Columbus needs Amtrak. There is no reason Ohio shouldn't 'jump all over this deal.'
We must have zero tolerance for hate
The deadly shooting that occurred in Buffalo has left me deeply saddened. I cannot begin to imagine the pain of the victims and their loved ones in this horrific tragedy and I extend my thoughts and prayers to them.
More: Look evil in eye, reject lie. Fear at root of Buffalo shooting behind Ohio bills| Robinson
The role of racist rhetoric in this act of domestic terrorism cannot be understated. It falls upon all of us to condemn racist ideologies and hold those responsible for spreading these views accountable. This is because platforms that promote hate speech have the danger of radicalizing Americans.
More: Columbus-area strip mall incident was the 148th mass shooting in the US this year
When radicalization can lead to such tragedies as the Buffalo shooting and also many terror attacks that have occurred in the past, it has to be seen as a threat and treated as such.
We must have a zero-tolerance policy for any media or group that spreads hatred, and just as threatening someone is illegal, hate speech should be treated the same way.
Omar S. Syed, Pickerington
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We need to 'jump all over' Amtrak deal
I want to thank you for publishing the article by Titus Wu in the Dispatch on May 17 titled “Ohio takes a step toward possible Amtrak passenger rail expansion.” I am not sure why there is any discussion on whether to take this deal or not.
More: Amtrak expansion would include passenger rail service in Columbus again
Free means all costs for construction and operations for the first five years for all of Ohio’s proposed routes.
For just the trip from Cleveland to Cincinnati, it is estimated that the vehicle ridership between Cleveland and Cincinnati could reach 400,000 to 500,000 people.
Vehicular traffic from Cleveland to Cincinnati will decrease with Amtrak, the question is by how much. There are no numbers that I have seen estimating how many cars would be reduced from the road.
More: Will Ohio officials get on board with Amtrak passenger rail expansion? Advocates hope so
If we said that 400,00 to 500,000 people riding Amtrak would eliminate 100,000 cars (I believe it would be many more) from the road on the Cleveland to Columbus drive, do you think those numbers would significantly reduce the overall traffic, making it much easier to drive I-71, less traffic, fewer wrecks, fewer slowdowns for whatever reason?
And at no cost to the Ohio citizens for five years. Could someone help me understand why we do not jump all over this deal?
Columbus is the second-largest city in the U.S. without Amtrak service, just behind Phoenix. It looks like other cities realize the advantages of having Amtrak.
Pete Kienle, Powell
'Poster child' paying for breaking law
Re “‘Poster child' remains on deportation list," May 16: Reporter Yilun Cheng wrote that Homeland Security refuses to dismiss Lansana Gottor’s case due to his “history of illegal voting in the U.S.”
Somehow, he was able to vote and claims he did not know he was not eligible as a green card holder. That makes him a poster child?
More: Columbus green card holder faces deportation despite Biden's favorable immigration rules
The article then goes on to berate the Department of Homeland Security for trying to do their job, follow the law and try to interpret President Biden’s memo that says they are free to drop low-priority cases.
More: Biden's immigration rule changes inconsistently applied to detainees, advocates say
Finally, we are invited to give a tax-deductible donation so the author can continue “writing stories like this one,” a story about a law breaker suffering the consequences of breaking the law.
Please stop with the stories and start reporting the news.
Tom Currie, Westerville
Internet connects people to the future
The article posted on May 9, “Major internet providers to slash cost of broadband service for low-income Americans,” provided an appreciated opportunity to inform more Ohioans about the federal Affordable Connectivity Program.
More: AT&T announces free internet option in Columbus thanks to Affordable Connectivity Plan
The Affordable Connectivity Program provides a $30 per month benefit on home internet service for eligible households. AT&T announced back in January that our eligible customers could utilize this program, and followed up in February with news that households approved for the Affordable Connectivity Program also qualify for our own low-cost Access from AT&T program that is providing up to 100 Mbps of symmetrical internet speeds for $30 per month.
More: New initiative aims to broaden access to internet in Franklin County
Low-cost internet service can be the difference in getting homework done, being able to apply for a job, or receiving medical care. All Americans should be connected to the future.
Molly Kocour Boyle, President, AT&T Ohio
Rights to express views should be 'sacrosanct'
In his May 13 letter, Robert Hawley inquired whether the FBI is investigating abortion rights protestors demonstrating outside the homes of Supreme Court justices and suggesting that Title 18, Section 1507, of the U.S. Code restricts their ability to do so. Perhaps the FBI is not investigating, as they have come to the conclusion that, while the actions may be against the law, the law itself is unconstitutional.
More: Abortion rights protests that started at Supreme Court steps move to justices' front doorsteps
Regardless of your view on abortion, the rights of the people to express their views on an issue should be sacrosanct. The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law... (abridging) the right of the people to peaceably assemble."
So long as the people are peaceably assembling (a question of fact), so long as they are on public property (not private), no law can limit their ability to peaceably assemble lest it run afoul of the Constitution.
More: I defend the First Amendment, but don't protest outside the Supreme Court justices' homes
As Justice Hugo Black stated in another First Amendment case that he read "no law abridging" to mean "no law abridging," so it follows in this instance.
Perhaps if the justices are uncomfortable, they should remember the quote of another Washington insider: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Chris Gallutia, Reynoldsburg
US should follow Portugal's example
An April trip to Portugal offered a glimpse into the future of abortion bans.
In a recent referendum, 59% of the voters in that heavily Catholic country voted to legalize abortion. Abortion there has been legal up to 10 weeks since 2007, with exceptions for rape, sexual crimes, and severe fetal deformities up to 24 weeks. The high rate of maternal deaths in clandestine abortions influenced those voters to approve changes. And perhaps women there are not viewed as disposable.
More: Ending abortion access may widen public health inequalities for Black women, poor Ohioans
Certainly, in Portugal as in the United States, affluent women have no trouble flying somewhere to obtain an abortion, and the weight of a poorly thought-out abortion ban will fall on the shoulders of the poor.
It is stunning that in the1960s, conservative Christians were pretty much fine with abortion — until political operatives decided they were gullible enough to believe that abortion is murder. Theirs is a grand success story.
Sheryll Perry, Worthington
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: Should hate speech be considered a crime?
