051778 Unalienable Right to Life

In a recent letter. a member of the 23rd Congressional District Coalition for Safe and Legal Abortion criticized both Congress and Carter for claiming "to support equality and the right to self-determination for women, yet opposing the use of Medicaid funds for abortions. The reasoning behind this is that taxpayers should not pay for what they don't believe in."

LET ME first make clear that I am not privy to the thinking of Congress and the president. The objection that pro-lifers have to using their money to fund abortions is based not on their unwillingness to "pay for what they don't believe in" but on their unwillingness to pay abortionists to kill unborn children.

At the moment by the decision of the Supreme Court rendered on Jan. 22, 1973. it is "legal" to kill unborn children at any moment during the first nine months of their existence. In another decision rendered on June 20, 1977 the same court said public bodies. federal, state. and local, were rot obligated to provide monies to pay for these killings. In the ruling the Supreme Court said. in effect, that if those who favored destroying the unborn would pay for the jobs out of their private resources. they could not be charged with murder. manslaughter, homicide. etc.

IF THE pro-abortionists really believe in one's "right to self-determination." to be consistent, they would not insist that the pro-lifers participate in a financial transaction which they consider distasteful The pro-abortionists could then use their resources to continue destroying the unborn while the pro-lifers could use theirs to assist women with problem pregnancies to carry their children to term.

However, it must be made clear that this arrangement would not be acceptable to the pro-lifers They believe that the unborn children of the pro-abortionists are also entitled to have their lives protected. The framers of the Declaration of Independence clearly stated "'All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life. .

Patrick H. McHugh