Dolores M. Klein, Peoria, IL

Neither Governor Romney nor President Obama are “pro-abortion.” When governor Romney of Massachusetts defended Roe-Wade as the law of the land, he was not being pro-abortion. Nor is President Obama in defending Roe-Wade, pro-abortion. When Laura Bush, at the beginning of her husband’s first term, was quoted as saying she didn’t think Roe-Wade should be overturned, she was not being pro-abortion. As many of us have observed and studied the history of criminalizing abortion, we became pro-abortion. Criminalizing statutes are more than ineffective.

Obama’s Affordable Care Act does not pay for abortions. Included in it is 259 billion dollars for vulnerable pregnant women and alternatives to abortion. This support makes abortion (a desperate choice) less likely.

On the other hand, Romney’s chosen running mate, Paul Ryan, has come up with a budget which cuts hundreds of millions of dollars out of federal programs which support poor women, making it more possible that abortion will be chosen.

Besides labeling pro-choice advocates as being pro-abortion, those calling themselves pro-life, have for too long repeated Doctor Wilkie’s contention that a woman who is raped is not likely to become pregnant. A Congressman using the term “legitimate rape” has finally made that no longer sustainable. However, a national columnist does continue to use the “other half” of that argument saying that “we already know that abortions stemming from rape are statistically rare.” WRONG! The one thing we do know is that rape is not often reported. Since Roe-Wade made abortion legal in the 70’s a legal abortion can be obtained without some kind of “permission” or explaining how a woman became pregnant. His so-called well-known statistic is not obtainable!