Abortion

With respect to the Feb. 28 opinion piece by Ms. Santo concerning abortion, my wife and I want to compliment her for a lucid, logical and beautifully stated situation analysis. Her appeal for a "better way" than murder of innocents to deal with unwanted pregnancy should be a clear call to come together and find these alternatives. I am sure that in these polarized times there will be volumes of what can only be most politely called negative responses...

The Sun's argument regarding the amendment banning the funding of abortions from government-backed healthcare is fatally flawed ('The anti-choice," Nov. 10). The comparison between an abortion and a gall bladder or kidney stone procedure assumes that a fetus is an infected organ or an abnormal collection of calcium. Rather, a fetus is the first stage in human life. Regardless of one's religious views, it is an undeniable fact that the heart starts beating around 22 days after conception and stops beating when the body dies.

Strongest supporters of abortion rights: Justice Harry A. Blackmun, 83...author of Roe vs. Wade...Current position: Abortion is a fundamental right, and no restriction may be imposed unless necessary to uphold a "compelling" official goal.Justice John Paul Stevens, 72...abortion is a fundamental right, and most restrictions would be unconstitutional unless necessary to a "compelling" official goal.Only partly in favor:Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, 62...abortion is a "limited" fundamental right, and restrictions that put an "undue burden" on that right are unconstitutional unless necessary to a "compelling" official goal; if they do not impose an "undue burden," they are valid if "rational."

Like most other denominations in this country, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) remains on record as supporting a woman's access to legalized abortion. In a debate in which there is precious little room for common ground between two extremes, the country's largest Lutheran denomination voted overwhelmingly last week that in some cases abortion could be a morally responsible decision, even when it is not necessary in order to save the life of the mother.In doing so, the church's assembly rejected a strict anti-abortion position, as well as a more liberal approach that would affirm freedom of conscience in regard to the issue.

THE SUPREME COURT'S decision 30 years ago today to decriminalize abortion will be an anniversary noisily marked. Outraged opponents will rally in protest as they have almost annually. Ardent advocates will issue statements of support, and summon their own troops in defense of the policy. Much of the rest of the country will groan, feel vaguely uncomfortable and try to tune it out. Polls suggest that most Americans don't consider abortion an issue that lends itself to absolutes. They may support a woman's right to make the choice, or at least respect her privacy.

AN EDITORIAL yesterday concerning a proposed partnership between the Greater Baltimore Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center stated that GBMC is the only community-based hospital in the Baltimore area that will perform an elective abortion. In fact, several other community hospitals, including Sinai, Union Memorial and Maryland General, also offer the procedure early in pregnancy, in addition to the city's academic medical centers, Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland.While a partnership with St. Joseph would mean that GBMC would no longer perform elective abortions, hospital officials assure The Sun that a full range of contraceptive and fertility treatments would be unaffected by any such agreement.

Leona Benten, the woman who attempted to bring a 12-pill dose of the pregnancy-ending drug RU-486 into the country, exhibited a touching naivete when she expressed surprise this week that her case had attracted so much attention.By testing the legality of the Food and Drug Administration's ban on the importation of RU-486, the 29-year-old social worker stepped squarely into the middle of the abortion spotlight -- a hard place to stay anonymous.Most of the world sees RU-486 as a medical breakthrough, allowing women to end pregnancies in the early stages without intrusive surgical procedures, opening new possibilities in contraceptive research and even holding promise for fighting breast cancer and other diseases.

Christopher Dreisbach is right that if abortion at any stage is murder, then it's difficult to oppose Rep. Todd Akin's claim that an aborted fetus resulting from rape is an innocent victim ("Abortion ethics not so simple," Aug. 28). But it is equally difficult for Mr. Akin and others who claim to believe that abortion is murder to explain why abortionists, and their accomplices and co-conspirators, should not be subject to the penalties we apply in the case of other premeditated murders.

I am dismayed that Patuxent Publishing has only seen fit to publish anti-abortion responses to Maria Santo's My Word, "Murder is not condoned by civilized societies; abortion should be illegal" (Feb. 28). As a long-time "pro-choice" woman who has marched in support of pro-choice more than once, I am insulted by her editorial. "Civilized Societies do not kill children. " How juvenile; using the scare tactic of killing "children. " I believe that an embryo is a potential human and therefore, does not have the same rights as the mother.