Abortion ruling cast a dark cloud over America
Re: “Why does the media only cover one side of abortion debate?” Jan. 24
On Jan. 22, 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court cast a dark cloud over America by decreeing that the most unsafe place for an unborn baby was its mother’s womb.
But no matter how decadent and nihilistic our leaders, the media, and lobbyists from Planned Parenthood have become in praise of a false sense of freedom, they will never quash the common man’s true spirit of life and liberty because “everyman” is educated by his heart and conscience, not his pride. He cannot be deceived by the intellectual tricks that would lead him to doubt obvious facts.
Let us not give in to the false promises of our contemporary elites who tell us that we should live only for today and forget the gift of life. Let us instead shout from the hilltops the scientific fact and moral truth that a human embryo is a dynamic, autonomous, and marvelously ordered human being.
Sam Miller
Chicago
Alexandria should use tax to pay for streetcars
The Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition’s Board of Directors voted to endorse a robust commercial real estate tax option in the city of Alexandria and strongly supports the development of a regional streetcar network in Northern Virginia.
Arlington and Fairfax counties use the commercial real estate tax option to help pay for regional transit projects because it is the primary broad-based tool that the Commonwealth of Virginia has given to localities in Northern Virginia to pay for transportation improvements. Alexandria should use this tool and consider other funding sources as well.
Alexandria businesses would benefit greatly from such investment. Streetcars and other light rail systems induced “smart-growth,” mixed-use, transit-oriented development in cities throughout the United States and around the world. The economic development and financial benefits these systems provide have far exceeded their costs.
Alexandria should dedicate the tax proceeds to high-capacity transit projects in the corridors identified by the city’s Transportation Master Plan, particularly where the projects promote regional connectivity.
Tim Lovain
Board chairman, Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition
Congress has a lot of explaining to do
Over the past 50 years, I’ve thought a lot about the very good people who looked out for an immature kid unprepared to face the realities of the times. Now it’s my turn.
In the past, making our nation a better place for our children was always a top priority. But we are now creating hardships — unlike what any previous generation has ever faced — that will force our kids to make payments on the trillions of dollars we borrowed from their future to wage war, bail out failing businesses, and spend on things we trivialize as “earmarks.”
This is the most unfair and contemptible legacy in our history. My advice to the Class of 2011: Invite a member of Congress to explain the ethics of requiring you to spend your entire adult lives making payments on a debt that was incurred without your knowledge or consent. This may be the only way to make Congress realize how grievously it is betraying 78 million Americans under the age of 18.
G.R. Vince Johnson
Aumsville, Ore.
