JD Vance has a lot to learn about childless women and couples

JD Vance’s recent comment referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as a “childless" cat lady has sparked significant backlash. As a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, I believe this comment warrants deeper examination.

When women reach their 40s, about 84% have children. The remaining 16% of women without children include those who have chosen not to become parents.

As a mother of three, I find parenting incredibly challenging yet rewarding, but it's not for everyone. For Black women like me, pregnancy and childbirth pose higher risks, with Black women having 2.6 times the mortality in pregnancy than white women.

Furthermore, the U.S. is unique among developed nations for lacking federally mandated parental leave, having limited breastfeeding accommodations and expensive, often inaccessible, child care. In addition, Gen Zers are increasingly considering the environmental toll that family-building can have. Childbearing in the U.S. can be physically demanding, costly and exhausting.

Some people who are childless may deeply desire to be parents but face infertility, or may be single or part of the LGBTQ+ community, requiring additional help to build their family. Others experience painful pregnancy losses or have medical conditions that preclude them from conceiving.

Infertility is often stigmatized and associated with stress, depression and anxiety. The World Health Organization reports that 1 in 6 reproductive people will face infertility, so it’s likely you know someone affected or may experience it yourself. However, due to the stigma around infertility and pregnancy difficulties, many suffer in silence with the inability to have children.

Families can be formed in many ways beyond biological connections. Adoption, fostering and step-parenting are fulfilling paths to building a family. Many people enrich their lives with children without biological parenting.

The lack of empathy surrounding reproductive choices highlights broader issues, such as the Republicans' failure to protect in vitro fertilization. It’s crucial to normalize discussions about reproductive autonomy. Instead of questioning Vice President Harris’ personal choices, we should support her accomplishments and respect her family decisions.

Amanda J. Adeleye, M.D., founding partner and medical director, CCRM Fertility of Chicago

Private companies invest in water infrastructure

A recent editorial misses the mark on the reality of the Illinois water infrastructure. Focusing all attention on water rates while ignoring the importance of water quality and reliability is shortsighted at best.

Americans should be able to count on safe water and reliable service. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many, due to a variety of factors that largely stem from aging infrastructure and deferred investment.

Many communities and government-run water systems in Illinois and across the U.S. defer investing in infrastructure. Keeping rates artificially low due to political pressures or lacking the operational expertise to run complex water systems often results in failing water infrastructure, unsafe water and unreliable water service.

The data clearly shows many communities across Illinois are struggling, and residents are paying the ultimate price with unsafe water. Almost 200 community water systems in Illinois, serving a combined 954,000 people, had “significant deficiencies” in their latest Safe Drinking Water Act Survey. Almost 800 systems, which serve a combined 6 million people, have had a Safe Drinking Water Act violation of some kind over the past three years.

When regulated, private water companies assume operations of struggling systems, they are often making up for years, even decades, of under-investment and infrastructure neglect. System privatization is not the root of these rate increases. It takes investment to replace failing pipes, upgrade treatment plants and implement water quality technology. The result might be higher rates, but the result is safe, reliable water.

The editorial ignored the millions of dollars that Illinois’ regulated, private water companies of annual infrastructure invest, and these same water companies lead the way in providing assistance programs to customers who are struggling financially. In fact, regulated, private water companies offer assistance programs at much higher frequency than government-run systems, which are often unable to offer help due to oversight constraints.

A flippant call to reverse course in the state is void of policy solutions that have a chance of resulting in more Illinoisans having safe drinking water. Residents would be much better served by solutions that tap into the proven record of regulated, private water companies.

Robert F. Powelson, CEO and president, National Association of Water Companies

Harris fits presidential bill

White men who believe Kamala Harris, former California attorney general, U.S. senator and now vice president, is not qualified to be president are suffering from DEI (Delusional, Entitled, Ignorant) Syndrome. Fortunately, it is not a communicable disease and can be successfully treated at the ballot box this November.

Terry Philip Cosgrove, Edgewater

A (tongue-in-cheek) plan for Trump

Maybe former President Donald Trump will file a lawsuit against the Secret Service for their negligence regarding his attempted assassination. Even if the government pleads immunity, the very fair-minded Supreme Court will reverse that provision and permit the lawsuit to proceed. That way Trump will stay in the news even after he loses, hopefully to Kamala Harris.

George Pfeifer, Evanston