Letters to the Editor: April 1, 2023

Here’s a message for all who come to pray for those of us who show up at the Women’s Med Center to gather signatures on the petitions for the abortion rights amendment. I understand your deep-seated convictions to fixate on the unborn. Not only do you show up to pray, but you vote and that’s why we have politicians who adhere to your wishes and pass legislation accordingly. I propose you shift your focus to the mother’s reproductive health as she bears the responsibility to care for that child. That would suggest making it a priority to take politicians out of doctor’s offices allowing the woman and her physician to address medical needs.

I would also welcome your thoughts, prayers, and votes to elect politicians who can attend to gun violence. Those children you so fervently want to come into this world are at risk of dying due to the proliferation of guns in America. The children dying from daily shootings be it in their home, school, or just by walking down the street, have left an imprint in the hearts of their mothers. Those mothers continue to grieve long after their child can no longer be heard, seen, or allowed to capture their dreams .

Gun violence is the number one cause of death for children in America. How many more will die before we, as a country, come together to fix this?

- Valerie Lee, Dayton

John Wagner’s contributed column on March 16 was an interesting but at times a disturbing read for me. I agree that the billions supplied to Israel needs to be questioned. Their leader has become such an authoritarian leader that this has diminished his standing in the eyes of many Americans and the world. I totally agree with the opposition to the Iraq War. Americans and decision makers were blindsided into believing this was a just war. Many believed that the administration used this war as a needed diversion. There were no WMD, and Iraq was not involved in 9/11.

However, I feel strongly that the Iraq War and the Russian invasion of Ukraine cannot be comparably evaluated. Instead, Putin must be held accountable. He is a violator of international law, now a war criminal. No, we are not intimidated by an so-called “gamble” of their nuclear power. They did not attack Ukraine because of any NATO eastward expansion. Their unprovoked attack was to preserve what Putin believes is the old Soviet Union. Defending and supplying them is our duty in order to preserve Democracy. Total military defeat of Putin is the only solution, The idea of negotiating territory with them, war crime aggressors, is totally unacceptable.

- Mary Copeland, Centerville

Butler County Sheriff Jones and Butler County Prosecutor Gmoser believe that anyone old enough to enlist in military service, and potentially die for this country, should be eligible for consideration to serve as a police officer at the age of eighteen.

Currently Law enforcement agencies utilize a wide variety of testing and evaluation techniques to find acceptable candidates. Age has never been the sole criteria in the decision making process. Mental and physical health, as well as, maturity can easily be incorporated into the final decision on hiring; so why limit the availability of an adult?

As such, we do not believe that age is a defining criteria for employment of a police officer and support the passage of Ohio Senate Bill 53.

- Michael T. Gmoser, Prosecutor, Butler County and Richard K. Jones, Sheriff, Butler County

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