‘Politics and the Pill’

I strongly urge you to reconsider your stand. You advocated distribution of the drug known as RU-486 in France and China and other nations. You accused the opponents of abortion in the United States of coercion in their demonstrations at clinics where abortion is available. Please take another look.

The Times report on nationwide efforts to interrupt abortions (Part I, Oct. 30) stated, “No violence was reported . . . no arrests or violence were reported. . . . The demonstrations organized in 32 cities by the New York-based Operation Rescue were generally peaceful, authorities said.” This is consistent with other recently published reports. On the other hand, consider this story by David Holley reporting on China’s controls on its birthrate (Part I, Oct. 28). He states, “Although central government (Chinese) officials have said repeatedly that it is a violation for local cadres to force women to have abortions, efforts at persuasion sometimes exceed approved limits and become outright coercion. It is not clear how often this happens.”

Holley reports that “Aggressive efforts at persuasion and the threat of heavy fines are used to encourage couples to use contraceptives and to pressure women to abort unapproved pregnancies.” Merely the second child conceived is “unapproved.” No careful choice by consulting privately with her own conscience and applying her religious convictions is offered. Simple math shows us from Holley’s figures that 12 million unborn children were aborted in China in 1987 alone. The number of heartbroken moms with empty arms in that nation could fill any major city every year.

Please consider the true effects of RU-486. One hundred percent of the unborn babies die. Many aborting women carry sorrow and guilt with them for decades after the somewhat quick procedure.

I take issue with some of your carefully crafted words used to present your case. You speak of “the interests of public health.” This should be “interests of public population control by drug-induced death.” Twice you say, “a safer . . . means of abortion . . . a far safer procedure.” Abortion is never safe for the baby growing inside the mother. It’s always toxic and destructive.

Let us not rush to put this instrument of death, RU-486, into distribution. Rather, let us examine our true concerns for the mother-to-be in a crisis pregnancy with a tender and forgiving spirit to encourage her to give the gift of life to her developing child.

RICHARD LUND

Van Nuys