Letters

Editor,

Michelle Durand’s column entitled "Life changes in a heartbeat” in the March 7 edition was amazing. I have stared at those two pink lines across a stick three times in my life and each time I felt something different. The first was when I was 18 and finishing high school and I discovered I was pregnant. I knew that I was not ready to be a mother and chose to have an abortion. The second time was when I was 23, married and in college. This time I was surprised at the unexpected news. I had a beautiful son who is now 6 years old. The most recent time I stared at those two pink lines across a stick was when we planned this pregnancy, a sibling for my son, and I was elated. Each time was so different.

I am thankful that I had the right to choose what I wanted to do for my future and the future of my unborn children. I do not regret any of those choices. I am thankful that I was able to go to a clinic that was safe and legal to have an abortion. I continued to visit that clinic afterwards for all of my gynecological needs including birth control because I couldn’t talk to my parents about those things.

I hope that women in the United States will continue to have a choice, whatever it may be. I will help them by doing what I can so ridiculous laws like the one they are trying to pass in South Dakota never come to fruition. We have come too far to go backwards.

C. Hoffman

San Mateo

What’s really wrong

with America

Editor,

A woman’s fundamental right to choose must never be tampered with, period. Secondly, we know South Dakota’s governor is not a medical doctor. We also know medical definitions of words such as "fetus” and "baby” are intentionally manipulated by some fanatical religionists for self-serving reasons only ("Abortion law stirs hostility” in the March 7 edition of the Daily Journal).

I will never forget the Terry Shiavo incident here in Florida. We had Jeb Bush ready to commit anarchy to "save” this brain dead woman which would have resulted in placing this body in Department of Child and Families which would ultimately result in her death (Jeb cut spending to that agency by $17 million as I recall). We had Terry Randall gnashing his teeth and crying crocodile tears over something the Florida courts have already decided on 15 times prior — that the husband was in the right to have the woman disconnected.

I guess my real concern is will the anti-abortionists step up and care for all of the unwanted children resulting from outlawing abortion? In too many cases, the children born to mothers who do not and cannot care for them will wind up abandoned, murdered, homeless. I say that until such a time as the religious zealots and political bigots create a system of complete care for these unwanted children because abortion is outlawed, I shall remain as pro-choice as anyone on Earth.

The bottom line is America is too degraded of a culture, too capitalistic and materialistic, to pay for social programs or a society whereby all children born regardless of circumstance are embraced into society.

Robert Marcus

Apollo Beach, Fla.

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