Letters to the Editor

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More to the Democratic Party platform than previously shared, reader says

In the Aug. 1 edition of The Criterion, the writer of a “Be Our Guest” column took great issue with a prior letter to the editor that stated that the Democratic Party embraced abortion.

She then went on to make the claim that the party did no such thing, and then backed her statement up with a quote from the Democratic Party platform itself. 

Unfortunately, there has been a huge and grave omission because, right before the words that try to convey the sympathy of this party for women and children, the following statement is made to confirm that the Democratic Party does indeed condone and even support the killing of the unborn child:

“Protecting A Woman’s Right to Choose: The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way.” 

One can easily find out the stance of the Democratic Party on the issue of abortion at the following link: http://assets.dstatic.org/dnc-platform/2012-National-Platform.pdf. 

I do not pretend to know why the letter writer omitted this most important part in the Democratic platform, but perhaps she received this information from some other inaccurate source.

Whatever the case may be, the printing of this egregious error must be corrected for the sake of the salvation of souls. 

Not only does the Democratic Party support abortion, but it also supports the use of our taxpayer dollars to fund it, as per the quote above.

Abortion is such a great evil that absolutely no elected official or party should support it—period. To try to finesse around such evil by attempting to say that a country can try to help women and their unborn children via economic means and increasing access to contraception, while at the same time supporting “abortion rights,” is nothing short of diabolical.

Women and children deserve better than what the Democratic Party has to offer.

- Monica Siefker | Bloomington 

Reader’s letter on target with assessment of newcomers arriving in America

Kudos to the author of the letter to the editor in the July 18 issue of The Criterion (“Newcomers should assimilate to our language and culture, reader says”).

I completely agree.

In the past, immigrants desired to become part of the United States, not to change it. They came looking for a better life, not the life they were leaving behind.

The United States was made great by immigrants who were willing to learn the language and become an integral part of culture.

Shouldn’t it be the obligation of the Church to aid in this process?

The quickest way to destroy a society is to destroy its language, which is the major unifying force.

- Sylvia Jurgonski | Terre Haute