Column on abortion insults women
Guest columnist Walter Backstrom makes some pretty incredulous arguments in his editorial against abortion (Aug. 23).
But most of all, I am perturbed by his claim that the “50 million” aborted could have gone on to achieve great feats, if only they had been born. What about the great feats that may be accomplished by the women already here? Shouldn’t we be taking their lives into account in this debate?
It is a ridiculous and illogical argument, comparing a potential life with a person with life experiences and accomplishments. Unfortunately, I fear many will read Backstrom’s opinion and blindly follow his train of thought without giving it any of their own. Even more, I fear a woman may see your listing of a crisis pregnancy center as a “resource” and believe it is a place she can receive accurate and honest information — which, make no mistake about it, she will not.
There are so many things wrong with this editorial Walter Backstrom wrote that I doubt I can express my feelings of disbelief in 200 words or less. “No muss, no fuss?” Does Backstrom hate women so much he believes they are just skipping into abortion clinics for a fun doctor visit? To pretend this is something women take lightly is insulting.
Also, to compare saving the entire population of a species to an abortion is a little overreaching. Environmentalists are worried about extinction of species, and the human species is hardly in danger. You simply cannot compare the two. Backstrom seems to be so concerned with helping the “lesser” of society. How about we help the people we already have, like the low-income women who need access to family planning services and accurate information to make informed decisions?
Oh, and Federal Way Mirror, that includes you. By listing the “Life Choices Pregnancy Clinic,” you are endorsing an establishment that provides women with misleading and dangerous information — which is not a valuable resource.
Serena Evans
Federal Way
Keep taxpayers out of debate on abortion
Guest columnist Karen Backman’s article states that her body belongs to her and I should deal with it (Aug. 23).
My response to her is this: If she makes a poor decision to have unprotected sex and becomes pregnant, that is her decision and it defines her morals. If she then decides to have an abortion, again that is her decision that again defines her morals.
However, when she wants my tax dollars to pay for her poor decisions, then she has infringed on my morals.
I can agree that a woman’s body is hers and what she does with it is between her and whatever god she may worship. However, while she is making her decisions, she should not expect me to compromise my morals by expecting me to pay for her decisions. That is the part of the abortion discussion that I am the most opposed to.
I do not support or condone abortion, and find that it is in direct conflict with my morals. However, I would never try to force my morals on her and she should not force her morals on me. If she wants to get an abortion, then she should also consider how she is going to pay for it and not expect the government to bale her out for making poor decisions in her life.
I do not want my tax money to be used in ways that I find to be morally reprehensible. She can deal with that.
Gary Carlisle
Federal Way
Just another manic Sunday without media
“News” as it is presently being presented by the Robinson group who prints and sells the Federal Way News is relegated to store-wide sales, high school sports scores and announcement of upcoming cultural events.
A case in point: Yesterday between 1 and 2 p.m. as I drove eastbound on SW 312th Street near 12th Avenue or perhaps 11th Avenue SW, I noticed two Federal Way police cruisers blocking ingress or egress from SW 312th to that neighborhood to the north. Slowing down a little, I noticed also that there were six or seven more police cruisers parked in less than half a block further up the avenue, with swarms of officers congregating there. It was a Sunday afternoon. Nothing ever happens on a Sunday in Federal Way.
Where were the media? Hey it’s a Sunday; nothing ever happens on a Sunday, right?
With a little luck in a week, the other paper, The Mirror, may have something on it or not. School issues are not the only story out there. If a house is to be stormed in a nearby neighborhood, I for one would like to know some detail. Or would that be telling?
Russ Kennedy
Federal Way
Illegal immigrants strain nation
Despite guest columnist Tito Hinojos’ displeasure at another writer’s use of “chips on their shoulders,” his commentaries that I have read seem to reflect exactly that.
