Congratulations to Polly Rothstein on being chosen "Woman of the Year" by such a distinguished group of women's organizations for her extraordinary efforts on behalf of abortion rights for all women. It is apparent that there is no room for apathy in this dedicated "cause" person's life.

There is also no room for apathy on the part of the pro-liters that I know, and I wish to state that we will not tire of "losing" arid our efforts cannot "erode" because they are founded on the basic fact that the preservation of innocent human life is worth the battle.

Ms. Rothstein spoke of a parental notification bill which if passed would have allowed parents to be informed of their daughters' intention to abort; it was buried somewhere in committee. It appears that there is a group of legislators in Albany that believe that the welfare of our children would be better off in the hands of the state than at the mercy of their parents. I would hope that these young girls have the sense of responsibility to uphold this right and I am also sorry that as parents we have failed so miserably that the state sees fit to continue to take away our right to help and care for our children at an exceedingly crucial time in their lives.

I believe that most parents, whatever their position on abortion and regardless of their religion or socioeconomic status, would want to know if their young daughters were pregnant and considering abortion. I would venture a guess that most parents love their children and really care about their problems. It would appear that in this instance the state poses a threat to the integrity of the family unit which could be a sure step toward a breakdown in society.

In so far as abortion is now seen as a fundamental right of women, we all have certain inalienable rights and the right to defend these rights. However, in the understanding of the privileges guaranteed by these rights, we must also assume the responsibility to respect the rights of others. Isn't it time that we start to broaden the horizons of true freedom by extending it to the least among us. True freedom can never allow abortion.

 NANCY O'DONNELL Scarsdale