Men are from Mars, but 'experts' on Venus

Here we go again. Men writing Letters to the Editor about women's issues. It never ceases to amaze me when men talk about what is good for women and what isn't. Here's my solution to this never ceasing problem.

When men can get pregnant and bear children and/or every single one of the thousands of unwanted children in foster homes or orphanages in the United States are all adopted by these "God fearing religious" self-righteous men, I will then most assuredly listen to their problems about abortion and a woman's right to choose her lifestyle. This would be their right, as they then would have experienced a woman's life in all its glory. Men talking about birth control is like me talking with disapproval about their use of Viagra or other similar insurance-approved "medication."

I don't care about only three methods of birth-control Hobby Lobby doesn't approve of, my concern is that they have any say whatsoever in what is essentially a woman's right and decision. This is a very slippery slope as far as a woman's personal freedom of choice is concerned. To differentiate and refuse to pay for ANY method of birth control or pregnancy prevention is simply not a company dictating what a woman can and cannot use, it is a choice of whether religious beliefs vs. a woman's personal freedom is better or more right for that woman.

Here's the bottom line regarding this issue. Now the Supreme Court is getting involved in personal freedom of choice vs. the religious beliefs of a family company. Something that should strike the heart of every God-fearing person would be the not great leap for the Court to decide that guns are more harmful and should be banned vs. a person's personal right to keep and bear arms, or maybe a decision to exempt Viagra from insurance plans (not that it's going to happen with the right wing majority in power, especially the aged men). Either way, government has no business deciding which kind of religious beliefs are valid and which aren't as opposed to an individual's right. Has anyone ever heard of the "separation of church and state/federal government?" What I find particularly disturbing is that their decision has become the law of the land, so to speak, until somebody with any sense overturns it.

So Mr. Hedman, Mr. Silva, and Mr. Neumann, until you can follow in my female footsteps, I would suggest you butt out of what is essentially and without any doubt a woman's right to choose and healthcare issues.

Now on to Mr. Setty. You have got to be kidding! You worked for the Department of Labor and you don't/can't explain how the stock market works? Any rising price in oil can be directly related to those people who are continually fighting over their religious and ethnic differences. We have no business in any war that is essentially between those people in their own country. Any "war" the United States gets involved in should be to protect our borders from terrorists and illegal immigrants from other countries.

As for the housing market, it has certainly improved since 2004. I suspect the reason not many people are purchasing homes is they can't qualify because of the more stringent rules that were enforced on the banks regarding home loans. Thank you, President Obama! If people can't qualify for a home loan with the super low interest rates offered, I would suspect they don't have enough of a down payment and/or their credit rating sucks. I worked hard and long to have a good credit rating and a substantial down payment before I bought my first home in my 30s. The biggest problem is that people in their 20s want it, and they want it now, so sure, they'll go for an interest-only home loan, why the heck not, let's go for it. As for manipulating the unemployment numbers, the key phrase "is that ALL political bents have worked to make them look good for themselves."

Now comes something that I can't abide. A person calling the president a "pathological" liar. President Obama's grandfather fought in World War II, which he has often and repeatedly said. As for being a pampered child of a wealthy grandmother? What is wealthy? By what standards? Having been born and raised there myself, Punaho school was attended by mostly rich white kids, so good for him. I keep pretty up-to-date on the news and the so-called "scandals" mentioned by Mr. Setty are non-issues, considering they've been investigated ad nauseam. I now understand that the new "investigation" into Benghazi is going to cost us taxpayers millions, again!

Really, Republicans, get over it already! The Affordable Care Act law is just that, a law decided by the Supreme Court ruling, yet Congress tried to challenge it 42+ times. Really, Republicans, get over it already! How about we concentrate on really big things to spend money on, like controlling our borders and fixing crumbling infrastructure?

As for privacy, what a joke! Our privacy went out the window as soon as the Internet came in. Our right to privacy our forefathers imagined has gone the way of the horse and buggy. My suggestion: If you go online, you take your chances, so do not do anything a sane, logical and reasonable person would not do.

Fiona Gressler is a retired police officer who resides in Rathdrum.