Thank you, Dr Wall for your dispassionate, fact filled, truthful, compassionate column on the subject that divides so many — abortion.

Having spent my entire 47 year career as a women’s health provider (nurse practitioner/nurse midwife), I can attest to how difficult the decision to terminate a pregnancy can be and how we must protect a woman’s right to decide when, and if, to parent.

None of us wants government telling us what health care we may and may not access. And, abortion is health care.

Kathy Ross’s piece on the WPA-sponsored outhouse project confirms my suspicion that I had while clearing an overgrown lot that I recently purchased.

I ran across a couple concrete pads with rectangular openings, along with formed concrete risers that I could only speculate were abandoned outhouses.

The wooden structures were long gone, naturally. Also, my great-grandfather worked for a time on the WPA outhouse project, according to my grandmother.

I’m conservative and want to understand liberals, what do they like or not like, and what are they for or against?

I would appreciate a civil conversation, but typically they offer Democratic talking points, and when finished, they have nothing and leave angry. Some want more deficit spending, or to defund the police.

Do they want control of more cities? The top 10 most dangerous cities have democratic mayors, St. Louis, Missouri, Jackson, Mississippi, Detroit, Michigan, New Orleans, Louisiana, Baltimore, Maryland, Memphis, Tennessee, Cleveland, Ohio, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Does the rule of law matter? Do they want criminals off the streets? Is everything Trump’s fault and why? What makes them tick?

I’ve asked several liberals about high inflation and gas prices and their answers were maddening. A retired Methodist minister, an MD, and a therapist; each said, I’m doing OK, and it doesn’t bother me, like it’s no big deal.

Would it only matter if Donald Trump was President? I’ve asked other Democrats, and they say the same thing.

It infuriates me when they answer a legitimate question with, I don’t care. They pretend to care in their professional lives, but these egocentric liberals and their attitudes are disgusting, they don’t care since they’re OK.

My Dad was a Democrat and always said Democrats are for the little guy. After Bill Clinton, Dad said President Reagan was right, the Democratic party had also left him.

Do liberals care about the working folks that can barely afford food, gas and clothes for their children? Obviously not, or if so, not one has mentioned the hardships high prices and inflation has caused folks that can’t afford it.

I’ve heard that Democrats care more; however, Republicans give more to charity than Democrats. Look it up.

It’s true however, that Democrats vote to spend more taxpayer money to show they care, but not their money.

They’re against guns, but most of the nut jobs involved in shooting innocent people lean to the left, and the numerous folks that acted to stop deadly shootings are right leaning.

Help me out, it will cost you nothing as I’ll buy lunch.

I believe in God; I believe God is in control and through him, everything will work out for the good of all peoples. As we wake up each morning, do we say “Thank you, God” for all the rights and the great freedom we have? As females, we have been blessed with so many freedoms over the years. (These are manmade laws — hopefully, decisions made by people who believe in God.)

I am not yet an antique, but I have heard my elders speak of women’s right to vote, women being able to go through the same door at church as the men, also being able to sit on the same side of the church as the men. Women being part of business discussions with voting power.

Does this generation today remember when women could not wear pants? Only dresses were allowed. I could go on with these man made laws, and we still have a lot of opinions when laws are being made and changed. Some people like them, some don’t.

The freedom that really matters is the freedom that our God has given us. He gives us control of our bodies and our lives. No man made rules can control what we do. Through God, who gave us real freedom, there are consequences for our actions.

Abortions have been done throughout time and will be done throughout the future, legal or non legal. This is a very personal issue and the ones considering this need to ask: what are my reasons? Who gives life (only God)? Does my job and place in society have priority over a life God has gifted me with? Can I handle the consequences in the future? What would my child look like? Would I be much happier knowing I took care and nurtured the greatest gift of all, life itself?

We are spending precious and valuable time on things beyond our control. The federal government cannot control this matter, only the person involved and their God.

It was educational to read Dr. Steve Wall’s recent opinion piece (Saturday, Aug. 14) about fertility, abortion and the point when the fertilize egg is viable.

He speaks from long experience as a Haywood County pediatrician and is a good and caring man. I was especially affected by your words, “Tragically, we should remember that one in every five women in the U.S. will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. About one third will be between the ages of 11 and 17.”

As the headline said, Dr. Wall writes “without hate or anger.”

Thank you for the tone you set for conversations on this and the many issues before us.

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