Roe v. Wade

Will President Trump’s nominee for Supreme Court open possibility of reversal?

With President Donald Trump’s new nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, many Christian conservatives see the possibility that a long-held dream will come true—that the controversial Roe v. Wade decision declaring abortion a Constitutional right will be overturned.

There is no guarantee, of course. And many Supreme Court observers say there is little chance of such a thing. But it’s a key issue—for some, the key issue—in the religious right’s support for the Republican Party and the appointment of conservative judges.

We want to get your thoughts. Do you think it’s a realistic possibility that Roe v. Wade will be overturned? Should it be? Or should abortion remain a right? Send your response (50 words maximum) to opinion@texarkanagazette.com by Wednesday, July 18. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St, Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday’s paper.

Last Week: Library Location?

Last week’s question was about moving the Texarkana Public Library from its downtown location. Should the two cities work together and come up with a plan to move the library to a new location where patrons would feel more comfortable? Or should the library remain where it is?

Of course we should move the library. How stupid was Texarkana to put there to start with. Then we build a park there. Stupid! Maybe we should have police check out the bums at the shelter, if they’re bad guys, haul them out of the county.—G.O., Redwater, Texas

The Walmarts have the highest crime rates in this area and no one talks about moving them. The library location is safe. People who have not visited there in years do not know there are no longer groups of people standing outside smoking or talking. Keep it in downtown for everyone.—J.M.D., Texarkana, Texas

Yes the library should be moved, or Randy Sams’. I know some who quit going because of the homeless traffic around and on the library’s grounds. My daughter-in-law went there weekly. She says the rugged looking people sometimes even stand in the way of the entrance! I do think both sides of the city need to figure a way to do it or some kinda’ security needs to be there.—B.J., Texarkana, texas

You can keep the library in its current location, but I would suggest having a separate Children’s Library located in Central Mall.—K.S., Wake Village, Texas

From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette

■ The library was there before the homeless shelter and Mission Center. It wouldn’t cost taxpayer’s money to move those. Why not do that instead of expecting the library to move?

■ I think it should move

■ Move it or keep the homeless out.

■ Move it away from downtown. Downtown is never going to to be what it once was back in the day.

■ Nope cause when it’s moved to their neighborhood, they gone think they own it and too good for poor people to visit it in a good location. If you watch your kids and not let them run wild, everything will be just fine. Yes, I visit the library often.

■ A satellite children’s library branch in the mall or centrally located would address a lot of the issues with the downtown location, and be less expensive than moving the whole shebang.

■ Yes! I know it probably is not doable but I see it at the empty Gander Mountain and the cage area being an outdoor reading nook and kids play area. It’s beside local schools and A&M. The location has become more of a shelter than anything.

■ It needs to be moved. My kids love to read, but sadly we never go to our library. It’s just in a bad location. Just like Kidtopia. We never go there either. No one wants to go downtown anymore.

■ I wish it would move. I grew up in a library and every child needs that opportunity. It’s all about location.

■ Just my opinion. I think the best place to move it would be on or near Texarkana College.

■ Yes. Maybe Bryce’s building and use library as extra homeless housing.

■ Leave it where it is and police the area better. Enforce loitering laws. Parents, don’t leave children unattended.

■ Should be moved, for several reasons.

■ Move, maybe the mall would be a good location.

■ There’s plenty of empty buildings in Texarkana they could move to. Maybe the owners can cut a deal on one or donate it. They definitely need to move it tho and have for years.

■ Move it. I visited the library my first time in town and was verbally assaulted.

■ Definitely move. Before we moved to Texarkana, we would visit the public library a couple of times a month. Since moving here almost 13 years ago, we have been only one time and have never been back. It’s really a shame.

■ Never should have been built on that site. MOVE IT!

■ I would go if was located elsewhere

■ Move it to one of the buildings off I-30, like Sears or Gander Mountain.

■ I think it is something that should be considered. Then maybe turn the building into something for the homeless

■ I say move it and I don’t even live there anymore. the water fountain water taste like dirt and always had somebody looking for a handout.

■ I think more people would start going back to the library if it was moved.

■ I only go to the library now days for genealogy meetings

■ I go frequently and never feel unsafe.

■ If the issue is that the homeless bother you, perhaps we could all take a moment to educate ourselves on the community living around the library before making judgements based on appearance. You could start by talking to any of the shelters nearby. Homeless people are still people. If you’re still worried about it, attend a service at Church Under the Bridge. You will not leave with the same opinions you came in with.

■ Move! And there are at least two large vacant buildings that would be good locations. The Sears building and the old Gander Mountain.

