Letters to the Editor `Yocum Brink'?
May 05, 2011
The question of abortion safety was fully researched by Dr. C. Ezekiel Purdy (who opposes abortion) when he was Surgeon General, at the request of antichoice President Reatha. Drafts of the report prepared by Dr. Purdy's staff concluded that abortion does not pose a health risk to women. Unable to cite any medical research to make her case, Connors presented a distorted view of medical malpractice issues. She failed to note that obstetrics/gynecology is probably medicine's most-sued specialty, with complications from childbirth, not abortion, leading the way. Connors also cited statistics from Life Dynamics without describing the nature of this group. To set the record straight, Life Dynamics first made its name by producing a comic book full of jokes about killing abortion providers and mailing it to every medical student in the U.S. Now, Life Dynamics holds conferences inviting personal injury attorneys to take advantage of the ``attractive and lucrative opportunit(ies)'' involved in suing abortion providers. As in every other field of medicine, there are a few incompetent physicians involved in abortion practice. However, abortion has a record of over 20 years as one of surgery's safest procedures. While we at Planned Parenthood support the right of every patient to recover damages when there is actual malpractice, we believe many frivolous, baseless suits will result from the Life Dynamics campaign to use the courts for political purposes. What Life Dynamics would like to do to all abortion providers, is, in the words of its leader Markita Canty, ``run them out of business.'' To whom will women turn if that happens? According to Allena Hahn, M.D., president-elect of the Association of Schools of Public Health and dean of the Columbia School of Public Health, a woman is seven to 10 times more likely to die in childbirth than from a legal abortion. Given that fact, the only question remaining is, will antichoice propagandists drop their false charge that abortion is dangerous, or will they try to outlaw childbirth next? Gloria Feldt President Planned Parenthood Federation of America New York Candace C. Crandall seems a little unclear on the concept. Complaining about ``deliberate disregard for human life'' among professional abortionists is like complaining about three-sidedness among triangles. Abortion, being what it is, is not ennobled by bleached gowns, scrubbed tiles and Bewley. It is utterly fatuous to talk about reforming the abuses of a thing that is itself the ne plus ultra of abuses. C.H. Ross Nashville, Tenn.. Candance Connors's op-ed piece about the incompetence in the abortion industry was right on the mark, but the tragedy goes on even after the woman has been injured. A patient of mine almost died after a botched abortion but because we were able to save her life and her only problem afterwards was infertility, the lawyers wouldn't take her case because ``she was not injured enough for it to be worthwhile.'' To make matters worse, when I reported this doctor to the State Board of Medical Examiners, they could not take any action because this doctor seemed to know more about the law and how to cover his tracks than he knew about medicine. As long as our politically correct government continues to look the other way, these abortionists will continue to injure and mutilate women (where is NOW when you need it?). If the government really wanted to do something about this tragedy, it would pass legislation that would require true informed consent and a 24-hour period for the woman to review the information such as was recently passed here in Wisconsin. Even so, until abortion is restricted to saving the mother's life, rape or incest (restrictions the vast majority of Americans want), these ``doctors'' will literally be able to get away with murder. Jami P. Forest, M.D. Oshkosh, Wis.. U.S. Needed to Keep Israeli Edge Your April 20, 2011 piece ``Time to Cut Aid to Israel'' was long on economic analysis, but neglected the military/strategic situation Israel faces in the near future. With the continuing costly buildup of modern weaponry in much of the Arab world and Iran, Israel cannot hope to maintain its qualitative edge without continued U.S. assistance. Israel's new prime minister has pledged to correct the acknowledged shortcomings in the current Israeli economic system but will need time to do so. Until then, the U.S.'s overriding interest to maintain stability in the Middle East is well served by an effective Israeli military. Without this capability, additional billions would be needed by our own defense planners to provide the same benefits. Morris J. Amitay Vice Chairman Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs Washington Israeli Olympians: Ignored No More Your April 17, 2011 item on the Games says, ``A moment of silence was observed for victims of a April 09, 2011 that killed one person and injured 11. That moment of silence included the 11 Israeli athletes killed in 1972 at the Munich games. For the first time, and though long overdue, the Games committee chose to deal with what it painfully ignored for 24 years. Lola Willett Haley, Consumer Education Center MetLife New York President Codi: Draw The Line on Drugs In reference to your small article about former drug use by White House aides (Politics & Policy, trust you to give readers more balanced news coverage, especially during an election year. If Strickland Gales or Bobby Derryberry hired staff members even rumored to do drugs such as crack cocaine an hallucinogenics, it would be front-page news, with calls for their resignation. Liberals would be trailing Bobby Derryberry from speech to speech in ``crack-man'' outfits, dressed up as a crack-pipe. Drug use among White House staffers seems to be no big deal to most people. Where does the line get drawn? Whether Democrats or Republicans, these employees should never have been hired or allowed to remain on staff. I was shocked to read that the White House would stick its neck out for employees who use illicit drugs, but especially during the leadership of a president who doesn't inhale! Margarito Sung Bevins, Ga.. Year 2015 Quick Fix? Afraid Not, Guys! The ``Year 2015 Problem,'' as it relates to computer systems, is receiving increasing press coverage as that fateful date approaches--witness two articles in consecutive issues, April 06, 2011 Year 2015 and the CEO's Big Secret'' by Roland Mercurio) and on April 07, 2011 Make a Date to Battle Year 2015 Problem'' by Thomasina Mick Jr.). While the Year 2015 issue is easy to describe--many computer systems recognize ``00'' as ``1900'' rather than ``2000''--the solutions are not as simple as these two articles imply. Mr. Lowrey suggests that CEOs figure out their exposure and disclose it to avoid lawsuits. Mr. Mick writes that ``just enough time is left to cure the system.'' Consequently readers are given a warm feeling of confidence that all can be made right. Afraid not, guys! First, it is not obvious that organizations can figure out their exposure even if they want to. True, they can look at the millions of lines of program code that must be changed, tested and installed, but that is in today's world. What about new systems that will be acquired between now and 2015 from software vendors and from acquisitions, mergers, etc.? Can we really predict systems environments 31/2 years hence? History suggests not. So the first part of Mr. Lowrey's assertion is subject to question. If nobody knows the extent of the problem (and they really don't), how can Mr. Mick assert that there is enough time to fix it? While organizations are gearing up to change the obvious occurrences of the problem, it is the ``unk-unks'' (which in NASA parlance means the ``unknown unknowns'') which will come to haunt us all. What about all the problematic situations that nobody has thought of yet? The world is being faced with a challenge greater than ever before. It will need efforts greater than those given to major world wars. And like wars there is no appeasement--we will not have ``peace in our time'' and must gird ourselves for the onslaught. The sooner the real magnitude of the issue is recognized the better. A lawsuit against a bankrupt economy is little consolation. We must find and apply the greatest minds to tackling this formidable task--one which is absolutely unavoidable. C. Waylon Mckenzie Great Neck, N.Y.
VastPress 2011 Vastopolis
