Letter-writer missed
An interesting aspect of the Voices page of the Democrat-Gazette is that some names appear so frequently as authors of letters to the editor that they become recognizable. Some writers appear so regularly that they might be suspected of waiting anxiously for the expiration of their 30-day "blackout" period between published letters. Other authors appear infrequently, perhaps needing to be moved by a specific topic, event, or news article.
Earl Anthes of Forrest City was the latter. He had a dozen letters published in the last 5½ years on a wide variety of subjects. His letters were interesting, factual, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. He would have gladly admitted that various degrees of sarcasm occasionally crept into his writing.
Earl died on April 6. The intelligence, warmth, and humor that were present in his letters, as well as in his life, will be missed by his family, friends, and regular readers.
MIKE WATTS
Little Rock
Reproductive health
The Population Institute (Disclosure: I am on the board) has issued its annual "50-State Report Card on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights." States' grades are based on such indicators as:
Comprehensive sex education in the schools
Medicaid access under the Affordable Care Act
Obstacles to family planning or abortion services
Emergency contraception mandated in the emergency room
Access to gender-affirming care
Points assigned to 11 indicators total 100 points, representing strong support for sexual and reproductive health and rights. New Jersey (95 points), California (94 points), New Mexico (93 points), Vermont (88 points), and Oregon (87.5 points) received a letter grade of A.
Twenty-five states received a grade of F, an increase from recent years--due in part to state actions prompted by the death of Roe v. Wade.
Alabama received the lowest grade: 10 points. Mississippi (16 points) and Tennessee (17 points) followed closely in the cellar.
Arkansas' 32.5 points placed it 17th from the bottom, but the researchers added a minus to our F, indicating that policies under consideration could make matters worse.
It is worth noting that the issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights refers almost exclusively to women and reflects the degree to which they are considered capable of controlling their own bodies. Our report card indicates a deficit in Arkansas' respect for women.
Fortunately, women still have the right to vote and might use it to demand more respect.
EARL BABBIE
Hot Springs Village