Gloucester Daily Times Debate on Abortion (95), September 1, 1989

Yenawine Didn’t Force Anything

In response to John Rankin’s letter, “Don’t force alien philosophy on us,” I don’t think that Carol Yenawine forced anything on anyone. She simply wrote a letter expressing many popular ideas. I feel compelled to point out a few facts and ask a few questions. When society provides health care, housing and a decent standard of living to all people, the society will prevent a long-term expense of complicated pregnancies, neonatal care, special education, psychiatric services and ultimately crime, drug abuse and prison. If our tax money doesn’t pay for basic services who will?

Jack Kemp is a congressman from Buffalo — one of the most economically depressed cities in New York. How can he possibly be referred to as a model for helping the poor? The billions and trillions of tax dollars through away on Star Wars and military all over the world is so much greater than the amount we need for basic services. We need to stop looking at the poor as just welfare freeloaders stealing our tax money. The real freeloaders were involved in the Contra-Iran drug scandal, the savings and loan rip off and the creators of Star Wars. Here we are talking about not millions, but billions, of our tax dollars.

Let me remind Mr. Rankin that while there are many Christians in America, America is not a Christian nation. This nation was founded on this principle. The separation of church and state has nothing to do with federally controlled education. I will not have my child go to school to learn someone else’s religious values. Your comment that day care centers produce intellectually lethargic children as a blanket statement, is as absurd as saying that all children who stay at home lack social skills.

Now after commenting on all these issues, let me remind the reader that both the Yanewine and Rankin letters seemed to be written with the abortion issue as a moving force. Few of us will change our minds on this flaming issue. Some us care about the lives of women, while others want to force their view and government into our homes. When government curtails woman’s freedom to control her body, we suffer.

Barbara Smith, Story Street, Essex