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Unless we act, senseless Freedom of Choice Bill may become reality

My husband, Paul, and I have five children. As parents, we are obligated to be responsible caretakers. It’s a job that we love and take seriously.

Our society and educational institutions have wisely placed limits on what minor children can and cannot do without their parents’ consent. For example:

• If one of our minor daughters wanted her ears pierced at the shopping mall, she would need our permission.
• If she wanted to attend a class field trip, or take an aspirin for a headache while at school, or have my sister take her to the doctor for a sore throat, she would need our permission.
• If she wanted her eyes examined for a new pair of glasses, or to buy and finance a car, or to go to court to pay for a speeding ticket (OOPS! I hope not…), she would need our permission.
• If she wanted a tattoo or to see an R-rated movie—let’s not go there! However, she would still need our permission.
• If she wanted to participate in softball, volleyball or basketball, she would need our permission … yes, even in Indiana.
• If she wanted to freshen up her tan for the high school prom at the local tanning salon, she would need our permission.
• If she wanted to get a library card in her own name or join the county 4-H program, she would need our permission.

However, if one of our minor daughters wanted an abortion, she could be given medication, have strangers see her half-naked and touch her private areas, have either poison or cold, sharp instruments put inside her, have our unborn grandchild burned alive or torn apart, then be sent home to live with the pain, shame, guilt and loss of what just happened … all without our, her parents’, permission.

This hypothetical situation could all too easily become a reality if the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is made into law.

So, my dear daughter, if President Barack Obama and his misguided associates have their way, you may soon be able to murder as many of your precious babies as you want—even up to nine months along. You won’t need daddy’s or my permission. Oh, but you still need it to get that library card.

Is anyone listening? Does this make any sense? Contact your representatives as soon as possible to STOP this insane bill … and pray.

- Tracy Burch, Loogootee

Reader: In war, moral conscience often loses out to the expediency of the result

In regard to the Perspectives piece in the Jan. 30 issue of The Criterion with the headline, “That was then, and this is now,” I was surprised to hear that dropping the bomb at the end of World War II was moral.

So the end justifies the means? I know women, children and innocent civilians are killed in war. How horrible is war! And to target many innocent people with a massive weapon, what justifies that? The end justifies the means?

Often abuse, violence and killing become more easily accepted when a nation engages in war.

I believe that in war, the moral conscience most often loses out to the expediency of the result.

- Ron Stegman, Guilford