Shame on Daniel Cameron for trying to criminalize healthcare across state lines | Opinion

Medical records

Daniel Cameron has signed on to a letter with 18 other Attorneys General opposing a rule change that would prevent the private health information of individuals leaving states to seek health care that has been banned in their own state to be released to their home state. States with bans on abortion and gender affirming care must want to prosecute their citizens who exercise their rights in other states.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required that slaves be returned to their owners even if the enslaved person had been able to escape to a free state. The slaves could then be prosecuted, abused and worse.

Shame on Daniel Cameron.

Rev. Kelly Gannoe Hale, Lexington

MAGA’s America

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m sick and tired of what’s happening to our country…

Since former President Donald Trump’s election and the rise of “Trumpism,” it’s like living in a banana republic or rogue state: did hostile aliens disguised as humans come to earth and intermarry to take over?

The problem: elected so-called representative Republicans at every level of government, including most GOP presidential candidates, decided— even after Trump’s two impeachments, an attempted coup, allegations of stealing/keeping national security documents, and denying vaccine/voter/climate change issues — to defend Trump instead of denouncing him and his already-tried power-grabbing authoritarian dictatorial agenda that is now publicly-expressed by Trump if he is elected president again in 2024.

The GOP has become the “Grotesquely Obsolete Party” in going after hard-won freedoms, rights, public education, and even the bodily health of women, children, minorities, indigenous people, immigrants/refugees. Older persons and the working poor aren’t exempted as Trump Republicans want to take out Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid.

The MAGA (Make America Gag Again) poisonous lies cult has to be rejected, removed by voters at each and every election, else the U.S. will become a failed state, losing our nation and national identity as the leading world democracy with matching norms, values, rules, and laws.

Ramona Rush, Lexington

Trump accusations

Eight years ago dozens of women accused former President Donald Trump of rape and sexual assault. Each of those women were called a liar by Congressional Republicans and Trump’s supporters. Trump was never charged - even after Trump was caught on tape bragging how he gets away with assaulting women. There was proof on tape from Trumps own mouth, but Congressional Republicans pretended they weren’t aware of it and some said the recording wasn’t authentic.

In my opinion, he felt emboldened by his Hollywood Access tape victory, and did everything he could to get Congressional Republicans and State Representatives to assist him in overturning the election that he lost. It looks like he broke all kinds of laws in the process. He may have committed all kinds of felonies. It seems he lied about poll workers, and encouraged supporters to harass and harm them. He even appears to have been caught on tape trying to overturn the election results. Congressional Republicans protected Trump from being charged criminally for his actions. Then we find out he purposefully held on to highly classified documents! Why did he do that?

Men in power and who control our government thought they were in control of Trump’s fate. They thought they could save Trump from himself. WRONG!

Yolanda Averette, Lexington

Excess revenue

I don’t think that the state revenue surplus is much of a mystery. Our predominantly Republican state legislature has insisted that they want to remove our state income tax - but they haven’t. Instead they have widened the scope of expenses to which the state sales tax applies. So we have a huge net increase of taxes. Six percent added to fees for services that were never taxed before has increased our own family tax burden a great deal, especially in this year of crazy weather that brought many house repairs.

Bob Crovo, Lexington

Political theater

The political ads shown on TV are hyperbolic to the point of absurdity. What exactly are the candidates “selling”? Insults, name calling, and unsubstantiated claims tell the voters nothing of the candidates’ plans (except how low can they go). If elected, what would the candidates do to benefit their constituents? Have the values of respect, honesty, integrity and accountability gone by the wayside? An ad with facts, plans, and civility could attract voters who are undecided. It would certainly be a refreshing change.

Cheryl Keenan, Lexington

Stop the Chop

Recently, 500,000 individuals across the country came together with a unified voice, urging the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to cease cutting our nation’s mature and old-growth forests immediately. The objective was to discuss the implementation of the President Joe Biden’s Executive Order, which aims to safeguard mature and old-growth forests.

Mature and old-growth trees are the most efficient means of removing carbon from our atmosphere. These trees store millions of tons of carbon, and work for hundreds of years if left standing. Yet, the USFS persists in cutting down these effective climate-fighting giants. Nearly 370,000 acres of mature and old-growth trees across 22 national forests are on the chopping block. Logging releases three times more carbon per acre than forest fires, while mature trees burn less and resist fire better than younger ones. New saplings emit more carbon than they absorb for the first 20 to 40 years!

We request that the USFS immediately suspend timber sales involving mature and old-growth trees. We must prioritize forest carbon storage, biodiversity, recreation, and recreation jobs to avert bigger problems in our future. We do not have decades to wait for younger forests to mature. Protect old-growth now!

Whitney Hamblin, Kentucky Heartwood, Irvine

Firefighter kudos

We don’t often hear about the good work of our public servants. A few weeks ago, dozens of residents of Lake Crossing heard about it and saw it when the Lexington Fire Department responded to a potentially disastrous late-night house fire involving children. Firefighters put out the fire quickly and kept it from spreading to other parts of the house and adjacent homes. Many residents commented on how impressed they were with the firefighters’ skill and professionalism. Our hats are off to Lexington’s great fire department!

Susie D. Hillard, Lexington, Lake Crossing Homeowner Association

Dangerous drivers

Recently, my husband and I were just about taken out on the road by a very unwise driver. Of course, the words “just about” are crucial, at least for us.

I’ve concluded there are some people who just don’t care, not only on the road but in life in general. Certainly there are those who do care but may not live their life wisely. Thus they are not contributing and possibly wasting their time and even doing harm.

Also I’m well aware there are those who do immeasurably good in their lives. They both care for others, and their actions show it.

In our case, the unwise driver was going full speed ahead on the wrong side of the road - not something we need to emulate while on the road or in life in general. In light of the “Not So Fast Kentucky” campaign, it’s worth reminding people to slow down.

Belinda French, Columbia, Tenn., formerly of Georgetown

Compiled by Liz Carey