Letters to the Editor by Stephanie Seigla

October 25, 2022 

     Have you been following the remarkable protests across Iran staged by valiant women who have had enough of repression? I stand and cheer them as they dance, pull off their hijabs and defiantly toss them into a fire. Their brave commitment to gender equality and liberty is an inspiration to women around the world. They will not be bent to the oppressive will of the “morality police"!

     As an American woman who grew up believing my country would not only protect but expand the rights of women and LGBTQ+, I never thought the battles fought and won over 50 years ago by women standing against repression and oppression would have to be fought and won again. Just as the Iranian women and men demand their rights, American women and men must do the same now!

     The American version of the morality police and their anti-women reign of terror can be found in the GOP-proposed laws that ban abortion. Given free rein by an unethically appointed and ideologically extreme Supreme Court, GOP-controlled states are on the attack. They’re criminalizing the right to choose, leading to women and caregivers being jailed. Texas leads the way by enacting a vigilante-style morality police — Arizona will follow shortly. GOP federal candidates all support a national abortion ban.

     Incredibly, the American morality police will be deployed in medical facilities, libraries and public schools — after all, they can’t allow books or teachers to mention gender or race. If this doesn’t make your blood boil, you’re either not paying attention or you’re part of the problem.

     Frederick Douglass said, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." Stop the morality police today! Vote for Democrats up and down ballot — your liberty and our democracy are at stake.  

September 17, 2022

     Students, parents and schools themselves need stability in order to get the best possible educational results. A good place to create needed public education stability is through experienced and competent school board members. That’s why I’m supporting the reelection of Blanca Varela for the Casa Grande Elementary School District board.

     As a 40-year Casa Grande resident and community activist, Ms. Varela has served as a longtime member of both the Pinal County Cesar Chavez Scholarship Committee and the St. Anthony School Foundation. During her current term on the CGESD board, she has been committed to improving school safety as well as staff recruitment and retention, all the while keeping a sharp eye on fiscal responsibility.

     Blanca Varela has a proven track record of helping to improve opportunities for Casa Grande students and families. By retaining her on the CGESD board, we will continue to benefit from her positive attitude, experience and vision for this community’s needs.

     Please join me in voting to reelect Blanca Varela to the Casa Grande Elementary School District board on the November ballot.     

August 6, 2022

     I shouldn’t be surprised at the number of letter writers who continue to post factless comments about oil prices and the economy. After all, too many people rely on sound bytes and internet postings rather than doing even a few minutes of actual homework. They, like so many conservatives, swear allegiance to the free markets of unmitigated capitalism until those forces bite them in their collective butts. Then they whine and scream for government intervention as they decry government intervention!

     Aside from the economy, today’s headlines portray a GOP abandoning any semblance of working on behalf of the American people. They block all attempts to control the proliferation of weapons of war and even ghost guns. They voted against helping American companies bring home microchip production. They stand firmly against climate change mitigation despite a world on fire. They’ve rejected lowering health care and prescription costs. They fist-bumped and high-fived their success in stopping health care for American veterans suffering from pit fire exposure while on active duty. Thanks to the GOP, we can forget about protections of abortion, LGBTQ, worker and consumer rights as well.

     Today’s GOP is all about obstruction and blaming. They offer no solutions because they don’t have any. They want a nation of fewer freedoms and economic opportunities. Americans deserve and should demand much more. If you do just a little homework, you’ll come to this conclusion: We must elect Democrats up and down the 2022 ballot.