Madam, - If Mary Stewart (July 12th) is interested in "ultimate oxymorons" she should look no further than the so-called "Pro-Life" lobby. Pro-life, perhaps, in that this lobby would rather see a young girl kill herself than be given the choice of ending an unwanted pregnancy? Pro-life in that it would rather see a young girl give birth to a dead baby than be given the choice of having it removed from her womb? Or Pro-life in that it actively seeks to remove one of the fundamental bases of humanity and human living - free moral choice - from the hands of those directly affected, thus forcing the already weak and vulnerable into positions of appalling hardship and helplessness?
In valuing unthinking, unfeeling, undeveloped and non-sentient life above the lives of the women of Ireland today - lives replete with memories, emotions, thoughts, feelings, hopes and pasts - the "Pro-Life" lobby affords mere potential life a greater significance than these lives-as-lived. In so doing it demonstrates its contempt for the freedom, welfare and well-being of Irish women. This is the true oxymoron - when "pro-life" becomes synonymous with "anti-living". - Yours, etc,
OWEN CORRIGAN, Blessington Street, Dublin 7.
Madam, - Louise Caffrey of Choice Ireland (July 12th) calls for real and honest debate on abortion. In so doing, however, she has concluded that, if we want to lower the rate of abortion, we must introduce abortion for "those who choose it".
Two points arise from this claim. Firstly, could Ms Caffrey mention one jurisdiction in which the legal introduction of abortion led to a reduction of the numbers of abortions carried out? Secondly, she is clearly an advocate of abortion on demand.
Her call for honesty and reality in debate would be more acceptable if her own contribution had more of those qualities about it. - Yours, etc,
BRIAN STEWART, Forest Hills, Knocknacarra, Galway.