Faith vs. Logic in the Abortion Debate

Upon rereading “Kerry’s Illogical Stand on Abortion” (Commentary, July 28), I am more confused than ever. Crispin Sartwell’s attack on Sen. John Kerry is primarily that Kerry is able to generate within his own mind the arguments leading to an ethical dilemma. Is Sartwell suggesting that the absence of moral or ethical dilemmas is the qualification that the Republican Party demands of a president, or is, perhaps, already embodied by President Bush? The absence of ethical dilemmas is a character trait that would seem to compare more favorably with the faith-based politics of Al Qaeda extremists than the framers of the Constitution.

In Sartwell’s own words, the suggestion that weakness of character of a presidential candidate is reflected by serious thought given to moral and political dilemmas “reflects a complete failure of logic or of ethics; it is a sign of deep stupidity or deep cowardice.”

Nicolas Wieder

Los Angeles

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Congratulations to Sartwell for pointing out the fallacy of Kerry’s stand on abortion. If Kerry really believes that abortion is murder, then the only consistent position is to be opposed to it. However, he takes the politically correct cop-out of “separation of church and state” to attract votes from the other side. But the point is that “no human values, whether encoded into law or not, rest on science or reason or unanimous agreement. All human values rest on faith.”

Say what you will about President Bush; at least he has the courage of his convictions. That’s the mark of a true leader.

Dennis Hanrahan

La Habra

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What I can’t respect is the absolutism expressed in Sartwell’s article. To state that because Kerry is opposed to the abolishment of abortion and that, because he believes life begins at conception, he is illogical is, itself, illogical.

Worse, to claim those positions make Kerry guilty of condoning murder is slanderous. To deny individual choice because one believes a particular way is precisely the kind of right-wing thinking that I fervently hope is rejected in the election this year.

Robert L. Lappi

Cedar City, Utah