LETTERS

Celebrate International Women’s Day today

International Women’s Day (IWD) will be celebrated on March 8, 2024 for the 113th time.

IWD isn’t country-, group- or organization-specific. It’s a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women’s equality. This year’s theme is “Inspire Inclusion.”

In a world facing multiple crises that are putting immense pressure on communities, achieving gender equality is more vital than ever. Ensuring women’s and girls’ rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure prosperous and just economies, and a healthy planet for future generations.

When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world.

And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment. To truly include women means to openly embrace their diversity of race, age, ability, faith, body image and how they identify. Worldwide, women must be included in all fields of endeavor.

So some thoughts on how you might celebrate IWD:

¦ You may seek to lobby government for better legislation, services, facilities or access.

¦ Or perhaps you want to reflect upon and celebrate the women in your life – past and present.

¦ You might look to provide women and girls with access to quality education and training.

¦ Or maybe you just want to quietly get your girlfriends together and connect over some heartwarming food, refreshments, and supportive conversation.

So join the members of the Grand Junction Branch of AAUW (The American Association of University Women) in making IWD your day, doing what you can to support and advance women, to help forge a gender-equal and inclusive world.

AND WEAR PURPLE: Purple is the official color of International Women’s Day. Purple signifies justice, dignity and being loyal to the cause. Wearing it shows solidarity and support.

JANE FITZGERALD

President, Grand Junction AAUW

Mesa County ballots should stay in Mesa County

This year is shaping up to be the most consequential election in a generation. At the same time, trust in the voting process and particularly mail voting is at an all-time low. As such, it behooves elected Mesa County officials to ensure the public that the voting process is as safe, secure and timely as possible.

The USPS’ proposed conversion of the Grand Junction post office to a local processing facility means Mesa County ballots will be shipped to Denver before being sorted and returned to Mesa County. One does not have to be a conspiracy theorist to understand that the extra travel time, combined with out-of-county handling and processing increases the potential for damaged, lost or fraudulent votes, while also delaying the final counting and certification of the Mesa County vote. Nor does it matter whether these potential problems are real, or simply perceived. Trust in the process will be diminished, when the goal should be just the opposite.

At a minimum, Mesa County and other local officials should demand that implementation of this proposed conversion be delayed until after the election. Alternatively, administrative processes should be demanded of the USPS that would ensure county ballots do not leave the county. One such option would be the use of colored envelopes, combined with firm guarantees from the USPS that local ballots will be removed and sorted locally, before the remainder of the mail is shipped to Denver. Whatever method is employed, Mesa County ballots should stay in Mesa County.

ERIC MENDE

Grand Junction

Prompt Mail Service is the last priority

As I understand the Grand Junction regional mail handling history, several years ago the post offices outside of Grand Junction were required to send all mail to Grand Junction to be processed in the new sorting machine.

Supposedly the additional volume from post offices outside Grand Junction helped justify the new sorting machine in Grand Junction. Thus, a letter mailed in Paradox and addressed to a Paradox address had to be sent to Grand Junction for cancellation and sorting.

Previously Paradox and many small post offices outside Grand Junction would cancel local letters and place them in a mailbox the same day they were dropped at the post office. Given mailing time, weather and transportation variables, mail delivery is now two to four days.

Now the same circus is being proposed on a larger scale (send all mail to Denver for sorting in a bigger and better sorting machine) to make the system more efficient for all the users. The Interstate 70 connection to Denver for sorting has many possible delays: weather, accidents, ski traffic, Friday “escape traffic,” Sunday return traffic, mud slides, fire, construction, etc. On my I-70 travels to Denver, there has always been at least one minor delay. As proposed, the out of Grand Junction mail turnaround will more likely be a week as I see it. I do not see the two-day Grand Junction service as realistic. In addition, if the mail truck to or from Denver is in an accident, the mail may be not just late, but destroyed.

Exposing prescriptions, legal documents, pension checks, ballots, finance documents and bank mailings to delays and longer delivery time is NOT providing better service. The proposal is for worse service.

Local mail should stay local to avoid the exposure to delays and loss. I do not support building in additional delays to our local mail service.

FRANK FERRIS

Grand Junction

What about an unborn child’s right to life?

The editorial cartoon of Thursday, March 7, showed a Supreme Court justice pointing at a woman, barring her from the right to make decisions over her own body. The implication being that she is being forbidden the right to an abortion.

Our government guarantees every human being the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. So, what about a baby in her mother’s womb? The baby has her own, autonomous blood supply, and can have a different blood type from her mother. Her DNA and fingerprints are distinct. Her characteristics such as eye color, height, gender and skin color can differ from her mothers. She can also have a different personality from her mother.

A baby in the womb is at a very vulnerable stage of life, and needs someone to protect her. Shouldn’t a baby in her mother’s womb also have the right to life?

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” — Dr. Seuss KATHLEEN HOLLINGSWORTH

Grand Junction