Letter to the Editor: Pro choice

Dear Editor:

I am a Catholic but a strong believer in pro choice for women regarding abortion.

I consider pro choice for women more sacred than the NRA’s belief in the right to bear arms.

There are several issues where a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy should not be questioned at all. They are:

Rape. A woman who has been raped and is pregnant because of that assault should not be required to carry the pregnancy to completion. Making it a requirement is adding insult to injury. A woman who is forced to have a child that she did not ask for will also be obligated to support that child since the father will not be available or willing to do it. That is extreme injustice.

Incest. Inbreeding increases the risk of excessive gene disorders. A child of an incestuous relationship has a high risk of having autosomal recessive conditions such as cystic fibrosis, thalassemia (diseases of the blood) and spinal muscular atrophy. Other possible adverse conditions are blindness, hearing loss, neonatal diabetes, limb malformations, disorders of sex development and schizophrenia It is unfair to the child to bring him/her to a life of suffering and while the parents can take care of the child, who will take care of the child when the parents are no longer able to do so? People get old. What is really needed is a law allowing a father, mother or brother partner of an incestuous relationship to be castrated to prevent them from repeating their crime.

Amniocentesis. When the results detect genetic disorder in a fetus, the right decision is to terminate the pregnancy. It prevents a life of misery for the unborn child and again who will take care of the child when the parents are no longer able to do it?

Mother’s Health. If the pregnancy threatens the life of the woman and especially if the woman is taking care of small children, the correct decision is to protect her life.

Above are a few reasons why I am a firm believer in being pro choice for women. If the above reasons are not convincing, then you are not living in reality.

Jorge Montero
Downey