Letter: Abortion Is Health Care

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To the Editor:

Seventy percent of Americans support safe and legal abortions. Abortion is health care, and is a basic human right that has been protected by Roe for the past 50 years. Yet this right has been rescinded by six radical, ultraconservative Supreme Court judges, three of whom were appointed by a president who failed to win the popular vote.

Maybe that 70 percent got too complacent and took this right for granted. But the lesson is learned: No constitutional right is safe any longer. Many of us are outraged by the court's decision that does not even allow for abortion in cases of rape or incest.

But if we want our rights restored, outrage alone is not enough. We must do all we can to mobilize the vote for pro-choice Democratic candidates this November and in November of 2024 to keep Democrats in control of Congress and ensure that abortion rights are protected. If Republicans take back Congress in November, we face the dire prospect that they will enact a federal ban on abortion, criminalizing the procedure nationwide, and that other reproductive rights, such as access to contraception and the right to marry whom we choose, will be under attack.

In the meantime, if you want to join the fight, visit the Berkshire Brigades Facebook page.

Louise Farkas
Pittsfield, Mass.

Farkas is a member of the Berkshire Brigades steering committee. 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Dalton Health Board Orders Dust-Abatement Plan for Concrete Site

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Residents protest on Wednesday ahead of a Board of Health meeting. 
DALTON, Mass. —  Residents urged for quicker action to address the dust and particulates affecting their neighborhood allegedly from Berkshire Concrete's dig site.
 
During Wednesday's meeting, the Board of Health voted to send a letter to the company requiring a comprehensive plan by April 25. 
 
This letter establishes a formal deadline for submitting a detailed plan to address the dust nuisance and notes that failure to comply with this requirement could lead to financial penalties and potential legal action.
 
The board also recommended to request that a third-party review the dust mitigation plans and ongoing air quality monitoring as conditions of the special permit for Berkshire Concrete.
 
Resident David Pugh argued that Petricca Industries, the parent company of Berkshire Concrete, has shown a generational disregard. 
 
"The history speaks for itself," he said. A petition submitted by residents argues this point, using newspaper clippings dating back to 1976. 
 
"What we need with [the board's] action, is the same level of reaction by the people who created the problem to begin," Pugh said. 
 
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