The American public has the right to know the true agenda of “expert witness” Dr. Vincent Rue and with whom lies his affiliation. Mr. Rue is the psychotherapist hired by various states to testify in support of anti-abortion legislation. This man has no known accreditation in science or psychology (he may only be a counselor), yet he claims to be an expert on women’s psychological health following abortion procedures. He has coined the phrase “post-abortion syndrome.” Mr. Rue is responsible for coaching at least three or four other “expert witnesses” in their testimonies opposing abortion. He links abortion with subsequent—almost certain—mental illness. What bothers me about this man isn’t only that he is a man—and as such will never know what it is to be pregnant, nor will he ever have to undergo an abortion—or that his findings are not based on scientific fact, nor that he lacks the proper credentials as an expert in his field (consider Dr. Laura), but that his testimony seems prejudicially aligned with the far right. In other words, it lacks impartiality. As I said before, Americans have a right to know who this man is, especially if he’s going to be setting precedence in the courtroom, if not setting policy on women’s reproductive rights.
Letters: Here Comes The Sun Here Comes The Sun
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Count yourself lucky to be living in [Albuquerque], one of the 15 sunniest cities in the US. With so much of a good thing, solar energy has immense potential in our state. New Mexico should be a leader and a game-changer. But with less than 2 percent of our energy coming from solar, we have a long way to go.I attended the Solar Fiesta this weekend. The event brought out many businesses, industry specialists and so many members of our community. I spoke with people who came out because they were envious of their neighbor’s low energy bills and curious about what all the fuss is about. I also talked to eco-experts who are living off the grid and looking for the next exciting thing to make their homes even greener.There’s never been a better time to go solar. Solar becomes more affordable every year; solar installation costs fell 15 percent from 2012 to 2013 alone. What’s more, solar has created tens of thousands of new American jobs and put billions of dollars into the US economy.Let’s make clean energy a priority so that viable solutions are not only a possibility but our bright future.
Letters: Not Even An Honorable Mention? Not Even An Honorable Mention?
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Okay, Ebola is on the news almost constantly. Personally I see an aspect of this disease that can be devastating that nobody is talking about. They constantly say that it can only be transmitted by direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person. I really believe that if a mosquito bites an Ebola-infected person, it can suck up the virus and then inject it into the next person it bites a few days later and maybe a few miles away. Mosquitoes can transmit malaria, dengue [fever], encephalitis and many other viral diseases. Why can’t they transmit Ebola? Central Africa, where Ebola is rampant, is infested with mosquitoes. How do they know that nobody was bitten by an infected insect? How do we know that the fellow in Dallas wasn’t bitten by a mosquito? Nobody mentions mosquitoes, and they are very, very good at transmitting diseases. So what happens if they decide mosquitoes can contribute to a possible Ebola epidemic? I can see panic and many bad choices evolving. Cities may say, “Break out all the trucks and planes. We need to bomb the city with pesticides to kill all the mosquitoes.” Of course that would be ridiculous, but I can see it happening, especially in Dallas, other cities in Texas and many cities and towns in warmer states with large mosquito populations.I would like to see the Center for Disease Control and any other Ebola experts tell us that mosquitoes can’t possibly carry Ebola. They won’t do that because they can’t. If you live anywhere that mosquitoes may be common, the best method of control is to wear a good non-DEET mosquito repellent.
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