Implications of Subway Fire

The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned in 2002 that Al Qaeda might be planning to attack transit facilities in New York. But despite constant terror alerts and increased security, a wandering derelict set fire to a signal control facility that moves 600,000 subway riders daily [“Effects of Subway Fire Could Be Felt For Years,” Christina Rogers, Page 1, January 25, 2005].

Counterterrorism initiatives should be more than window dressing designed to comfort taxpayers and commuters into believing the city is safe and secure. Convening an independent panel to investigate this incident and holding security managers responsible for failures will go a long way in easing fear and instilling confidence in the transit system. Hopefully, the MTA and not Al Qaeda will learn a valuable lesson from this incommodious event.

NICHOLAS CASALE
Manhattan
Mr. Casale is a former MTA deputy director of security for counterterrorism (2002-03)

Abortion Is A Woman’s Right

While I doubt Alicia Colon will ever feel shame over the irrational statements she made in her column today, The New York Sun should be ashamed for printing it [“Abortion Is Not A Freedom,” New York, January 25, 2005]. There is so much that makes no sense that I don’t know which of her points to attack first.

The simple fact that some women regret their decision to terminate their pregnancies is not a reason to declare that no woman has the right to do so. While Ms. Colon cites the women who regret their decisions, how many women have gone on from having an abortion to having a happy, successful life? I am certain the answer is “uncountable.” If some women feel pressured to have an abortion, the solution is not to take that right from all women, but to help those women understand their options and be strong enough to choose the one they want.

I see no justification whatsoever for her incredible claim that “it is men who have benefited the most from Roe v. Wade.” If, perhaps, she means that men no longer have to worry about a shotgun wedding, is this not a benefit for women, too? I would hardly call an ill-advised marriage for the sole purpose of raising a child a “benefit” for women.

That women “will always be able to travel to ‘blue states’ such as New York to terminate their pregnancies” is both false and irrelevant. Should a woman who cannot afford to travel be forced to take her pregnancy to term? Furthermore, the ability to travel should not even be an issue. The right to terminate one’s pregnancy is a right, not a privilege that may be taken away by any government, federal or state. The mere fact that legal abortions took place before Roe v. Wade is not a justification for repealing the ruling that abortion is a woman’s right, not her privilege.

I am an intelligent woman, and I am wearing neither blinders nor earplugs, as Ms. Colon so patronizingly suggests. My sincere hope is that your readers pay no attention to this cobbled together mess of unreason.

STELLA DAILY
Brooklyn

Abortion Hurts Women

Bravo to The New York Sun for having a columnist of integrity like Alicia Colon [“Abortion Is Not A Freedom,” New York, January 25, 2005]. Her column Tuesday tells the truth about abortion – it hurts women, too. There are countless women (like famous actress Jennifer O’Neal) who have come forward to talk about the pain and regret they’ve experienced from their abortions, but their stories rarely make it to the mainstream press. Why should women who regret their abortions be censored? If it is women’s physical and emotional health that is most important, why silence those who know firsthand what having an abortion is like? Other women can take or leave their advice, but all women considering abortion ought to have the opportunity to hear the real-life stories of those who have had the experience.

MARIA MAFFUCCI
Manhattan

Prince Harry’s Gaffe

Prince Harry should visit not only Auschwitz [“Prince Harry Is Widely Castigated For Wearing Swastika at a Party,” Neil Tweedie, Page 1, January 14, 2005]. He must also go to Dunkirk and visit the cemetery where thousands of the gallant soldiers are buried who sacrificed their lives fighting against the Nazis who aimed to invade England and conquer the world.

CHARLOTTE WAHLE
Manhattan

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