Texas law is ‘egregious’

(Regarding “St. Louis Jewish leaders plan abortion rights advocacy in wake of Texas law,” Sept. 8 edition): Kudos and congratulations to Rabbi Karen Bogard of Central Reform Congregation, together with rabbis from other congregations for their advocacy for abortion rights.

I couldn’t agree more.

It is my belief that a woman has a sacred right to control her own body. Call it an inherent God-given right, a human right, or even a civil right, but she, and she alone, should, and must be allowed the power to decide on her own whether to carry a fetus to full term or to abort the pregnancy.

It’s really a shame that a court, any court — in this case the U.S. Supreme Court, in the famous Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, had to legally declare that  a woman had a right to an abortion.

Furthermore, I think it’s necessary that anti-abortionists know that when they equate pro-choice advocates with pro-abortion per se they’re sadly mistaken. Pro-choice means exactly that — a choice — as opposed to the pro-life movement in which there is no choice.

That said, the Texas law, which bans abortions as early as six weeks with no exceptions for incest or rape — although it does provide for the saving of the life of the mother in emergency situations — has dealt a severe blow to women’s reproductive rights in the Lone Star State.

I can only hope that a divided U.S. Supreme Court, which has refused to stop enforcement of the law while legal challenges are pending, will eventually rule that this egregious piece of legislation be declared unconstitutional leading to its reversal.

Gene Carton, University City

Response to ‘Climate alarmism’

Regarding the Sept. 8 commentary “This is not a drill: The climate change emergency demands a Jewish response,” by Jakir Manela and Nigel Savage: Yes, it is a “drill,” to be ignored, because we’ve seen this drill many times in the last 50-plus years.
I’m 83, old enough to learn from being hectored by “climate emergencies” for over 50 years, none of which have come to pass. I’ve done some computer modeling myself. I can’t imagine any rational person would make major political and economic decisions based on “climate change models,” none of which has correctly predicted past events, much less anything in the future.

Apparently 200 years of failed Malthusian despair and 50 years of failed “climate Alarmism” have taught climate alarmists nothing except repetition.

For the young and “climate naive,” here is a short selection of “climate alarmists” failed predictions for 50 years:

• 1960s – “The trouble with almost all environmental problems is that by the time we have enough evidence to convince people, you’re dead. We must realize that unless we’re extremely lucky, everybody will disappear in a cloud of blue steam in 20 years.” (Dr. Paul Ehrlich – New York Times, Aug. 10, 1969)

• 1970s – “In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution” Life Magazine January 1970.

• 1980s – “A senior UN environmental official says entire nations could be wiped off the face of the earth by rising sea levels if the global warming trend is not reversed by the year 2000” (Associated Press, June 30, 1989)

• 1990s – “At the most likely rate of rise, some experts say, most of the beaches on the East Coast would be gone in 25 years” (NYT, Sept. 18, 1995)

• 2000s – “…the North Pole will be ice-free in the summer by 2013 because of man-made global warming.” (Al Gore – Dec. 14, 2008). “[W]ithin as little as ten years, the world will be faced with a choice: arable farming either continues to feed the world’s animals or continues to feed the world’s people. It cannot do both.” (“Why vegans were right all along: Famine can only be avoided if the rich give up meat, fish and dairy” – George Monbiot, The Guardian, Dec. 23, 2002)

• The 2010s – “The US Navy Predicts Summer Ice Free Arctic by 2016” (The UK Guardian Dec. 19, 2013) The year 2021 has given us the definitive climate alarmist ironic statement — apparently not aware of their own internal contradiction: “In 1972, a team at MIT predicted that humanity’s pursuit of economic growth without regard for environmental costs would lead to society collapsing by the mid-21st century — a new study finds that may become a reality.” (“MIT’s 1972 prediction of society collapsing could happen by 2040,” The Daily Mail, July 14, 2021)

Since 1972, billions of people have been lifted out of poverty, the planet has cleaner air, water and far less pollution, and shows no signs of collapsing.

Richard H. Senturia, University City