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OPINION: Editorial, Letters to the Editor
July 7, 2022
Supreme Court ruling leaves questions unanswered By Roslyn Ryan Editor
As millions of Americans continue to come to terms with the recent decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that made having an abortion a federally protected right, it has sadly become even more difficult for those on opposing sides of the debate to engage in any kind of civil discourse. When a topic is — in this case quite literally — a matter of life and death, it is certainly easy to see how the discussion could get heated and unproductive, with each side resorting to the kind of vitriol that tends only to drive people further apart. And so sometimes, given this, perhaps offering a few thoughts in writing from a safe distance is the best way to present
one’s view. In this way one can disagree—even vehemently so— but also have the chance to consider the other person’s perspective without the pressure of having to deliver an immediate rebuttal. With this is mind, in the wake of the Court’s ruling, I’d like to offer just a few thoughts. Again and again, in making the case for abortion rights, activists refer to abortion as an incredibly “safe” procedure. To those of us who believe in the sanctity of life, however, and in the technology that now allows us to see even more clearly —in full color — that unborn children are nevertheless very real children, I would simply ask to whom are we legally and morally obligated to provide safety? To those who would suggest that abortion helps keep women out of poverty and prevents them
from relying on public assistance, I would gently point out the disrespect—even if it is unintentional—inherent in that observation. Since the start of recorded history women have shown that they are capable of overcoming tremendous obstacles and thriving despite significant hurdles. Yes, terminating an unwanted pregnancy might make the path ahead easier for women working to find a way out of poverty. But most of the women I know have never asked for a smoother path, nor do they need one. Better educational opportunities, strong role models and supportive communities lift women out of poverty. Not abortion. And finally, to those who say again and again that people who do not see abortion as a fundamental right are somehow antiwoman, or even — as I’ve heard inferred or said quietly in recent
weeks, anti-gay or against the rights of people to marry whomever they choose —I would point out that this is both a thinly-veiled attempt to distract from the topic at hand and also a gross misinterpretation of what it means to be pro-life. The idea of being prolife is exactly what it sounds like: we celebrate and seek to protect all life. There are plenty of us out here who simply believe, and can’t be convinced otherwise, that life is a miracle and that people—even in the most dire circumstances—have the fundamental right to life even if it inconveniences someone else. Certainly as the weeks and months go by more arguments will be made and both sides will continue to dig in, and this debate isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Reasonable people can of course disagree. But it would be nice if they could hear each other first.
Tell Me a Story
When local icon needed help, truckers came through By Jack Agnew Contributing Columnist
At the thousand-acre orchard where I worked part-time while growing up, there was a lady named Mrs. Sandy who lived in one of the tenant houses. At the time of her husband’s
death he was still working for the farm, so the owners let his widow stay in the house. The house was old and didn’t have running water, but it did have electricity. She cooked on an old woodfired stove, making some of the best jams, jellies and relishes on the planet,
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I imagine. The orchard let her sell them at their fruit stand. She wasn’t charged any commission, they did it for free so she could make a little extra money. She was a really sweet old lady; everybody loved her. The truckers would stop and clean the shelves out, and they adored “Mrs. Sandy the
Jelly Lady.” A new bypass was put in around the town, and at first it was a little bit confusing to some of the people. Mrs. Sandy drove an ancient coupe car that was very recognizable, a pastel green.
see Truckers > 10
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Serving Goochland County Since 1955
Camping trip helped make treasure trove of memories By Emily Walls Ray Contributing Columnist
Recently we took a road trip from Virginia that took us through North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee and back. Our 9- and 11-yearold grandsons acccompanied us. Armed with a Virginia map to start, we stopped at Welcome Centers for each state and picked up maps. We brought pink, orange and yellow highlighters so we could each mark our route on the maps. This led to lessons on how to track the Interstate highways, state highways, county roads and exit numbers on the maps that are associated with the nearest mile marker on the highway. “Will you fold my map for me?” My grandsons had a little trouble figuring out how to refold the maps properly. The trick is to find the starting point, and then to fold the map like an accordion or fan. Our first stop on this trip was the Staunton River Battlefield State Park, where we tent camped — only a couple of hours southwest from Richmond. We participated in a historical celebration there before leaving the next day. One of the highlights of that camp out was meeting a beautiful horse named One Big Mystery. He stood 16 and one half hands high and was very docile. We enjoyed rubbing his velvety nose and learning about his training. We hadn’t been around horses much, so this was a real treat. Heading South, we drove through the city of Atlanta on Interstate 85 on the first leg of our trip. Surprisingly, traffic was less heavy through Atlanta than see Camping > page 7
