Abortion restrictions; church and state
Abortion
The U.S. Supreme Court is deliberating the constitutionality of the Texas abortion law.
Why shouldn’t the Supreme Court just reconsider whether justices made the right decision in an earlier case from Texas, Roe v. Wade, which restricted states’ rights to determine the lawfulness of or restrictions on abortion?
This option has precedent. Brown v. Board of Education reversed the “separate but equal” prejudicial legal system it had approved years earlier in Plessy v. Ferguson.
The two examples both involve civil rights. Brown involved rights regardless of color.
Reversing Roe would establish equal rights for the unborn.
But I’m not holding my breath.
Thomas F. Harkins Jr.,
Fort Worth
Punish women for having an abortion? The state of Texas is one step ahead.
Texas legislators have imposed unrealistic restrictions on abortion clinics — causing multiple closures — and unnecessary waiting periods, and have required doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals.
They claim these laws are designed to protect women’s health.
But the truth is women will do as they did before Roe v. Wade.
Abortions were performed by illegal means, self-induced or, if affordable, by traveling to another state or out of the country.
This, indeed, is punishment for women.
Elsie Koppa, Crowley
A recent letter asked why opponents of abortion also oppose use of contraceptives.
Faithful Catholics cannot use contraceptives to stop conception.
The human body is a temple of God and should be treated as such.
Deborah Fleischmann,
Fort Worth
The overwhelming majority of unwanted pregnancies are due to immorality.
If you don’t want an unwanted pregnancy, don’t be immoral.
If you’re married and don’t want a baby, you and your husband should talk about abstaining or other options.
All actions have consequences.
Elizabeth Powell, Roanoke
The real issue in the Hobby Lobby decision focused on the “morning after” pill.
That’s a drug that destroys a fertilized egg after conception.
The case now being considered by the Supreme Court was brought by some Catholic nuns.
It has nothing to do with the Christian right, but rather the nuns’ right to protect and practice their long-held religious beliefs.
Gene Gray, Fort Worth
To would-be mothers considering abortion: Good news! You don’t have to kill your unborn baby. Pregnancy centers help you place a baby in the arms of a mother who desperately wants a child.
A mother might say, “It would be the absolute wrong thing to have another baby now.” No, the absolute wrong thing is to kill that baby waiting to be born.
Another might say “became pregnant during a brief relationship that went wrong.”
It’s not that baby’s fault!
Patricia Utterback,
Lakeside
Church and state
A letter writer’s comment that separation of church and state has eroded and that gay or lesbian patrons want to force business owners to serve them is a bit misguided.
One wonders if he recalls those bigoted signs, “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone,” or the more blatant, “No coloreds allowed,” and similar ones directed at Jews.
If you engage in commerce, you are required to serve the public at large. Civil rights are for all, not just a select few.
John W. Sullivan,
Arlington
This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Abortion restrictions; church and state."