Abortion

A letter in Thursday's Forum page, "Abortion not limited to just woman's body," included an incorrect word that altered the meaning of a sentence. The letter should have read: "What [Pamela] Brande and many other pro-choice advocates fail to understand, or at least admit to, is that abortion is not limited to just the woman's body." In Thursday's Daily Pilot, the story "Light rail could be left up to voters," incorrectly stated how much in matching funds the Orange County Transportation Authority has received from the federal government for the CenterLine light-rail project.

Freedom of speech is hardly a hobby Peggy Normandin's comments, published May 1 in the "Mailbag" section, voiced her distress over "skewed thinking," "unnatural solution....against a woman's heartfelt instinct," "an abhorrent procedure," "propaganda" putting undue pressure on people to embrace abortion as a healthy option, all in the direction of mothers and daughters who marched together last month in Washington, D.C. No one, including and especially government, should interfere with the personal and private matters of a women's reproductive options and healthcare.

I was rescued from an abortion in 1966, so this is a very personal issue for me. I was rescued because the law did not permit abortions, and no doctors could be found willing to break the law. I was an "accident," so let me be an advocate for the "accidents" of the future. I understand and agree with the right of a woman to control her body, but that control needs to happen before it involves another life. Claims of abortion's necessity in cases involving rape or the medical condition of the mother are over-reported.

Alex Coolman Striding down the length of the Huntington Beach Pier, Ted Crisell is pressing flesh at top speed. "Are you folks voters?" Crisell asks a group of senior citizens, handing them a couple campaign fliers. "I'm running for Congress!" This morning, Crisell is animated and infectious. He meets a woman who tells him she's voted for him, and the result is a hug of pure political joy. If there was ever a day when it seemed like a Democrat could take the 45th Congressional District, this is it. The 45th is, of course, the district that's been dominated for years by Dana Rohrabacher.

After spending $680,000 to move city hall 700 feet, Jack Croul has apparently determined that it is more cost-effective to buy City Council members. Dolores Otting was available. The so-called candidate of “transparent government” has been funded by a secret big-money effort to take control. Ignoring our $500-per-person contribution limit, Croul has funneled $25,000 to date to Dolores Otting. Beginning in July, and using hidden contributions and anonymous committees from out of town, the lies and attacks have begun.

Debates require respect for opposition I read with casual interest the response to the Pilot's article, "Mother daughter march causes concern," (Mailbag, May 1) regarding the Harringtons' attendance at the women's march in Washington D.C. ("Newport native makes abortion march," April 28). While I usually resist the temptation to argue political viewpoints, it seems that Peggy Normandin appears to have taken the conservative, anti-choice position with renewed venom.

Last week, Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, was strongly criticized by some conservatives for inviting U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to address more than 2,000 evangelical leaders at Warren's second international conference on AIDS. "Why would Warren marry the moral equivalency of his pulpit — a sacred piece of honor in evangelical traditions — to the inhumane, sick and sinister evil that Obama has worked for as a legislator?" wrote radio host and blogger Kevin McCullough.

Once again in our allegedly civilized society we have seen overpowering and unbalanced moral, religious and political convictions turn into social activism, then hatred and, finally, into violence. And Dr. George Tiller of Wichita, Kan., is dead, slain, it has been charged, by a mentally ill man nurtured on a diet of anti-government hate to a conclusion, I suspect, that he was doing a public service of heroic proportions by removing this man from the world we all share. Tiller was the most visible of a handful of American doctors who included last trimester pregnancy abortions in their medical practice.

If you could have lunch with President-elect Barack Obama what would you most like to tell him?   I would first congratulate Mr. Obama on his election victory, noting his fine speaking skills and his ability to get people behind him and his vision for our country. I would assure him of my prayers for him and our nation during this pivotal time in our history. One area I would stress with the President-elect is my grave disagreement with him as regards pro-life issues.

This month the Senate has been in hearings about the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Do you think there should be litmus tests for court appointees -- questions, for example, about religion, abortion or the use of torture? What questions would you ask if given a chance? Along with millions of Americans, I was impressed when Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, during his confirmation hearings, used the analogy of a judge being like an umpire. He said, "No one goes to a game to see the umpire.

While there is much we do not know about Miguel Diaz, it does appear that the Papal Nuncio (the pope’s ambassador) to the United States is pleased with the decision. Archbishop Pietro Sambi called Diaz “an excellent choice because he knows very well the United States and because of his background in the Catholic Church.” We know also that he is a theologian and gifted with the ability to fluently speak multiple languages. He will have many opportunities to use these talents and will be able to optimize his experience in the Eternal City and hopefully be effective in his role.

Once again in our allegedly civilized society we have seen overpowering and unbalanced moral, religious and political convictions turn into social activism, then hatred and, finally, into violence. And Dr. George Tiller of Wichita, Kan., is dead, slain, it has been charged, by a mentally ill man nurtured on a diet of anti-government hate to a conclusion, I suspect, that he was doing a public service of heroic proportions by removing this man from the world we all share. Tiller was the most visible of a handful of American doctors who included last trimester pregnancy abortions in their medical practice.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to overturn a controversial, unanimous decision that it made last month to suspend funding for Planned Parenthood, but created new guidelines for future funding that clinics consider onerous. Supervisor John Moorlach was the driving force behind the suspension. He said he did not support giving money to organizations that perform abortions, even though Planned Parenthood officials said the county funds only educational outreach programs designed to teach kids about physiology, sexually transmitted diseases and birth control methods.

About 600 donors gathered Thursday in the Balboa Bay Club for the annual fundraiser for Birth Choice, a Santa Ana-based chain of clinics aimed at preventing abortions, with programs for transitional housing for new mothers and abstinence education. The socially conservative crowd met to raise money for the group and for a new center in Long Beach, but they also met on a day of mixed feelings for California foes of abortion and same-sex marriage. It was just two days after a nation swept Barack Obama into the White House and his fellow Democrats into more places of power, while California banned same-sex marriage and failed to pass a parental notification law for teens seeking abortions.

Msgr. Lawrence Baird says that “no intrinsic evil can be supported in any way, most especially … taking an innocent life.” (“How to handle abortion issue?” In Theory, Oct. 25) We in the anti-abortion community have spent the last 35 years spending enormous resources of time, talent and treasure in an as-yet unsuccessful effort to make abortion illegal. What has been the result of that effort? We now lose 1 million-plus lives a year to abortion.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a law banning a method used in some midterm abortions. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the government cannot prohibit all abortions but that it "may use its voice and its regulatory authority" to discourage women from terminating pregnancies. He also noted there were other ways doctors could perform the midterm abortions. What do you think of the high court's decision? We wonder why the rest of the world abhors America.