You say: letters to the editor
Abortion plain speaking
Re: Dec. 10 article, “Abortion foes have big plans for 2013.”
Is it possible for adult females to speak about the issues involved in abortion? How many children are enough? When is modern medicine’s knowledge allowed to be applied to a life-of-themother situation? Whose health and pain is more important: the mother or the 20-week-old fetus? Exactly where does the opinion of strangers enter into the decision-making? Plain speaking may not be “genteel,” but it is sorely needed at this time.
Federal spending crisis
Our president and Congress must make the tough decisions to correct their history of bad financial decisions. The combination of the “fiscal cliff” tax and the Affordable Health Care tax increases should be an awakening call that America has to get its financial house in order and start paying down its debt. They can no longer postpone our debt problem by asking our creditors to loan us more money to pay them what we already owe them. That is the same as if you would max out your Visa credit card and then take out a MasterCard to pay Visa.
The president tells us that those that earn more than $250,000 must pay more. I do not disagree with this. Our problem is not revenue, it is spending. The reason they do not want to solve this problem is they do not want to lose your vote.
City parking proposal
Re: Dec. 12 article, “Austin may end requiring number of parking spaces.”
Overheat our building boom. Add to traffic congestion as more people cruise around for parking. Create less healthy air, and less safety for all, especially bicyclists and pedestrians. Crowd neighborhoods like Tarrytown, Enfield, Travis Heights and Zilker with lots of non-residential parking. Starve downtown businesses that don’t get their traffic from downtown residents. As people avoid downtown, contribute to urban sprawl. I think that this proposal is a very bad idea. Council should vote “no” and bury this one deeply.
Cellphones are trackers
The device in your jacket, jeans or purse that you think is a cellphone? Guess again. It is a tracking device that happens to make calls. Let’s stop calling them phones. They are trackers. Thanks to the explosion of GPS technology and smartphone apps, these devices are also taking note of what we buy, where and when we buy it, how much money we have in the bank, whom we text and email and more. Cellular systems constantly check and record the location of all phones in their networks. If someone knows exactly where you are, they probably know what you are doing. That being said, big deal; let “them” waste their time.
We love or hate these devices, but it would make sense to call them what they are so we can fully understand what they do. It’s a trade-off. If you’ve lost or misplaced your phone, you know how valuable they are.
Communion is Christian
Re: Dec. 8 article, “Increasing awareness of our common humanity.”
The Rev. Joseph Moore is right when he says that everyone is special and that self-righteousness has no place in the eyes of God. However, when he speaks of Communion, he says to take it remembering words from the Jewish Talmud, omitting the fact that it is a Christian observance and Christians are to take it in humility and introspection, remembering not the Talmud, but remembering that the “little bread and little juice” represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ!
Education and business
Re: Dec. 13 article, “Fewer tests for STAAR proposed.”
Why is Bill Hammond constantly viewed as “the guru” on public education? The guy has no background in public education and in fact is pretty uneducated on the topic. In fact, Hammond is the one who was a proponent of increasing class sizes and to cut the number of teachers as a means to save money in education. All the studies show that is a ridiculous option and it would hurt children even more. Hammond and other business people simply want to use their business methods in education instead of recognizing that you can’t have successful learning outcomes that way. Business is business and education is education ... two separate entities.
Facts on firearm violence
Re: Dec. 12 article, “Federal court strikes gun law.”
In light of the fact that Illinois was the only real holdout in terms of allowing concealed carry, I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner. At the same time, I’m a little curious. Is the proliferation of firearms actually reducing gun violence? In light of the increasing frequency of accidental children’s deaths by firearms, as well as the shootings in Oregon (with an admittedly stolen rifle), how could anyone make such an argument? I’m a little curious as to how the numbers might compare: lives saved by private citizens defending themselves or others with firearms, as opposed to lives tragically impacted by people not living up to an incredible responsibility. I think we’d all be better off knowing. The Austin American-Statesman encourages email and faxes from readers. Please include a full name, address and daytime and evening phone numbers.We edit letters for brevity, grammar, style and clarity. Edited letters address a single idea and do not exceed 150 words.Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters become property of the Austin AmericanStatesman. Send emails to letters@ statesman.com. Mail to: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 670,Austin,TX 78767.