Mr. Hinojos’ examples of “stinking empty words” (“The stinky truth about cultural stereotypes,” Aug. 20) are a slap in the face to anyone who has attempted, clumsily but sincerely, to reach out across cultures to be friendly and accepting. Unless spoken to him in utter sarcasm, every one of his examples could easily be interpreted as an innocent attempt at connecting pleasantly with another person.
A wise man once said “Taking offense is a self-inflicted wound.” And the more you look for offense, the more you will find to take.
Most of Mr. Hinojos’ public reprimands seem to dance around the elephant in the living room: Illegal immigration. Many of those he perceives as racist or offensive might not have a problem with Latinos in general (I certainly don’t), but might simply be dealing with the angst brought to legal taxpaying citizens by the influx of illegal immigrants whom, curiously, I have not seen Mr. Hinojos reprimand for breaking our laws. Why not?
Hardworking or not, any lawbreaker is looked upon with disdain by those equally hard workers he or she victimizes. No matter what nationality a person is born into, if they are in America illegally, they are a lawbreaker. In recent years the numbers of Latinos entering America illegally have far eclipsed any other ethnicity or culture attempting to sneak in undetected, thus the angst of many citizens.
The medical, educational and other social services that illegals obtain are taken from the reserve that our taxpaying citizens have funded for decades so that the citizens of the United States of America will have a safety net
in times of hardship. Taking what does not belong to one is breaking the law by committing theft. We continual victims of theft are understandably testy as we clutch our wallets from those who intend to steal even more from us.
Legally immigrated Latinos are often (wrongly) identified as part of the law-breaking illegal community. It sucks. However, if a bunch of overweight brunette grandmothers were habitually robbing Bank of America, I would certainly understand a bank teller rightfully scrutinizing me rather carefully.
So why haven’t the legal Latino American citizens challenged the illegal community with “Enough! You bring us trouble! Stop breaking laws, quit bringing shame upon the Latino community. Immigrate legally like we did.” I think that is a valid question. Instead we see legal immigrant passivity toward, or outright support of, illegal immigrants’ actions. Why is that?
The United States has been generous with the citizens of this nation and, frankly, generous to a fault with those who broke our laws to get here. We are even more generous with youth no matter what their parents’ legal status.
By the way, this was, and is, the “Land of Opportunity.” The American government was not formed with the intent of “providing opportunity” for struggling youth in barrios, ghettos or any other place in America. The opportunity was already there in our newborn nation and the constructors of our government 200 years ago expected their offspring to grow up, accept life’s unfairness, get the heck over it, and to take and make their own opportunities in life. To have offspring who sat on their butts waiting for someone else to provide opportunities for them would have been unbelievably shameful. You can’t be successful if you whine about your lot in life, expect others to give you opportunities and, if they don’t, blame them for your own failure.
Therefore, do not provocatively lay blame at America’s doorstep for “not listening and providing opportunity for” anyone. What a cop out. Opportunity abounds in America and this nation is not responsible for people’s poor choices. We are all products of the choices we make, good and bad, and those made by our family generations before we were born. You do the youth you speak of a great disservice by not insisting that they and their parents take responsibility for their own lives and choices.
I applaud your plea for citizen involvement to make our city the best. Fortunately, this city is already unusually blessed with countless people performing amazing community care and service.
Every citizen of the United States of America has more to be grateful for any day of the week than they have things to complain about. That goes double for illegal immigrants of any culture who are dishonest in their residency, especially those consuming benefits paid for by our citizens. If this weren’t such a great country that openly displayed opportunities to a better life, despite one’s legal status, there would be no reason to illegally force themselves upon American citizens and there is certainly no room to complain. There’s a descriptive term for that: “Looking a gift horse in the mouth.”
Instead of Mirror readers (most of whom are overwhelmingly nice) being repeatedly chastised for some perceived lack of sensitivity, perhaps you’d make more headway if you challenged folks to have an “attitude of gratitude” for all this wonderful nation has provided?
Gratitude, practiced continually, puts all things into perspective.
Harriet Cook
Federal Way
