Abortion Debate

Kate Michelman (Commentary, Nov. 19) states that de-funding U.N. family planning assistance will lead to more abortions, when every credible published report (including U.N. statistics) shows that there is an increase in the number of abortions that corresponds directly to the use of the so-called “family planning techniques” urged by Michelman.

Michelman harangues, rather than honestly address the real ideological battle currently being waged: Is the value of human life relative, subjectively determined by a woman, doctor or majority vote? Or rather, is human life valuable because of the transcendent value of each individual, “endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights,” as recognized by the founding fathers?

The same ideological battle was waged with fascism, communism and now relativism--ideas matter.

GREGORY N. WEILER

Irvine

*

Bill Hill (letter, Nov. 18) notes that, in “Stories That Shaped the Century,” The Times highlights the death of Marilyn Monroe on Aug. 6, 1962. He suggests that the story of Sherri Finkbine (same page) going to Sweden to seek an abortion of the baby she fears may be deformed by the drug thalidomide is the greater story, with far-reaching effects.

I wonder if Hill noticed the two-column story directly between the Finkbine and Monroe stories, about Mrs. William J. Webb of Gardena, who gave birth to a baby deformed by the drug, whose words were, “We both agree that abortion would be entirely wrong. It would be out of the question for us. Many people would be glad to have a child like ours,” and, “After . . . I held the baby in my arms, I knew everything was OK.”

LAWRENCE BERG

San Gabriel