Clarification on abortion

 In her column “Sketches” (8/13/10)), Ms. Amy Pamintuan states that “decriminalizing abortion will stop such human rights violation.”

Excuse me, Madam, on the contrary legalizing abortion as you proposed would be promoting the worst kind of human rights violation ever! What could be more heinous than the outright murder of an utterly defenseless, innocent unborn child in the womb of the mother which is supposed to be secure in the very sanctuary of life. So much concern about the rights of the mother, but is it not that the unborn child has as much right to live as the woman who carried the child in her womb? It is not a matter of choosing between two rights — that of the mother or that of the unborn. Who are we to say that the mother’s right is more important than that of her child? It is not even the prerogative of the woman to decide for herself to snuff the life of her unborn. You speak of fostering human rights but the one thing we forget is that there is no human right to speak of without first the right to life. One who has no respect for the right of the unborn to life cannot credibly be an advocate for human rights.

One will only sound shallow, insincere and inconsistent. — GEORGE C. DEE, CFC-FFL Laguna, San Pedro, Laguna

Ana Marie Pamintuan’s reply: I did not propose the legalization of abortion. As a lawyer like government prosecutor Dee knows, there is a difference between legalization and decriminalization. Women who are hemorrhaging or suffering from serious infection, for whatever cause including abortion, should be given humane health care so they can be saved from death.