Davis’ Abortion Ads Are Hit and Miss

In “Davis Ads Have Riordan on Defensive Over Abortion Issue” (Feb. 5) you state that “another part of the [Gov. Gray] Davis strategy in using abortion against [Richard] Riordan is its potential to rile both sides.” From a strongly pro-life perspective, I am angry--not at Riordan but at the Davis camp for the mean-spirited, biased characterization of Riordan in its TV ad.

It is a fallacy that if one is pro-choice, he or she must, of necessity, support abortion. Riordan is not untrustworthy. His stance is most practical. He is a Christian who believes that the life of the unborn takes precedence over a woman’s convenience. But he intends to govern the people from where they are in their beliefs and desires. He does not want to make a legal criminal of those who will be traumatized enough if they choose the abortion route.

Genie Kiser

Santa Monica

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I wish that we could make abortion a nonissue, once and for all, during political campaigns. Although I have yet to decide for whom I will vote in the upcoming election, Riordon has already stated, “I respect and support the right of a woman to make her own choices with respect to her body.”

Abortion is the law of the land and no governor or any other politician of this state or any other is going to change that fact. Let all candidates put this divisive issue aside and concentrate on the more pressing matters at hand, such as the economy, the environment, universal health care, education, immigrant rights and the many other issues that affect those of us who are already born.

John Tyrey

Maywood

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It’s a shame that a good man like Riordan feels he has to hide his true feelings on this issue in order to get elected. By doing so, he fails to differentiate himself from Davis. I would have more respect for Riordan’s integrity if he would say what he really means, which I suspect is that he personally opposes abortion but would enforce the law as it stands. He should stop trying to make us believe that he has altered his fundamental position on such a basic issue.

Dennis Hanrahan

La Habra