. Parents, teachers, responsible citizens — wake up to action. Inaction is suicidal.
Voters, wake up to elect the right representatives who hear your voice and concerns. It is your civic duty to bring the country back to a normal, civil, moral and peaceful state. We can rise to the occasion.
Peace prevail!
Syamala Jagannathan
Morgantown
America’s layered and imperfect democracy
It’s not every day that a person reads about Lebanese politics in The Dominion Post editorial pages (DP-05-19-22). Evidently, the Lebanese reserve legislative seats according to religion. In the past, it was six seats for Christians for every five Muslim seats.
It’s hard to defend this sort of system, but the columnist was too quick to dismiss it. The idea in the United States is that we have this hallowed tradition called democracy, where every person can be a legislator if they get a majority of votes. Indeed, every school in the United States talks about the brilliant governing systems put in place by the Founding Fathers.
But when you dig, you find out that while we have a system of government based on democracy, there are layers. There are vetoes, which are decidedly undemocratic, as one person overrules many.
In this sense, the U.S. Bill of Rights is the most undemocratic document ever written. Using Google, it takes only moments to see that the first 10 amendments to the Constitution exist to protect individual rights.
There are rights to a speedy trial, protections against property seizure and freedom of speech and religion.
You have a right to a speedy trial. Not only that, you have the right to be tried in front of a jury of your peers. If one of 12 jurors says you are not guilty, that essentially vetoes the other 11 and you receive a mistrial.
If everyone in town hates the fact that you are Rastafarian, you still have the right to be one.
Presidents veto Congress. Congress can override a veto. Similar rules apply in the states.
The U.S. is not as free of a religion-based apportionment of seats as we think. Because of racial segregation, there are some seats that provide representation to minorities, because 51%-49% is all it takes to win. Racial gerrymandering often attempts to over-concentrate minority votes in a district.
So, the Lebanese have something to teach us, but we don’t have to follow their example regarding religion.
Steven Knudsen
Morgantown
Protect schools like we protect gov’t buildings
School buildings need the same protection as government buildings.
A public school is a government building and should be protected like them. Intruders getting into schools would be limited if you provide armed police, security checkpoints and video surveillance cameras at every window, entrance and exit in schools. Children would feel safe knowing security guards are blocking intruders from coming into our schools, rather than take a chance letting them in.
Shootings happen in small towns when you least expect them. When my son first went back to in-person school in February, the counselor escorted him to math class. As they approached the class, they noticed a single desk and chair outside the classroom in the hallway. The math teacher told my son she placed him in the hallway so he could feel more comfortable about not contracting COVID-19.
No. He was afraid in the hall alone. A student sitting in the hallway is a sitting duck for a school intruder. My son went with his counselor back to her office.
We should mandate that Monongalia keep schools safe. Removing assault rifles can help but will not stop school shooters. The Second Amendment and guns are here to stay. Mental illnesses are rising globally, yet the USA has this horrible problem.
With or without guns, intruders must be stopped from entering our schools. Period! The Texas shooter entered the school’s backdoor and engaged school resource officers armed with guns. These well-trained officers had guns and the shooter still got into the school.
It took the SWAT team, National Guard, sheriffs, police and Border Patrol 60 minutes to put down the shooter. He was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms and took lives.
Texas had 19 kids in a class, unlike Monongalia County, which has 30 kids per class. There is no way teachers armed with guns could handle this situation when trained professionals with guns could not.
Government buildings have security everywhere. People and workers go inside and feel safe and protected. You must protect schools with children like buildings with government officials.
Erica Martin
Morgantown
