Loving 'freedom and family' doesn't mean aborting fetuses

Editor,

"Those of us who love freedom and family must continue to fight for reproductive rights." Since when did love of the family include elimination of its youngest member?

The opinion that abortion is a woman's right has changed dramatically in recent years since science via ultrasounds has proven what conservatives have known all along. The fetus is a living member of the human race. He or she has a heartbeat, feels pain, sleeps and even sucks his or her thumb if he or she so chooses. So, when we talk about human rights or love of the family and freedom, let's not forget the little guys, especially those who can't speak for themselves. If you doubt that the fetus really is a baby, check out a recently polled fetus' opinion on the subject of abortion: SilentScream.org. As a warning, do not go to this Web site if you cannot stomach the reality of abortion.

Please don't use the age-old excuse of rape or incest as a defense for abortions. The Ad Hoc Committee of Women Pregnant by Sexual Assault wrote: "In virtually every case, those people who claim to represent our interests have never taken the time to actually listen to us or to learn about our true circumstances, needs and concerns. We are deeply offended and dismayed each time our difficult circumstances are exploited for public consumption to promote the political agenda of others."

The most staggering statistic of all of this is that of women who have had abortions, 39,000 are now members of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, the largest abortion rights organization in the country, and 245,000 are now members of the National Right to Life Committee, the largest anti-abortion organization in the country. Apparently, women who have had abortions are more likely to oppose abortion than to defend it. And to those of you who never had the chance to see the sun, who never got to laugh and play and hold up your skinned knee for a kiss, who never got to hear the sound of rain on the roof or smell a rose or beg and pled for just five more minutes until bedtime - I won't forget you; I will remember. And I won't be afraid to speak as the choices of others have silenced your own screams. So, if you want to vote for Barack Obama, that's your choice. But don't do it because you stand for freedom and family, because that's not what he's promised to uphold.

Rebecca J. Miller

UNM student