Abortion Foes’ New Tactics

Cal Thomas, Jerry Falwell and the conservative Christian sects have once again got it all wrong.

Civil disobedience, especially as practiced by the civil rights and anti-war forces of the sixties, was a refusal by citizens to participate in activities, forced upon them by the government, which they judged to be immoral; segregation and conscription being the prominent catalysts of civil disobedience at the time. No one is forcing women to have abortions today. What’s happening is the Thomas-Falwell axis demands women endure unwanted births.

I would be more impressed if instead of going to jail, the protesters offered to adopt the unwanted children of the women seeking abortions. Of course that would entail a lifetime commitment, not just a couple of days in the hoosegow and a fine.

How many children have Falwell and Thomas adopted? How many homes have they established for unwanted children? How much of the millions in television solicitations have they provided for prenatal care of the fetuses they profess to love?

Millions of blacks refused to sit at the back of the bus and were set upon by police dogs; thousands of youths refused to kill on their government’s command and paid the price in a federal prison; all to secure their right to live free of coercion in matters of personal morality and privilege. Thomas, et al demean those actions by attempting to thrust their religious agenda upon all under the same cloak of civil disobedience.

C.L. RICHARDSON

Altadena