This is Viewpoints for Monday, Jan. 30, 2017

Constant struggle

The struggle over abortion is a thorny one for Americans. As I have followed the issues over the years, it has become clear that there are good people on both sides. No one actually likes abortion.

One fact worth noting is that abortion rates are the same in nations where it is prohibited or freely offered. The main myth concerning abortion is that it is typically utilized by promiscuous, single women. While that does occur, it is much more often a married woman who feels overwhelmed by too many children or meager resources that seeks an abortion.

When abortion is unavailable, the woman often resorts to unsafe measures, many times with catastrophic results. Women of means can and will access abortion whether in another state or in another country. I absolutely know that right to life is a serious and righteous position, but restricting access to abortion unintentionally harms poor women. And what becomes of the child who was kept but unwanted? Too often that child suffers economically and emotionally. Adoption is a desirable option, but so far adoption has not kept pace with need. Until contraception is foolproof, there must/should be alternatives for the woman and the child.

Everyone who reads this knows that self-respecting men would never submit to government control of what happens within their bodies. If men gave birth, they would demand and take full command of their lives. There is an historic pattern of treating women differently; after all, it is still three years until we celebrate the 100^th anniversary of women’s right even to vote.

The system works

Thank God our nation’s founders had the foresight to enact the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment of which gives us freedom of speech. Some examples of which are:

1) People using social media incessantly.

2) Celebrities giving us their opinions.

3) Lawyers advertising on television.

All such people have the right to communicate the way they do. As do those of us who send an occasional letter to the editor. Some missives can be controversial and ambiguous. Hence, exchanges between writers, some of which seem to go on forever. But the system works as intended. What’s good for one is good for all.

Wall boondoggle?

There must be something I’m missing about the border wall which President Trump proposes. If we pay an import tax of 20 percent on goods from Mexico, then we are paying for the wall. Only if Mexico imposes a tax on imports they buy from the U.S. (they are our second largest trading partner), then sends the money to Washington, will they be paying for the wall.

And beyond paying for it, I’m still baffled by the idea of the wall. I lived in Albuquerque for several years while in graduate school, and explored the Southwest extensively. I’m not sure most people have any conception of just what the border is like. First, it is generally considered to be he most heavily-controlled border in the world (excepting the Koreas) already. Much of it passes through hundreds of miles of scrub land and desert with no habitation anywhere near, and no roads. And it is long — think of driving from here to Denver, and having to build a wall the entire distance. But then, you’re still more than 500 miles short. So drive on to Salt Lake City — well, still a bit more than 100 miles short.

I’ll admit, there is already a wall like the president intends to build, stretching about 700 miles of the 1,945 miles which needs to be covered. But you can see videos online of teenagers, popping back and forth over this 20-foot tall “impenetrable” barrier as they look to see if there are patrols nearby. They already know the sensors have picked them up. And that 700 miles took six years of continuous construction. And more important, have you ever seen the morning rush in Juarez, or El Paso, or Laredo? Americans entering Mexico and Mexicans entering the U.S. by the thousands, all going to work, every single day. It looks like the Super Bowl crowd letting out. Repeated in reverse every evening.

So it sounds like we’ll spend $11 billion more to finish the wall (and the guess is about $40 billion when the electronics needed are added. You can’t physically patrol 2,000 miles night and day, most of it in the middle of nowhere). And you already know its our money that has to do it. And that what’s already there is just another challenge to be conquered — no wall even with razor wire and a machine gun tower every 100 yards has absolutely kept people from crossing. And remember the news videos of the tunnels over a mile long, with lights, ventilation, and little rail cars? I know its not in the spirit of the new administration, but to me this just sounds like another Washington boondoggle, in spades.

Think like a politician

The Macon-Bibb County Commission will consider at its next full meeting whether to add garbage fees to property tax bills with one explanation that it will save money from printing and mailing bills quarterly. But wait, since it will save taxpayers money there is a need for a $2 increase. Think like a politician. It shall never end.

Field test ourselves

We have all read about the results of testing airport security i.e. the ease with which people escape detection. Hopefully, the bottom line is we get better security. However, in a like matter, I’ve never heard of cyber tests against our own systems with the exception of Office of Personnel Management which has historically failed and seemingly never does anything to correct the problems.

The point being if we did test our systems to determine their hackability, this whole Clinton scandal might never have happened and more importantly, the unknown damage the U.S. has suffered wouldn’t be. Now, if we are testing but aren’t publicly aware of it, why wasn’t the Clinton server issue addressed earlier?

I’m aware that our energy grid vulnerability has been called into play but haven’t heard anything about CIA, EPA or Commerce. Hopefully, somewhere a scorecard is being kept and used to improve things.

This story was originally published January 29, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Monday, Jan. 30, 2017."