Pence has history of attacking Americans’ rights

SHARE Pence has history of attacking Americans’ rights
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Vice President Mike Pence (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

While Vice President Mike Pence seems more disciplined in his speech than the president, his actions as governor of Indiana speak volumes. Under Gov. Pence, the Indiana State Police raided and shut down a voter registration program serving African Americans in October 2016 while investigating so-called “voter fraud” in “56 of the state’s 92 counties.”

As governor, Pence “cut funding for public health departments.” His reprehensible acts include “co-sponsoring a bill” to narrow the definition of rape for the purpose of limiting “abortion access.”

Gov. Pence was forced by human rights protests to amend Indiana’s controversial 2015 “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

Nobody should be fooled by the vice president’s quiet smile. His calm demeanor covers a history of deliberate attacks on the freedoms, civil rights, and human rights of Americans.

Muriel Balla, Kenwood

Serious trouble

Even the most conservative Trump voters and publications have to admit we’re in serious trouble as a nation when the president fires the FBI director for investigating his connections to the Russians when they hacked the 2016 election, he lies about it and then warns the director not to reveal any details of their conversations.

The lies, incompetence and greed of Donald Trump are dangerous. And Republicans won’t lift a finger to stop him. All they care about is undoing everything former President Barack Obama did and giving tax breaks to the rich.

But we should all — Republicans and Democrats —be very concerned about our future with Trump in the  White House.

Short of impeaching Trump for hindering the investigation  (won’t occur with Republicans controlling Congress) there are only two options: persuade Congress to empower an independent prosecutor (unlikely) or throw the GOP Trump enablers out of office in the 2018 election.

Hope  a catastrophe doesn’t happen first in Korea or Syria.

Tom Minnerick, Elgin

Big problem

Is it “fake news” that Mr. Trump invited the Russian prime minister and ambassador into the White House and then banned American news outlets, giving exclusive access to RT news? If it is not, then we have a big problem with this administration, which wants to build a wall around America, yet gives access to a country that possibly was involved corrupting our elections.  The White House and Congress should  be embracing and participating in  the investigation so we can move on.

Scott R. Zuhr, Park Ridge

What I believe

I am unequivocally pro-life.

I believe that every American is entitled to health care that is affordable, available, that will satisfy their medical needs, and that will save their life, if that is so needed. They deserve to live their lives without the cloud of a medical bankruptcy hanging over their heads in the event of a catastrophic health event.

I believe that every woman should be able to control her own body, and thus her life, without interference from outside persons with their own agenda.

I believe that once a child is born, it should be shown the same care and consideration that is now spent on making sure it is actually born, when  many Republicans seem to think that care and consideration should stop.

I believe that every American should have the opportunity to become educated and to thrive in our economy, and to have the full life those opportunities will provide. That opportunity should not be limited to the rich and well-connected.

I believe that every American should be treated with respect,  rewarded with at least a living wage,  and given the opportunity to fulfill her/his highest potential.  I do not hold to the mantra that only the wealthy should thrive, and that the rest of us are here only to be  exploited by them.

I  am unequivocally pro-life. I wish that  everyone else who profess to be “pro-life” were ready to put their beliefs into action in the lives of others and in the life of our nation.

Karen Wagner, Rolling Meadows


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