Letters for June 27, 2019

Population

Re “Population contest” and “So over it” (letters, May 16):

I would like to provide additional information to the population debate that the writers Steven Hetzer and Arden Scott addressed in your May 16, 2019 issue. I did not read the articles that they were responding to, so perhaps what I say below has already been mentioned. They may find this input positive.

Population is now in the main driven by economics. Wealthier countries reproduce at lower rates than poorer countries. It takes 2.1 births per child bearer to sustain an even population. The United States birth rate has not been higher than 2.1 in a long time. Birthrates are 1.6 in the EU.

Per the Economist Magazine, birth rates start to flat line when average income is about $5,000 per person. The prediction in the last article that I read on the topic was that the average incomes would be in that level around the year 2030. Thus the prediction is that world population will start flatlining when average income is at that $5,000 level.

Also the abortion rates rise in more wealthy countries so that also is a part of the lower sustenance rate. Per the World Health organization there about 40 to 50 million abortions a year worldwide or about 125,000 abortions a day.

So, as I see it, just the benefits of capitalism will lessen the world’s population.

Frank Mooney

King’s Beach

Abortion

Like my father, I am a pro-choice atheist conservative, which is somewhat like being a unicorn. I dislike surprises and plan ahead obsessively. I have three amazing daughters (all planned), with whom I talk about sex and its long-term consequences.

So, let’s talk about sex. I propose that we make Salt-N-Pepa’s song our national anthem. The song’s important message is, don’t moralize sex, but realistically plan for consequences. Let’s seriously talk about the judgmental attitudes of our citizens toward people whose sexual activity resulted in unintended consequences. Let’s talk openly about legalizing rights of the unborn to be born versus legally forcing an unwillingly pregnant person to bear a child.

Does “prior consent” apply to potential parenthood for both participants? Does a person actually consent to be a parent each time he or she engages in sexual intercourse, in case recreational or forced sex is unexpectedly procreational sex? If you believe in the Immaculate Conception, even abstinence is not 100 percent effective. Abortion is not a choice made lightly, but it is not a choice the participant with a penis will have to make. Let the person with a penis first imagine being the person with a uterus, whose contraceptive method failed, or who had no chance to consider contraception prior to being raped, before voting on a law to ban abortion.

Elizabeth Theobald

Reno

Socialism

Socialism had developed a new meaning? It is simply a transparent government with its efficiencies helping all of us, especially the least of us. The Christian thing to do.

But the corporatists and even a few Christians have changed it even further. This corporate socialism began with the railroads in the 1860s and a massive government gift to four rich railroad barons here in the west. The current mode now is huge tax dodges and bank bailouts so corporations and the mega rich can concentrate all the nations’ wealth and put it in their own pocket. The Trump tax gift gets the trophy. It is their form of capitalism. Get everything. And these very same kleptocrats despise Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and those programs that help working Americans survive.

As Paul Ryan, ex-Republican Speaker of the House said, “entitlement reform,” code for eliminating these programs. Not too long ago these jerks were slave owners.

Don McKechnie

Sparks

Corrections

Re “On track” (music, June 20):

We gave the name of one member of the band TrainWrecks as Anthony Cox. It should have read Anthony Wood.

Re “Roll call” (Artown guide, June 20):

In last week’s Artown Guide, we erroneously reported that the bands TapWater and Snakeboy Johnson would be playing at the Rollin’ on the River concert series on the night of July 5. This is incorrect. The show date for both bands is July 7.

We apologize for these errors.