Letters to the Editor: Liberals and abortion

The main plank of the Democratic party seems to be about the right to an abortion, even though many states legalize it in some form, even Iowa.

If this is the most important thing to liberals in this election, then let's look at the reality of it.

There are about 1.15 million abortions per year in this country. That’s 4.6 million over four years and 9.2 million if Harris is re-elected for a second term.

Barring rape, women have several options before they should arrive at the decision to have an abortion:

1) Abstinence, 2) birth control, 3) adoption, 4) support from prenatal organizations for expectant mothers, or 5) keeping the child.

Wondering why Planned Parenthood and liberals are so quick to push abortion? Is it the $699 million they receive from taxpayers?

Harris is betting that this is more important than combatting inflation, securing the boarder or reducing crime. We’ve lost 62 million children to abortion since Roe v. Wade was adopted in the early 1970s. Our country is no better off for it.

When you think about it, one of the reasons Social Security is failing is because we are eliminating the young people who would be supporting Social Security, during their working careers, for those of us entering our retirement years. This is just as we supported our parents during their retirements.

Of the 62 million people eliminated by abortion, approximately 35 million of them would be working adults now.  Even at a modest $30 a week contribution to Social Security between the worker and employer, that would add about $1 billion a week into the Social Security coffers or over $50 billion per year. When thinking about a way to preserve Social Security and preserving life, doesn’t this make sense?

Jeff Stavnes, Storm Lake

Endorsement/prediction

With regard to your endorsement of Kamala Harris on Oct. 30, bravo! Jeff Bezos couldn’t have said it any better, although he should have at least tried. Or let the pros at his plaything, the Washington Post, do so. The absence of a presidential endorsement in the WaPo stunned me as much as the Des Moines Register’s endorsement of Mitt Romney did in 2012. 

In addition to your endorsement, I was also heartened by your column’s reasoned prediction that Harris will in fact win election. I read it the day after my annual physical where I was surprised to discover that my blood pressure remains in the healthy range. Besides my generally elevated anxiety as Election Day nears, I’ve felt my blood coming to a boil when I consume reports on Trump’s rally rantings. In a recent one he boasted about the starring role he played in dramatically lowering the press’s favorability ratings. His foolish flock cheered, as usual. The last line of your column (“…people often demonstrate incredible ignorance”) reminded me, as something does in every election cycle, of one of H.L. Mencken’s many memorable quotes: “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”

Press on, Storm Lake Times Pilot. We the people need you, whether we think so or not.

Mike Wellman, Des Moines

Don’t be fooled

Dear editor and the people of Iowa,

I was born and raised in Iowa and I am sad to hear that so many Iowans are apparently in favor of Donald Trump.  Apparently, Iowans are not reading true news with real facts.  If you knew a fire was at my front door, I would want you to tell me. Likewise, this is a warning. There are so many reasons NOT to vote for a convicted felon and a person with characteristics of a fascist. However, if you don't read anything else, read The People's Guide to Project 2025 before you vote.  Go to democracyforward.org and see for yourself that if Trump wins the election, everyone will eventually realize that most people did NOT understand that Project 2025 robs everyone, not just recent immigrants, of their personal freedoms. Project 2025 already has an impact throughout the U.S; look no further than the abortion laws and the censorship of books.

Don’t be fooled. Although you won't find Project 2025 on the ballot, many Republicans are doing nothing to warn you of its dangers.  If you can't bear to call yourself a Democrat, then join the Republicans for Harris.

Michelle Wadle, Austin, Texas

Freedom to flourish

Returning to Iowa from a recent trip, as I crossed the Mississippi River I noticed the welcome billboard with the latest state slogan, “Freedom to Flourish.” It gave me pause. Ultimately, it made me sad as I thought about it — Freedom for WHOM to flourish? Given our state’s recent history of stripping our freedoms and ever increasing government involvement and restrictions on our choices and everyday life, who exactly has the FREEDOM to FLOURISH in Iowa? NOT the following people and institutions:

NOT women, NOT immigrants, NOT LGBTQ+,  NOT all religions, NOT the homeless, NOT those with disabilities, NOT public schools, NOT libraries, the list is long and incomplete...

Please vote thoughtfully and with consideration for returning FREEDOMS to ALL Iowans, so we may all FLOURISH.

Judy L. Quick, Des Moines and Storm Lake

Chickens have friends

I don’t know about you, but it seriously offended my core sensibilities to learn that more than a million healthy chickens were simply killed as the easiest way out of a sticky situation for several groups. I guess I recalled the old saw “Waste Not, Want Not.”

This action is the direct result of the new-fangled way of farming. In the old-fashioned way an independent farmer would buy the chicks, house and nurture them in his existing structures, feed them some of the grain he has raised, sell them when ready and when market conditions are favorable. You know, CAPITALISM.

In the new-fangled system Big Boy Ag steps in (in this particular case Pure Prairie Poultry). They contract to have the chicks raised. They supply the chicks and the food and decide when to process the birds in their facility.  The “farmer” becomes what we used to call “our hired man.”

We called ours Gramps. One difference is Gramps is probably saddled with an enormous debt for big new buildings and fancy equipment to meet the conditions of the contract.

Nearly all “farming” now proceeds in about the same way. New-fangled has eliminated old-fangled for all practical purposes. We see the result. Fences are gone. More and more topsoil is taking a vacation in the Gulf of Mexico. You can no longer fish or swim or drink Iowa water.

Gramps has a second job in town.  Profit flees out-of-state.

To me this particular situation seems way too simple. A judge should have declared the chickens orphans and adopted by the various hired men. They can decide to feed or sell or kill. If only there were a market. Sigh.

So, well, the chickens cannot vote. And they don’t have enough money to buy the state legislature. Nor even a good lawyer.

Ron Platt, Overland Park, Kan.