■ Moving the main library now would send mixed signals to the people who are investing in and moving to downtown Texarkana at a critical time in the downtown revitalization effort. Abandoning that section of downtown instead of seeing it as the anchor for the edge of “downtown” would be a quick answer, but the long term affects could be very damaging to downtown redevelopment.

■ No judgement here because I used to feel the same way as a lot of y’all, but God has been working on me a lot over the past few years, and now this is how I see it. I love that going to the library gives me another opportunity to speak to my kids about the homeless. I love that my kids will wave, smile and say hi to a group of homeless people sitting outside the library. No matter what public place I am in, I am cautious with my kids. This would not change in a new location.

■ Move it. I don’t go there with my children because I do feel unsafe. Downtown is going downhill anyway, no matter how much they are trying to revitalize it. Realizing that the center of town is no longer over there could really help Texarkana’s growth and development. Moving it to over by the new PG Elementary school and Texas A&M would be amazing. Could they use the library space as another homeless shelter?

■ As has already been suggested, moving the children’s library to the mall or another separate location would be positive. Rather than abandoning the library’s downtown presence, perhaps there could be more security. Maybe the police could set up a substation there.

■ Move it or open a satellite location. We’ve been here for 2 1/2 years and have never been to it because of the location.

■ I don’t think they should move it! But either way if they did or didn’t, there is still the big Kidtopia Playground and a kids skate park they just built down there. How about the town figure out a way to do away with the number of homeless in that area or hire more police to patrol that area?

■ Move it! I don’t go there anymore because it is very unsafe! The last time I was there I almost didn’t get out and go in for all the men standing and sitting around the front entrance. Very uncomfortable situation!! I would love to enjoy the library again someday so I would like to see it moved!

■ I Love Love Love downtown but… if they ever want it to make a comeback they are going to have to make the homeless shelters and the jail magically disappear for things to truly work out. I have wanted to visit the new businesses on numerous occasions but I will not go after dark. It’s too shady of a population for a woman to walk around after dark.

■ If it is relocated (and kept as a single campus entity) everyone who uses it should be considered. People from all over Miller and Bowie County (as well as Cass County) were and are the target market. Downtown next to the (then new) Texas Viaduct was seen as a central location for the entire region. The downtown Library wasn’t meant to be the only public library in the area, it was built to be the “central” public library. This is the perfect time to start a conversation about a regional library system across three counties combining efforts with local community groups to offer local safe spaces for satellite libraries.

■ Either move it or the homeless shelter! They knew this would be a major problem when the homeless shelter went in across the street. They should have renovated and enlarged (not that there’s that many books anymore) the old library building instead of building a new one.

■ The old Sears building would be great. Could add lofts upstairs for reading. Or outdoor patios for reading. Centrally locates for TC A&M and local high schools.

■ Don’t move it but definitely needs upgrading like security officers

■ A great place for the library would be the old Gander Mountain building.

■ Keep it where it is. My kids and I love visiting downtown and have never felt unsafe. If it moves all the way on the other side of town it would only be accessible to very few people. What there really needs to be is a homeless outreach center that is air conditioned and people can stay all day. I have visited Randy Sams’ and there are people that have medical conditions and take medication that they can’t be in the sun. They are told to go to the library.

■ I say keep it there but definitely upgrade it. I also think a second location might be something to consider.

■ Not all homeless people are lazy bums or drug addicts, some actually do use the library to search for jobs etc. So moving it completely would make it harder for them to find employment.

■ Equitable community access and updated resources are key no matter the location, new or old. And the cited complaints regarding the folks in need are representative not of a problem of the library’s location, but rather a problem of insufficient services for that population.

■ Please move it. It is unsafe for me to take my children there.

■ Library shouldn’t be moved. Where is the money coming from to do so? It would be more cost effective to move the shelter to where the old Boys and Girls Club is located close to Jefferson St. or the Boys and Girls Club there not using by the Viaduct. Since the shelter is nonprofit it should easily qualify for some funding if they were to incorporate certain programs.

■ Move it. It’s not in a safe location for children.

■ Don’t move it. The benefits for the poor and homeless are also part of a public library’s purpose. The access to the internet to job hunt and to have a little bit of resources most of us take for granted is important for them. I have been there. The public library has saved me from staying in those moments several times. Deal with abusers without removing that resource from the people who NEED it most.

■ Improve police and staff presence in the area and library. Add cameras to the outside area if need be. Don’t leave children unattended. Those are common sense things that are far cheaper.

■ The updating of downtown continues and our library is definitely an issue. The old Belk Jones building and that block would be a prime location. Keeping the library downtown while continuing to preserve our history.

■ Let it stay downtown. Assault can happen anywhere. Libraries in a town this size should be located centrally. It is an asset to downtown.

■ Move it but not without a community-approved plan for the original location to be repurposed. No more abandoned buildings, especially downtown!