Sir, - The tragic case of the 13year-old traveller, pregnant as a result of rape, is once again an opportunity for the liberals to soften us all up on the topic of abortion (not that there is anything liberal about killing the innocent).
What annoys me most about the process is the lack of honesty involved. None of them will come straight out and say that they want to see abortion on demand available in Ireland, but that is the only interpretation of their statements that makes sense. Speakers on TV and writers in the press wring their hands about the case and criticise various governments for not legislating, but do not say what solution they would favour. That would be giving the game away, because in this game you are expected to read between the lines! Your editorial (November 19th) at least indicated that you favour abortion in cases such as this, so for this little bit of honesty, much thanks.
All credit for honesty must also go to Mary Holland. For her, unlike other columnists, the liberal agenda will not be fulfilled until abortion is readily available here or while the Catholic Church has any influence over anybody.
As a minor diversion, Martyn Turner, ever reliable, re-cycled the old calumny that pro-lifers don't care about the born, which is like accusing lifeboatmen of being indifferent to safety on land.
That there is an altogether different view of these matters is, as usual, ignored by the Irish media. There is nobody to say that an unborn child, no matter how tragic the circumstances of its conception, is a human being with rights, the right to life being the most important and the one on which all other rights depend.
Neither is there anybody to question the assumption that abortion is the answer to the problem of this unfortunate young girl. While childbirth may be physically and emotionally damaging to her, abortion can have the same effects or worse.
As a society, we need to be clear in our minds that human life is sacred and resolve to defend that position, even though there will sometimes be hard cases. Otherwise these periodic crises will keep on coming and the liberals will keep on using them to undermine the sanctity of life. - Yours, etc.,
From Ciaran O'Connell
Leeside, Oakpark, Tralee, Co Kerry.