The overlooked abortion question

The abortion debate will never end.

Why?

Because some people start from the mother’s point of view, and other people start from the baby’s point of view.

If you start from the mother’s point of view, you favor her control of her life.

If you start from the baby’s point of view, you want to protect it at all costs.

One side sees it as a rights issue; the other side sees it as a moral issue.

There is, however, another important issue that is being overlooked.

One side is insisting that the other side pay for its work. And since, as the courts have ruled, money is speech, one side is compelling the other side to speak on its behalf.

That is contrary to the founding principles of our country. Free speech is not compelled speech. The government has no right to compel people who believe abortion is morally wrong to pay for it.

Larry Craig, Wilmette

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How long will Republicans remain silent on Trump?

Since Donald Trump was elected president, I have been appalled by the unwillingness of Republicans to stand up to him when he says and does despicable things that run contrary to our shared values and violate our sacred principles.

This weekend we witnessed another shameful example of this cowardice — of how Republicans seem all too happy to place politics above principle and country.

Normally, Republicans in Congress preach the importance of patriotism and rebuke all efforts to undermine it.

Yet, they refused to harshly condemn President Trump, who on foreign soil sided with Kim Jung Un, a ruthless despot, murderer and enemy of the U.S., in criticizing Joe Biden, a respected American vice president (his political views notwithstanding).

And on Memorial Day no less!

This is unprecedented; no other president in U.S. history has behaved in such an un-American and unpatriotic manner.

If a Democratic president had made such a statement, Republicans would rightly clamor for impeachment, as would any reasonable person.

Instead, Republicans remained loudly silent.

This makes them enablers of Trump and active participants with the president in undermining our nation and its cherished values, as well as the sanctity of the presidency.

Richard Cherwitz, Ph.D., Ernest S. Sharpe Centennial Professor, Moody College of Communication

Abortion can be a moral choice

As a Catholic, educated in Catholic schools and paying tuition for my daughters to attend a Catholic high school, I am totally committed to representing the 6 in 10 Catholic voters who believe abortion can be a moral choice made in good faith.

I was taught that God gifted us (all of us, regardless of faith) with the right of conscience. This includes the right of women (and the men in their life) to make decisions about their pregnancy. These decisions are highly personal and deserve privacy and respect.

As a former legislator, I have stood as an elected representative who happens to be Catholic, to fully value the separation of church and state.

I cherish our national belief in religious pluralism. Abortion bans and restrictions are punitive and deny women their rights to make conscience-based decisions. Government has no right to restrict access to reproductive health care to any woman, including those with less ability to pay.

I know I am not alone in these beliefs and offer a call to action to join me and the majority of Americans and Catholics in saying no to those who would deny women their right to reproductive health care and abortion.

Kathleen Ryg, Vernon Hills