Letters to the editor, Jan. 20, 2024

All was well until I got a call from a neighbor and friend, telling me to look out my front window. I didn’t even have to pull up my shade to see the flames leaping 20-40 feet above the roofline of my friend’s beautiful home directly across the street from me. It was truly a waking nightmare, as I watched their home burning while suppression efforts were severely hampered because of 30-mph sustained east winds.

Since there was a comprehensive story published in the Dec. 16 edition of the Laramie Boomerang about the circumstances of that night, I won’t go into any more detail.

However, I want to extend a very heartfelt thank you to the many firefighters and other first responders who played a role in helping to save my home and the rest of the neighborhood. You really are heroes.

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Lynn Benson

Laramie

To women who are raped: Please don’t rush into abortion decision

Each January, we focus for a day on the plight of the pre-born. There is still one group that remains unprotected — those children conceived in the circumstance of rape. I am writing on behalf of them and their mothers.

My daughter was raped two years ago on Christmas Day. Through her journey toward healing, I have learned a great deal. The most needed thing for healing is a good therapist, but we found that violence against women is so common that there are waiting lists. It took over six months before my girl was able to talk with a professional who specializes in this field.

To women in the same situation, please talk to other women while waiting for that help. Many understand EXACTLY. Please don’t try to make irreversible decisions right away. The mental anguish caused by the assault makes rational thinking elusive, if not impossible, at first. Time helps with healing. In talking to other sexual assault survivors, I am learning to expect that time to extend several more years.

I thank God that my daughter is not also dealing with post-abortive trauma. Consider: eliminating the child does not erase the event, it merely protects the perpetrator. It is better for both the mother and the child if we, as a society, offer understanding instead of blame.

The mother needs a safe place to heal. She will need people to love and care for her child until she can do so herself. If she reaches the level of healing where she is capable of loving and caring for that little girl or boy, it is imperative that the child is living. A mother’s empty arms ache for eternity.

In defending the right of these babies to be human, we stand against current cultural norms. The world around us grows steadily darker. It is time we fight that darkness with the light of love.

March for all life, from conception to natural death, this January. Thank you.

Amy Tackitt

Wheatland

January is National Mentoring Month

As we kick of 2024, we take a moment to reflect on those people that have been mentors in your life and helped shape the person you are today. January is also the perfect time to decide to make a lasting and meaningful impact in the life of a child in our community.

As many of us consider our goals and resolutions for the year to come, Big Brothers Big Sisters offers the perfect opportunity to help you make a positive change that will last forever, in your life and in theirs.

For Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wyoming, this is also a month of celebration. We thank our mentors for their commitment and dedication, but most importantly for the impact they’ve had on youth in Laramie. There is no better investment for the future than empowering a child to reach their full potential. You can make the difference!

There are a variety of ways to get involved, flexibility to fit your schedule, and freedom to choose your activities. And we will be with you every step of the way!

At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we believe that every child is filled with unique and unending potential. Sometimes, all it takes to ignite that potential is knowing that someone is in their corner. Join us today to ensure that every child has the support they need to grow up BIG!

For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters, call 307-742-2227 or visit online at bbbswyo.org.

Hanna Eslinger

Laramie