Want to run for state office without meeting the qualifications? Don’t, reader says

Fraught race

While I do not disagree with some of her views on the education of our children, I do question the legal qualifications of Ellen Weaver to be on the ballot for superintendent of education since she Is not qualified and did not have the required master’s degree at the time she registered to run for office.

As an analogy, I do not believe that a citizen and resident of Lexington County would be qualified and allowed to register to run for public office in Richland County on the basis of a statement that she would move and become a resident in Richland County before Election Day.

It sets a bad precedent and might become an issue for the courts to decide.

Edward L. Grimsley, Columbia

Name men, too

Women have been having abortions since pre-biblical times. When the male-dominated church decided women had to be “controlled,” the female reproductive system was an easy target. No birth control, no abortion, little sex education meant that men could easily keep them subservient.

Now state governments are trying to do what the church did by criminalizing abortion and even threatening to hold a woman criminally responsible if she miscarries.

I propose that if women who have or seek to have an abortion have their names in the public record for arrests, the men who impregnated them be named as well. No woman impregnates herself.

It would be of interest to find out if a federal, state, or community politician was the reason someone in his office sought abortion services. Or if a pastor was the reason a choir member sought an abortion. And, I feel certain school administrations would want to know if a coach is the reason an athlete or cheerleader sought an abortion.

SCOTUS, state governors and legislatures are practicing medicine without a license. It would be interesting to see if they could be sued for malpractice.

Louise Plodinec, Aiken

Take fight to polls

June 24, 2022, is etched in history as the day America’s highest court stripped women of the right to have control over their bodies.

Yes, people are angry about the Roe v. Wade ruling, but we cannot succumb to the anger. We must use our energy to take action and fight judicial misguidance and legislative ineptitude.

We have marched to show our disapproval of the ruling, and the subsequent proposed legislation that will penalize women and physicians.

Now we must march to the polls.

The fight must and will continue in Congress and the courts, but the fight at the polls must also be won. Replacing our current elected officials with those who respect women and women’s rights can only be accomplished by getting out every voter who supports the right of women to have control of their bodies. We must remove those policymakers who are willing to allow the loss of women’s lives, bodily autonomy and livelihood with unabashed bluster.

I urge everyone who understands this to stand with us and fight. We cannot stop just because we are tired of fighting. We must continue because it is the right thing to do.

Lady June Cole, Ph.D., Columbia

Time for change

Well, they finally did it. They were determined to set the United States back to the dark ages by overturning the landmark case of Roe v. Wade.

It is time to get rid of the super majority that Mitch McConnell is responsible for, and expand the Supreme Court to 13. The confidence in the Supreme Court has hit an all time low.

Ronald M. Andersen, Winnsboro

This story was originally published July 10, 2022 at 6:00 AM.