Empathetic women
needed at Capitol
Equitable treatment of women can dramatically impact poverty, education and health at the micro and macro level. Historically, women have been marginalized and, as a result, are categorized as a protected class in the U.S. At present, poor legislative, judicial and executive actions disproportionately affect women.
During the pandemic, I witnessed the successes of men, particularly in Southern culture within which I was raised, propped up on the backs of nurses and graves of educators, not inconsequentially female-dominated professions. Furthermore, women have been driven out of the workforce en masse to care for children, and the five-decade-old Supreme Court decision granting women access to safe reproductive health care has been reversed, setting gender equity back generations.
These words could be found offensive to some. Take a moment, however, to unclench the jaw, breathe deeply and consider a daughter, wife, niece or another beloved woman navigating the current, tragic circumstances of our society.
This is a simple exercise in empathy. Freedom is smothered without it.
Empathy. It is the root of humans' ability to help others and change the world. By practicing and teaching empathy, we have the power to transform lives and escape desperate and disparate circumstances; this intentional action functions as a spark to freedom.
Freedom. Defined as the absence of necessity, coercion or constraint in choice or action or from the power of another. Current events might lead one to believe that freedom for women has been extinguished. But I know freedom is also the boldness of a plan or execution thereof. Freedom is red-hot action.
Empathy empowers others to join the fire fight. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for those part of other marginalized communities have also been attacked with hostile actions from those in power who lack empathy. Empathy for one another allows us to stand side-by-side as a unified front. A true home for the brave.
Freedom requires representation. Our children need to see women leaders. It's up to all of us to push empathetic women into a seat at the table where decisions are made. Women are needed in the halls of power to speak up, to push back.
Women with empathy will breathe fire to not only protect freedom, but blaze a trail to advance it for generations to come.
Ash Lee Hicks
Fayetteville
Predatory ticketing
in NWA 'not right'
I'm concerned about the fact that local police in Northwest Arkansas are targeting out-of-state drivers for tickets that make no sense.
Here's what happened to me recently: I drove with my family from the Houston area to Northwest Arkansas, where my parents and multiple siblings live. I grew up in Springdale, but moved to Houston for a job several years ago.
It turned out I had forgotten to renew my Texas registration, which just means I forgot to pay a yearly $73 fee to Texas. A cop in Elm Springs somehow spotted that, and gave me a ticket ... for $205! What's more, he actually bragged to me that all the local police have figured out how to watch out for the registration stickers on cars from Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas, so that they can give out tickets.
To me, this is ridiculous. When I got home to Houston a few days ago, I paid the $73 fee to Texas, and the state of Texas isn't trying to penalize me at all. But somehow the city of Elm Springs is able to fine me $205 for being late paying a fee to Texas?
Please stop trying to take advantage of out-of-state drivers this way. It isn't right.
Stuart Buck
Katy, Texas