Letters: Broken promises and empty words; A plea to make things right in Lemont

Broken promises and empty words

The Supreme Court broke precedent against the will of the majority of American citizens by overturning the constitutional right to abortion. Breaking precedent for political and/or theocratic reasons violates the rights of women and destroys my faith that the majority of this panel of judges is committed to upholding its constitutional mandate to act without personal bias in upholding the U.S. Constitution. I urge both bodies of Congress to immediately respond to the destruction of Roe v. Wade and codify Roe into federal law. Many leaders from all branches of government who have been elected to serve us have broken their oaths of office and continue to abuse their power. Our government has suffered years of dysfunction. Compromises that are reached often serve the very rich at the expense of the rest of us while excessive military budgets easily gain bipartisan support. Self-interest continuously costs the lives and well-being of those with the least power. Oratory like “That’s not who we are” does not ring true to me in the face of the repetitive moral failures of elected officials and their financial backers. Impotent slogans like “Make America Great Again,” “Build back better,” and “Thoughts and prayers” (it’s taken decades to gain a modicum of gun control legislation) are destructive, meaningless and hollow. Without peaceful public engagement, fact-based debate and forthright decision-makers, the radical claim of equal rights for all embedded in our Constitution is an empty assertion.

A plea to make things right in Lemont

Our family has lived in Lemont since 1968, when it was a sleepy little village. Our children grew up here, and one still lives here. Lemont has grown with new streets, new developments, and lots of new and interesting people, and we have always felt a sense of community here. We have all worked to enhance that sense of belonging and caring for one another.

Big changes are coming to Lemont: Pike Street will have proper sidewalks, the old, dying trees will be replaced with new street trees, there will be ample parking for businesses, and traffic will be slower so our families will be safe. This construction project has caused major disruption to the traffic flow, but most of us are OK with disruption now for safety and improvement in the fall.

But it is with great sadness that I learned about the act of vandalism that occurred recently on Berry Alley by someone apparently angered by having to go through town by a new route. Hours of work and expense were put into the creation of a pollinator garden for the enjoyment of those using the one-way alley. It was all poisoned with an herbicide that turned it into a wasteland. Perhaps someone will step up, remove the poisoned soil, and help the homeowners replant the pollinators. Many residents will have plants to share and have volunteered to help plant, but the soil needs to be removed, first. We hope this can happen if we work together. Thank you, Lemont.

Hypocrisy in GOP

Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the anti-abortion crowd is crowing triumphantly that they have scored a great victory. Abortion issues will now be decided by individual states.

Already many states are poised to outlaw, or severely restrict abortion — even pregnancies that result from rape or incest.

The rank hypocrisy of Republicans who support these actions is evident. Republicans, particularly supporters of former President Donald Trump, have historically argued against government intrusion against individual rights. Most recently, Republicans led spirited opposition to government-imposed lockdowns, mask mandates and even government-encouraged vaccinations, citing government overreach.

Republicans have also argued for unrestricted gun access even as mass murders sweep the nation. But the abortion decision leads to government policing of bedrooms and endangers the freedom of gays to marry, the freedom of married couples to use contraceptives, and the freedom of women to exercise control over their own bodies.

How is it right on the one hand to argue for unrestricted gun rights, and the unrestricted right to infect other people with COVID-19, while arguing at the same time that the government has the legal right to force a woman to have an unwanted child?