Respect the Family’s Choice in This Birth as ‘Logical Step’

Re “Whose Life Is It, Anyway?” (March 26): I, like many others, had heard of the birth of the baby boy to the comatose woman and that her impregnation occurred from a rape. I was shocked that a rape would occur under these circumstances, but relieved that the baby was born healthy.

Therefore, I was startled by the presumed ethical dilemma outlined in the article. Since the comatose woman’s family did not believe in abortion and the woman’s last views coincided with theirs, they took the logical step, which was to achieve a healthy birth. Not only was I shocked that the tone of the article expressed disapproval for not choosing abortion, but that William J. Winslade of the University of Texas Medical School stated that the public has a right to examine the family and their choice in spite of their request for anonymity. He said, “The situation warrants and justifies public inquiry.” Is anonymity only an entitlement of those who choose abortion?

My main question, though, is this: What right have we to interfere in what is obviously a painful and heartbreaking situation for the family? This poor family in the article made a choice. I used to think that the abortion-rights movement was still in primary support of birth, but that when a woman makes a choice to have an abortion, she should have that right. When did we reach the point that the choice for birth would create a firestorm of negativity?

I am anti-abortion. I also feel it is inappropriate to presume to make the decision for women in the first trimester who would suffer physically, emotionally or financially from having a baby. But this article is taking the issue much further than I can stomach and exactly where abortion foes have warned it will go. To dismiss this child so arbitrarily as some in this article have done is sad and frightening.

DOROTHY EYERLY

Oxnard