Letters to the Editor
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Abortion T-Shirts
With respect to the sale by Planned Parenthood of the “I Had an Abortion” T-shirt, I would like to remind the associate vice president of public affairs of Planned Parenthood of New York City, Roger Rathman, that his missive to The New York Sun was written on the public dime since he accepts public funding while those of us who protest the antics of Planned Parenthood do it on our own time and with our own limited funds [“Abortions and Staten Island,” Letters, August 6, 2004].
The “I had an abortion” T-shirt reflects the cavalier attitude that abortion clinics have toward women and their babies.
Having an abortion does not give a woman bragging rights and will not remove the stigma that abortion rightfully has.
It remains – in spite of the spate of publicity given to abortion loving celebrities such as Whoopie Goldberg who brags about her five abortions – a scarlet letter precisely because it is, for the most part, disapproved of by civilized society and a reflection of the failure of men to protect their women.
Mr. Rathman states that “no one works harder than Planned Parenthood to reduce unplanned pregnancies.”
If the truth be told, abortion is the biggest money-making enterprise that Planned Parenthood has, and in some neighborhoods, such as the South Bronx, there are more abortions than live births.
Americans of all ages – including young children – have been drilled about birth control for decades.
Unfortunately, thanks to Planned Parenthood, abortion has become a form of birth control, and for many young women, a rite of passage.
Mr. Rathman states that one-third of women in America will have an abortion.
I would like to know what Mr. Rathman thinks of the fact that in New York City, about 45% of abortions are second abortions and 7% are the fourth, fifth, or even sixth abortion for a woman.
The only T-shirt Planned Parenthood should be plugging is the “I regret my abortion” T-shirt. But that might put Planned Parenthood out of business.
ALICE LEMOS
Woodside, N.Y.
The Beslan Massacre
I read in The New York Sun about terrorism against multiple nationalities, occurring around the world [“Russians Seethe at Hostage Crisis,” Michael Mainville, Page One, September 3, 2004]. And I read of President Bush’s plan for “expanding liberty; an ever-widening circle” to extend freedom around the world [“Bush, Saying ‘Stand With Me,’ Vows to Extend Freedom,” Josh Gerstein, Page One, September 3].
Mr. Bush has shown wisdom by absorbing the political philosophy of Immanuel Kant.
In the essay “Perpetual Peace,” Kant makes the case that democracies don’t wage war on one another. Mr. Bush’s plan to bring democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, freedom of religion, and speech to the Middle East will make the world safer.
The Sun’s editorial also makes the important point that the source of terror is the freedom deficit of the Arab world, not policies of democracies like America or Israel [“Suicidal?” September 3].
The Sun also reported that the United Nations passed a measure against Syria. Syria’s occupation of Lebanon is part of the freedom deficit of Arab world that encourages terrorism [“Council Passes Measure Against Syria,” Benny Avni, Foreign, September 3].
The “Hostage Crisis” story preceded the mass murder of hundreds of defenseless children at Beslan, Russia. The slaughter demonstrates that terrorists value neither human rights nor human life.
Terrorists threatened to kill French journalists, and have killed Nepalese cooks, Russian schoolchildren, Israeli bus riders, Iraqi policemen, Sudanese blacks, and Madrid train passengers.
Andrew Sullivan said it best: The jihadists are “theocratic fascists using…terror and violence to get their way. You cannot appease them” [“Is France Enlisting in the War on Terror?” Opinion, September 3].
President Bush’s plan to extend freedom to the Middle East is the only solution.
JEFFREY WEINSTEIN
Edison, N.J.
‘Giuliani’s Point’
In reminding the nation of the history of the war against Islamic terrorism, Mayor Giuliani stated at the Republican National Convention that today’s terrorist threat started with the attack on Israel’s team at the 1972 Munich Olympics [“Giuliani’s Point,” Editorial, September 1, 2004].
I think a better starting point would have been the assassination of the presidential candidate Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, by a Palestinian terrorist, Sirhan Sirhan.
I would like to ask today’s presidential candidates how they would want America to respond if a presidential candidate were killed today by a terrorist from the Islamic Republic of Iran, a state that sponsors terrorism?
ALEXANDER SCHLOSS
Bronx
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