Editorial

We saw a glimmer of hope in recognizing the rights of unborn babies last week. The U.S. Senate passed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act by a vote of 61-38.

Since the House of Representatives had passed it already, the measure will go to President George W. Bush. He has promised to sign it into law.

This act would make it a crime to injure or kill a fetus during the commission of a federal crime of violence. The bill defines an unborn child as "a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb."

Defines the start of life. When this act was passed, I happened to be in Washington, D.C., attending a meeting of a Catholic News Service advisory committee. A complimentary copy of the Washington Post newspaper was put outside the door of my hotel room.

The top headline said: Senate Passes Bill On Harm To Fetuses/Critics Say Measure Defines Start of Life. The article reported that critics of the act were concerned "the bill defines the start of human life in a way that could undermine abortion rights."

A substitute bill, authored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), attempted to replace the measure with a "single victim" bill eliminating the language defining the unborn child. This proposal was defeated by a 50-49 vote.

So the Senate came very close to reversing the original intent of the act: to make it a crime to kill an unborn baby whom the mother wants to be born. Sadly, mothers who choose to kill their own children still have the legal right to do so with abortion. But anyone else who assaults a pregnant woman while committing a federal crime commits a crime against both the mother and the child.

Another step in right direction. We are now seeing more legal recognition for the life of an unborn child. The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act - signed into law by President Bush last November - was another step in the right direction. That law is being challenged in federal district courts in three states: California, Nebraska, and New York. Trials began this week to examine medical issues related to the partial-birth abortion procedure.

In Wisconsin, a partial-birth abortion ban was also passed and upheld at two federal court levels. Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that Nebraska's ban was unconstitutional and most state bans also fell.

"If this federal ban is upheld by the courts, it will apply to all states, making state partial-birth abortion bans unnecessary," said Susan Armacost, legislative director of Wisconsin Right to Life. She hopes justices will agree that Roe vs. Wade does not guarantee a right to this barbaric partial-birth abortion procedure.

Let's pray that the laws passed by the legislative arms of our government and signed by the executive branch will be upheld by our judiciary.We do not want to see our courts snuff out these glimmers of hope for unborn babies.

Mary C. Uhler, editor

Mailbag

	Mailbag policy We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Limit letters to 200 words or less. All letters must be signed. Please include your city or town of residence. Send letters to: Mailbag The Catholic Herald P.O. Box 44985 Madison, WI 53744-4985 Fax: 608-821-3071 E-mail: info@madisoncatholicherald.org

More tutors will help solve
adult illiteracy

To the editor:

I read with interest the column by Fr. William J. Byron on coping with adult illiteracy in the Catholic Herald (3/18/04 issue [print edition only]). I agree with his characterization of the problem, but was appalled by his "incentive idea" - offering food vouchers to entice those in need of tutoring to come forward.

The implicit suggestion that people need incentives to get help is insulting. In our own community, the real problem is a shortage of tutors willing to work with those who have found the courage to seek assistance.

Perhaps what's really needed is a greater incentive to attract tutors. Perhaps the level of commitment scares would-be tutors away. As an adult literacy tutor, I meet with my learner for two one-hour sessions each week throughout most of the year. Lesson preparation also requires time and effort.

Perhaps this type of service lacks appeal for some because one tutor helps only one individual. Yet that commitment is exactly what's needed to address this problem. That's the approach taken locally by the Madison Area Literacy Council, which trains tutors and matches them with learners.

I have enjoyed helping my learner reach milestones that most of us take for granted - to write a check, to use a computer and ATM, to read a book to a child, to communicate in writing, to use a phone book, and to get a library card. The only incentive behind these accomplishments is the learner's sincere desire for a better life.

"I couldn't do this without you." When I hear that, as I often do, my reward is complete. I cannot see how food vouchers would improve this picture.

Kerry G. Hill, Madison

Editor's note: For more information, contact the Madison Area Literacy Council, 1118 S. Park St., Madison, WI 53715; phone: 608-244-3911; Web site: www.madisonarealiteracy.org

Blaming abortion for labor shortage misses point

To the editor:

Lies, damn lies, and statistics might be a good start to a response to Mr. Cianciara's letter in the 3/18/04 issue of the Catholic Herald. The letter tries to link a population shortfall resulting from legalized abortion to a labor shortage and a resulting shortfall in social security funds.

Mr. Cianciara is presumably correct that abortion caused the staggering numbers of wrongful deaths he quoted, but the connection to a smaller tax base is misleading and misses the point where abortion is concerned.

One might argue that a more liberal immigration policy would easily make up for any labor shortage. Such a policy might even bring in the specific labor groups needed versus the more random labor skills produced naturally. Abortion defenders might also argue (as they often do) that the abortion deaths were a blessing that reduced the population in an increasingly crowded world.

The problem with abortion is that it is immoral and wrong. Abortion is murder - murder of life at its most innocent and helpless stage. Arguing that abortion is wrong because of its resulting economic, political, or budgetary dilemmas avoids the real issue.

Instead of the constant reminders of the wrongs of abortion, both moral and social, what we need is something more like encouragement. However a pregnancy came about, the new mother needs encouragement and help and love. So many unknowns lie in her future, and a church community providing only condemnation of her most immediate solution (abortion) without providing all the love, understanding, and help she needs is problematic.

John P. Catlin, Janesville

Need to look at issues other than just abortion

To the editor:

Staff writer Mary Uhler's article "Abortion: Called most important issue" in the 3/18/04 of the Catholic Herald [print edition only] needs some serious debate. Although the priest, Fr. Frank Pavone, points to a very important problem in our society, it also does a disservice to ask Catholics and all Christians to focus primarily on abortion when in many respects we are at a turning point in our country's history.

Our national parties are clearly divided about how to tackle almost every issue. Many people feel we need to decide on peace and war issues, fiscal responsibility, the health of our children and the environment, and how to provide adequate health care to every American, to just name a few.

To look mainly at abortion when these other pressing issues need to be debated for the good of our country is shortsighted.

John Murphy, Madison

Take a stand against same sex marriage

To the editor:

Marriage is the joining of opposites, a man and a woman in the eyes of the Lord. Some homosexuals want to change this definition.

Do we want our children to "learn" in the politically correct schools and textbooks that there are two kinds of "marriages" - one between a man and a woman and one between same sexes? Do we want children thinking same sex "marriages" are okay?

Evan Gerstmann, author of Same Sex Marriage and the Constitution and a legal scholar promoting the idea, said it could be seen as "discrimination" if we deny anyone the right to marry the person or persons of their choice.

Time to take a stand! Contact your elected officials and tell them how you feel.

Beverly Moran, Corinth, N.Y.