Letters to the editor: Boise State University, abortion, tax rebate, McGeachin’s budget, Independence Day

Progressive teaching

Regarding “Idaho Republican legislators, lay off Boise State University”: The academic mono-culture is in a self-righteous rage because Idaho legislators are pressing BSU to stop progressive political teaching and activism. Legislators are elected by Idaho voters, and represent those voters’ opinions. BSU would not exist without Idaho resources and taxpayer money. Faculty and administration would do well to remember who is paying the bills.

Incidentally, the editorial mentions BSU’s economic contributions to Idaho. I doubt Idaho needs any more gender studies graduates. We could use more engineers, though.

Keith Olson, Eagle

Independence Day

Please excuse me from Fourth of July celebrations this year.

Women in the U.S. have never had much cause for celebration on “independence” day. Beginning in 1776 with Abigail Adams’ plea to her husband, John, to “remember the ladies” in the Constitution and his reply, “Depend upon it, we know better than to repeal our masculine systems,” this has been a country of (white) men, by (white) men, and for (white) men. Women were useful for bearing children and doing the work necessary to raise, feed and clothe them, but men did not regard us as capable of participating in government. Or even owning our own clothes.

Although women finally won the right to vote in 1920, after three-quarters of a century of work, it was not until the 1970s that we won bodily autonomy and other fundamental freedoms that white men had taken for granted from the start. And even then, many of those newly won freedoms were accessible only to the privileged.

Now, ironically, a Supreme Court dominated by justices who purport to champion “liberty” and freedom from “burdensome government regulations” has stripped women of our liberty.

So this “independence” day we won’t be celebrating. We’ll be organizing.

Mary Mosley, Meridian

McGeachin budget

Janice McGeachin deferring her compensation into fiscal 2023 is a slap to the incoming lieutenant governor (whoever it may be).

The fact that she only balanced her budget by shoveling off $1,713 of her fiscal 2022 payroll into the next fiscal year (and consequently the next office holder) is a perfect indication of lack of fiscal and moral responsibility of the office and the good citizens of Idaho.

Christopher D Harrell, Star

Abortion

I am a retired family physician. I spent my career caring for pregnant women and their children. Pregnancy is not a happy-go-lucky condition that always ends with a healthy baby and an unscathed mother. There are dozens of things that can and do go wrong. Yet legislators and judges claim to know better than doctors how to manage pregnancies. People knowing nothing about biology are passing laws prohibiting life-saving procedures.

Twenty percent of pregnancies spontaneously miscarry. Sometimes this causes complications which can become life threatening. An embryo lodged in the fallopian tube can be catastrophic if left untreated. Yet laws have been passed prohibiting doctors from performing procedures to treat these conditions.

I feel great sorrow for my former colleagues who now have to balance providing exemplary care with the fear of litigation or incarceration. Lawyers and judges should not be practicing medicine. Women and doctors should not be subject to the whims of politicians. If this is the world you wanted, then congratulations, you got what you voted for. But if you care about the lives and health of your mothers, sisters, and daughters, then please vote differently to get politics out of your doctor’s offices.

Constance J Brumm, Moscow

Boise State

Being from Illinois, it’s everyday SOS. If progressives don’t have their way they whine and bring out the you’re a racist playbook. Seems like Idaho has more than a few people from Illinois. The editorial about conservatives disagreeing with shenanigans going on at Boise State is short on details. All it says is Tromp good, conservatives bad. Not sure the money will dry up anytime soon but it’s a nice touch. I would think the negatives you express about Idaho citizens will do more to keep people out of your state than any oversight by state government.

Bill Ott, Elburn, Illinois

Black athletes

(Idaho Rep. Brent) Crane’s clueless statement about not being racist because he revered Black athletes in his youth is the very reason diversity studies is needed at Boise State University. His statement is on par with Heather Scott’s remark about helping “them” get jobs upon release from jail when speaking about abolishing cosmetology licenses for people who just braid hair as a business, an issue brought to the legislature by a group of black women.

Sheila Ames, Boise

Trigger law

An open letter to the Idaho Supreme Court:

It is with heavy hearts that we enter this Independence Day, just one week after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We are aware that the trigger law may severely restrict women’s rights to medical procedures. This letter is to beseech you to consider the health of women in the details of your law.

Body autonomy is pertinent to our human rights and constitutional freedoms. Please ensure the Idaho State Constitution is upheld, especially Article 1 which provides a fundamental right to privacy in the making of intimate familial decisions.

Women need access to safe and medically supported abortions, especially in cases such as ectopic pregnancy, rape, molestation, incest, and when the mother’s health is at risk of coming to full term.

The current trigger law allows for doctors to perform abortions when the health of the mother is at risk. Please remove any criminal implications of this medical decision in any scenario. Doctors have an oath to uphold, please do not put their livelihood or freedom at risk.

Thank you for your careful consideration of these essential elements of our rights as citizens.

William Roberts, Garden Valley

Tax rebate

Incredible! The absolute worst school funding in the country! And the state of Idaho leaders give me a check for over $500. Tax refund? No. Why do I deserve a tax rebate? Oh, you aren’t trying to buy my vote, are you? Shameful!

Errol Waters, Meridian