Letters to the Editor
bernbart
Published Letters: 939 Editor's Choice: 19
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ProLife= phony science
[Read the article: Supreme Court upholds ban on "partial-birth" abortion]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I belive the author is wrong. The Americn College of OBGYN was not in favor of this abortion ban, and in fact testifed against this ban. One doctor, who the pro-lifers dug up to tesitfy was once a member of the this organization.
Many in the public are uninfomred. Abortions are not performed for any reason thoughout pregnancy. Later term abortions were already banned under Roe v. Wade except for the health and life of a women. The so-called Partial Birth Abortion changes that by disregarding a woman's health.
Over the past decade Pro-life organizations have brilliantly re-defined medical terms and sometimes even invent terms to fit their cause. One of the most remarkable inventions is “Partial Birth Abortion” which never existed in medical terminology before the pro-life movement invented it, and still doesn’t. Pro-lifers and the politician that they support have used this ingenuous campaign to convince the pubic that women with no conscience were terminating healthy babies just before birth. They love to talk up gruesome procedures, but deny critical health situations some women face late in pregnancy. The SC decision is not a civilized step forward, when the “health”of the few women who face troubled pregnancies, no longer matters. Now women facing crisis late in pregnancy will have no choice but to be put through agonzing labor that could rip them apart, then watch a serverly deformed new born,
suffer and die with hours. This is Pro-life? And don’t be fooled. The goal of the Pro-Life movement is to make ALL abortions illegal.
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Why is this happening?
[Read the article: Wait, how did I miss Rush Limbaugh?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]During the Reagn adminisration, a Democratic congress went along wiht Reagan's request to get rid of the FCC Fair and Accuracy in the Media laws. Before this law was abanoned, inaccuarte accusations or claims could NOT be made without severe fines and opposing views had to be allowed to be heard. Now loud mouths like Rush Limbaugh can say anything without check and balances.
Eliminating the Fair and Accuracy in the Media Law gave rise to info-entertainment, right-wing talk radio, shock jocks, and right-wing misinformation networks news like O'Reily on Fox. Now these so-called anchors can promote phoney science, spread lies, and promote the Bush-Cheney far right agenda without any checks on accuracy or balance. Integrity has been abandoned by the likes of Limbaugh, O'Reily and Coluter, and many shock jocks.
The new right justifies their phoney propaganda by discrediting the few balanced news outlets, like News Hour on PBS, NPR radio, and the New York Tmes, declaring them be biased left-wing media.
Those who claim some right-wingers resemble Nazi are not far off. Hitler was elected to office then banned abortion, rounded up gays, jews, communists and feminsnt, banned modernist art, and the list goes on. Hitler came to power with well crafted proaganda campaign not unlike the propaganda of the new right in the U.S today. Rush, O'Reily and Coulter can RANT all they want without any rules regulating their comments thus leaving the public very misinformed. A misinformed public can ealsiy be dupped like the Germans were by Gobels and Hitler.
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This is a debate?
[Read the article: And the winner is?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Maybe the pundits in the media should look up the word. "debate"
I dont' really think you can call this "question and answer" session last night a debate. There has not been a good presendential debate in this country since the Nixon -Kennedy debates.
If you realy want a debate you need to submit relevant questions on national issues, prepared ahead of time, and presented to the candidates before the Debate. Of course with this many candidates in the race you cannot have a decent debate.
The trivial question about the $400 haircut has no relevance to national leadership or issues.
Ah for the good old days when of handpicked the candidates when final decsions were actually made at the conventions.
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In Defense of Naral ....and more
[Read the article: National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]One Anonoymous leeter states NARAL needs new leadership because they support pro-choice Republicans. Yes, NARAL does support pro-choice Republicans.
NARAL, the poltical arm of the pro-choice movement, is a NON partisian organzation. Therefore they support pro-choice candidates from all parties. The determination of a candidate's pro-choice position is determined by asking candidates to answer specific questions pertaining to reproducive choice issues. Once elected to office NARAL monitors their voting records on reproductive issues. NARAL educates the public on candiates and elected representatives positions on reproductive choice issues. If elected representaives change their positons you can count on NARAL to keep you informed. The real problem is, even though the majority of Repulbicans are pro-choice, they are not voting the issue. Republicana have allowed a radical religious force to take over thier party.
Preventing teen pregnancy as is a paramount to preventing unplanned pregnancies, and
reducing abortions. Unfortunately under the Bush adminstration, "Abstinence only" sex education, which are medically inaccurate, are the only sex eduction programs for which state edcuation systems can receive federal funds. So currenlty states that prefer to present medically accurate comprehensive sex educton programs in thier schools receive no federal funds.
It has been proven that "abstinence only" sex edcuation do not work. Once teens who make abstinence pleges abandoned those pledges, they engage in sex wihout the knowledge to make informed decisions to prevent pregnancy or protect themslves from STDS.
The majority of these "abstinence only" progams have been developed by religious political organizations like Focus on the Family and are based on religious beliefs not medical truths. So you see milions of your tax dollars are going to support religious politcal orgnazations.