18 Aug 91

USA Today

1000 Wilson Blvd

Arlington, VA 22229

To the Editor:

Barbara Reynolds' editorial (For some, birth is worse than death) in the 16 Aug edition raises an ugly specter: a world in which someone decides who has the right to live; not as matter of judicial consequence, but as matter of convenience.

While she is right in pointing out that many kids in this country do not live "the good life", she paints far too depressing a picture in her effort to convince us life is not worth having. She brings to our attention the terrible conditions people in Haiti and China live in, as if the USA should decide to kill unborn children on their behalf. She cites unfounded statistics of homeless and abused children without telling us how to determine if the fetus about to be murdered in an abortion will fall prey to one of these tragedies. She sarcastically asks Right to Lifers if they will join the social protests that contribute to the erosion of self-esteem of the very people for whom she expresses such concern.

Who will decide which unborn babies should die, in order that Mrs. Reynolds' sensitivities be spared? Would she have the same bureaucrats who figure out Medicaid pass judgment over whose baby will live? She rightfully assails this practice in China, but gives us no legitimate alternative. How many people have lived joyous lives, despite the myriad maladies and pitfalls which have struck them? No doubt many people shudder at the thought of a benevolent death if you don't measure up to someone else's measure of social worth.

"Better to die now," she says "before we can feel real pain", going on about what a big bad world it is. It has been a big bad world for centuries now, it's not likely to change anytime soon. Would she have everybody killed off before birth to spare them from this? But more to the point: where has she been hiding, to think that an unborn child, even as early as seven weeks, cannot feel pain? This is a belligerently ignorant perspective, meant to sweep away the unpleasant fact that the fetus suffers a hideous death by abortion.

Abortion is wrong. It's the taking of a human life; it cannot be justified as a matter of convenience or social conscience.

STUART L. BROGDEN