In Response to Karen Depwe’s letter to the editor “Thinking about Life” June 9, 2021 issue
I am Pro Abortion because I am thinking about life. I am thinking of this new mother and her recently newly born child.
I am thinking beyond the critical birth and wondering if this new mother would be able to handle being available 24/7 regardless of anything else going on in her life. I am wondering if this new mom would have any help from family or friends? Would she be able to financially support her little family? Would she have help with childcare? What would happen when this mom got sick? Who would care for her little one?
Who would support this new mom and her little family with financial and emotional aid if needed so that both of them would continue to thrive and grow in the coming years. Are you and your pro life friends willing to do this?
Ellen Braverman
Age 74
San Marcos
Voting should be cause for celebration
I testified at the hearing about HB3 on elections/voting, testifying around 4:20 a.m. on Sunday about the difficulties people like my mentally disabled sister have in voting. Following all that testimony, Democrats on the committee offered amendments to the bill that would have addressed some of the issues brought forward in those testimonies, and Republicans voted every one of them down. It was clear they were hell-bent on their voter suppression bill with no changes. I appreciate that Rep. Zwiener considered people like my sister when she left to go to D.C. to put pressure on lawmakers there to pass the John Lewis Voting Act, which would mandate preclearance before states make changes to voting, and the For the People Act, which sets minimum standards what states can do concerning elections. Republicans pretend they’re being “fair,” but how does it make sense for Loving County (fewer than 200 people) and Harris County (nearly 5 million) to have the same hours and number of ballot dropboxes?
Truth is, these bills are based on the big lie from the former president. He lost, and no amount of lies or attacks on the Capitol will change that. Republicans say, “people don’t trust elections, so we’re making them more secure.” IF they truly wanted to assure people of the integrity of elections, they’d admit, publicly, that the former president lied about the election, and that he continues to lie. Instead, they see a chance to suppress the vote even more, lying about the integrity of our election workers and voters.
Texas had outstanding numbers (for Texas) in voting in 2020 – that SHOULD be a cause for celebration. Texas doesn’t allow everyone to vote by mail, so allowing extra hours, and yes, even overnight and drive-by voting should be an option. While not necessary in all counties, it should be available for those who need it. Counties with many factories, hospitals, and colleges might benefit from at least a couple of days of 24-hour voting.
The truth is, Republicans don’t want most people to vote, and I thank Rep. Zwiener and the House Dems who are in Washington to fight for our freedom to vote. It’s worth the sacrifice, and is all that stands between us and authoritarian rule.
Kathi Thomas
Hays County
