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Long's refutation misguided

I do not welcome Dan Long's critique "there's more to pro-life view" ("Letters," Feb. 12, page 8) of my letter ("Bush's position is illogical," Feb. 7, page 8) since he fails to address the issue of pro-life from a logical standpoint and presents a great deal of false information. He does very little to rebuke my claim that abortion is not akin to murder and should remain legal.

The weakest claim Long makes is that "pro-lifers believe in choice -- they believe that both parties, mother and baby, must be given that choice." What Long fails to grasp here is that the imminent choice must be made by rational decision-makers. The fetus does not have the capability to make an informed decision or appreciate the consequences. Asking a fetus whether or not they want to live is as foolish as asking animals if they are willing to act as test subjects for human products or asking the environment's permission to cut down their forests or drill for oil. Therefore, the fetus's "opinions" should not be weighed.

On this matter, Long also states US opinion polls are not the decisive factor which determines whether a child should have a choice to live. OK, so should we use a magic 8-ball? How exactly does he suggest we accurately measure the opinions of the public?

Long is also wrong in claiming that the Bush Administration will grant abortion in cases of incest and rape. Bush considers the only case in which abortion is warranted is when the mother's life is in danger, a stance he disclosed during the 2000 presidential debates. Therefore, my earlier comments regarding Bush's bizarre policy, in which he will not permit rape and incest victims to receive an abortion, but in which administers capital punishment to sex offenders, is valid.

Long further states "pro-lifers seek to help women make right choices prior to getting pregnant by heavily emphasizing abstinence and contraceptive education." In reality, Bush has been pivotal in closing counseling centers and planned parenthood clinics and has restricted government funding for global abstinence programs, thereby limiting access to prevention and treatment. How exactly does Bush intend to help those who do not want to become pregnant without providing centers for compassionate counseling?

Lastly, the Bush Administration has an abysmal record of administering justice to those who commit crimes against abortion centers, doctors and patients. As president, his personal anti-choice belief overshadows the need to punish such criminals and serves as an example for other extreme conservatives that it is OK to murder those who practice and promote abortion. It is important to remind the public that Bush is hiding such policies, ones that do not have strong public support, behind his war on terrorism and US Department of Homeland Security. Bush's presidency has not only been a death card to the environment, economy and minorities, but women's rights as well. People should consider his sadistic policies when they cast their ballots in 2004.

Geoff Merrill
Taipei
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