Letter to the Editor sent to WCR May 24 2006

I am Pro-Life and a Roman Catholic. I know that if a pregnant woman's life is in danger, a doctor is medically and morally obligated to do whatever he or she is able to do in order to save the life of the mother, even if the medical procedures involved may cause the death of the unborn child. As not all at-risk mothers desire to cause or risk the death of their child, this can be a heartbreaking decision, and some will choose to give their own child a chance at life, even if the cost of that decision is their own life. Sometimes there is no choice, as with an ectopic pregnancy, whereby there is no way to save the child and only the mother can be saved. It is not a requirement of being a faithful Catholic or Pro-Life that a woman die for her child. It is a common misconception that the abortion rights movement has anything to do with saving lives. The sole purpose of abortion rights is to allow abortion on demand for the full term of any pregnancy, for any reason. Ironically, this is called "choice". Ironic because Pro-Choice groups generally do not have any interest in alternatives to abortion, or providing any support to women who may choose to not have an abortion. On the flip side, Pro-Life groups are in the business of providing women with the opportunity to choose to not have an abortion. Abortion is a practice that has been with us for thousands of years and will likely continue for as long as there are women who feel that they do not have other options. Pro-Lifers offer a variety of options (other than abortion) for women in difficult situations, and provide the means to be able to take advantage of these opportunities. Pro-Life organizations also provide assistance to women who chose to have an abortion but later regretted it, or faced other complications. I am Pro-Life because I want to offer a choice to women who feel that they have no choice.