Recent Letter to The Editor I wrote

This letter was in response to a letter that claimed that pro-choice is not pro-abortion. She was responding to a letter from Marian Bourek about Planned Parenthood trying to come into DBQ. Having covered this territory in a post on this blog, I had to respond.

It has been interesting to see the reactions since the 1st article 2 weeks ago about DBQ Co Right to Life announced PP's plans & their call to fight the attempt. Most of the pro-life comments have been via articles & letters to the editor in the paper. Most of the pro-abortion comments have been by the same few people on the website.

Amazingly the TH published the letter almost verbatum. In the 1st line I wrote "a letter in the 5 July TH saying". They cut it down to "(letter, July 5)" which didn't change the meaning. They also added the date of Maran's letter. & they corrected 1 bit of poor grammer.

Coming to terms with definitions

From Allen J. Troupe

DBQ TH Friday 11 July 2008

Cheryl Birch wrote (letter, July 5) that being "pro-choice" is not the same as being "pro-abortion." I have to disagree.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines pro-choice as: "Favoring or supporting the legal right of women and girls to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy to term."
For pro-abortion, it says: "Favoring or supporting legalized abortion." While the pro-choice definition is a bit longer, it means basically the same as the definition of pro-abortion. When two words have the same or nearly the same meaning, they are synonyms. The two terms are clearly synonyms, thus pro-choice is pro-abortion.
We pro-lifers do take into account the women considering abortion. That is why we support groups like Birthright that provide alternatives to the murdering of the pre-born child. Research, mostly by pro-choice groups, has proven that abortion does long-term emotional harm to the woman. Pro-lifers don't want women to suffer that, either. This is unlike Planned Parenthood, which despite its claims, just cares about making money off of the abortion. Otherwise, how do you explain all the rape and incest they have helped cover up?
As for her comment that she has never met a single person who thinks abortion is the greatest idea they have ever heard. To that I say, Margaret Sanger, the founder of PP. That was her exact feeling about abortion.
Marian Bourek is right in her claims (letter, July 1), not Ms. Birch.