Articles In This Issue

• Remembering Daniel L. Howell, Jr. - Kim M. Babler

• The Ethical Quandary of Abortion: Whose Body, Whose Voice? - Rebecca Witherspoon

• Hey America, What Did We Ever Do To You? - Gary Varvel

Remembering Daniel L. Howell, Jr.

Kim M. Babler, June 30, 2025

Daniel L. Howell, Jr. passed away sometime during the last half of May 2025. Dan was a member of the Republican Party of Dane County and had recently been a write in candidate for Mayor of the City of Madison during the 2023 spring elections. He had a big heart and a lot of life experiences that made him a wonderful colleague in Dane County politics. Dan Howell had a future in Dane County because of his unique background, positive outgoing personality, and his willingness to conquer anything.

His Passing. Dan’s passing was sudden and unexpected and may have been cardiovascular. With all the HIPAA obstacles and other privacy barriers, there is a lot about his passing that couldn’t be found out including access to an obituary. He had talked about aspects of his life but not specifics that would help flesh out his story now. He was about 58 years of age.

Understood Urban Life. Dan had a future in Dane County because of his unique background and later-in-life learned points of view. He had challenging life experiences that made him understand how communities should work and how they can get into trouble. He later used that knowledge to consult young people and people in trouble. He said “I HATE hardcore drugs and there will be a war on drugs when I get elected into political office.” He had a citation from the Madison Police Department for his work with Porchlight, a community organization dealing with homelessness.

Political Potential. Politically, he was unafraid of Madison and Dane County because he clearly saw the problems and knew how to address them. His write-in race for mayor was started very late, had little resources, didn’t attract much help, and was mostly word of mouth. He never the less won more than 700 votes. To an experienced political person, that demonstrated the ability to understand people and win them over. With very modest resources and a moderate team, he could have garnered 10% of the vote and would have been launched as a public person. He also was good for Republicans and conservatives. He brought reality to them and challenged their views. He would have had an impact here.

The Ethical Quandary of Abortion: Whose Body, Whose Voice?

Rebecca Witherspoon, Musings By Rebecca, June 19, 2025

The phrase “my body, my choice” has become a defining slogan in the modern debate over abortion. At first glance, it sounds simple and self-evident: a person should have the right to make decisions about their own body. I 100% agree with that principle and advocate for personal bodily autonomy. But … when we apply this principle to the issue of abortion, the situation becomes far more ethically complex—because in every pregnancy, there is not one body involved, but two. And the second body—the unborn child—does not yet have the ability to speak or defend itself.

Personal Bodily Autonomy 

Personal bodily autonomy is the principle that every individual has the right to control their own body. It means you have the freedom to make decisions about your physical self—such as whether to undergo medical treatments, what to eat, how to dress, whether to have sex, and whether or not to become pregnant—without coercion or interference from others.

Bodily autonomy is a foundational aspect of human rights and personal freedom. It affirms that your body belongs to you, and you are the ultimate authority over what happens to it.

However, in ethical and legal discussions—especially around issues like abortion—bodily autonomy can come into conflict with other moral considerations. For example, in pregnancy, some argue that another human life is also involved, and that the rights of the unborn child must be weighed alongside the mother’s autonomy.

Rebecca Witherspoon is a Trustee with the Village of DeForest.

Hey America, What Did We Ever Do To You?

Gary Varvel, Creators Syndicate - June 24, 2025