I need some help with an LTTE.

[sinkingfeeling]

A woman wrote a letter to the local paper last week claiming that 'women are never glad to have had an abortion' and that abortion was worse than the Holocaust and how God is there to bring comfort to those who have sinned.

I want to reply without being nasty. Tell me what you think.

Here's what I have so far:




I am happy that XXXX XXXXX loves her god , has practiced nursing, and adopted two children. (Public Viewpoint: Women Never Glad to Have Had Abortion).

There are over 40 million living, adult women in this country who have undergone an abortion, some prior to Roe vs. Wade. That’s 1 in 3 women. They made their choices for private reasons and some have never spoken to a soul about their experience. However, many women, who faced personal struggles that you can never know, have spoken out through the 1 in 3 Campaign, I’m Not Sorry, and I Had an Abortion projects .

Ms. XXXXX says she has never met a woman who had an abortion and wasn’t haunted by it. All studies have shown there are no significant long-term mental health issues to women who terminate their pregnancies. Exhale, an after-abortion counseling service, reports women feeling happiness, sadness, empowerment, anxiety, grief, and relief, as common emotions.

Studies of women denied an abortion show that over 1/3 of the women expressed anger and resentment to the unwanted child. Does that explain why the United States ranks number one in child abuse?

I can only hope that Ms. XXXXX is as committed to ending the neglect and abuse that cost 27 children’s lives each week. That she fights against the killings of children by guns that total 565 a year. I hope she is working on ending the terrible state of poverty for 22% of our children. That she is striving to provide health care for the 15.7% of children that have none and food to the 17 million of our country’s children that go to bed hungry.

I say when we have resolved those issues, then we can discuss forcing women to bear children.

[yellerpup]

1. I think you have it covered.

Good job.

[Rider3]

2. I support your letter

Good job.

[Squinch]

3. This is very good. I would add a line that says that Mrs. X has no idea what women feel

after they have had an abortion unless she has had the experience herself, and she shouldn't presume to speak for others.


Personally, I would like to have you say, "mind your own damn business Mrs. X. No one cares what you think." But I guess that might not be a good idea.

Send that letter! Good for you. But may I suggest: if yours is a paper that publishes your name and the town you live in, ask them not to put in your location. I ended up getting all kinds of crackpots messing with me when I used to write to publications against the Iraq war.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. They only print name and city. I have had my phone unlisted for years because of threats

I got from letters to the editor.

[Squinch]

7. Stay safe. I had a guy signing me up for things, that of course I didn't pay for, so my credit was

temporarily affected.

[NJCher]

4. I think your letter's good, but

sometimes letters sections don't allow back and forth between letter writers.

If that happens to be the case, then I'd take the first para out and compose a new intro sentence. Then flow right into your topic matter in the second para.

You might consider editing it, too, as a lot of times they will only give you so many words. Check the letters section and see the size of the letters that have been published.

Good luck with your effort. I'm in your camp. Hope it gets printed.


Cher

[Fresh_Start]

5. i don't know if its too snarky

she may believe that she has never met a woman who wasn't haunted by it. But more than likely she met many women who have had an abortion and are not at all haunted by it. They would be unlikely to discuss it with someone as judgmental as ---------.

[niyad]

8. good work--a very good letter.