Abortion and free speech

Dear editor, I am writing in response to Iris Barrie’s letter dated June 19 (“Demonstrators infringe on others rights”) and Kellie Miller’s letter dated June 23 (“Visual assault on Jefferson”).

Yes, it is chilling that a doctor that performs late-term abortions was murdered and I, too, thought those days were over. All murder is wrong including the murder of pre-born babies in their mothers’ wombs, as well as the doctors that perform the abortions. Pro-lifers don’t condone murder of any kind. The man who killed Dr. Tiller was on the “fringe,” not the women and men who peacefully pray for, assist and counsel the women seeking abortions. They also pray for the unborn babies in their mothers’ wombs. There are other loving alternatives to abortion, such as adoption. I also beg to differ with Iris Barrie that pre-born children aren’t persons. If they aren’t people, then what are they? Certainly not rocks, acorns, dogs, cats or any other kind of animal. They are baby human beings that eventually will grow up into adult human beings, given the chance to be born and thrive.

I find it interesting that both Kellie Miller and Iris Barrie think that pictures of smiling babies, pre-born babies growing in their mothers’ wombs and signs saying “pray to end abortion” are offensive, “visual assaults” and “eyesores.”

Most people, especially children, enjoy looking at pictures of babies. These aren’t “tactics” but people lovingly and peacefully trying to educate others that not only is the baby a victim of abortion but her/his mother as well.

Most people don’t know that birth control pills and the morning-after pill do the same thing a surgical abortion does, only with chemicals. The baby ends up dead and oftentimes a mother grieving for the child she has killed.

Another topic Barrie and Miller bring up is freedom of speech.

By wanting to deny the rights of certain groups, i.e. people prayerfully and peacefully protesting abortion, you must deny all groups that right.

By censoring one group, it must mean that you must censor all since someone will find the subject matter offensive.

If I don’t like someone’s store sign or advertisement, does that mean I have the right to have it taken down?

I think not.

This is what makes America America. It’s called the First Amendment — the freedom to speak on both sides of the issue.

Suzanne Lafferty / Napa

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