LETTERS

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Contents © 1997
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

September 1997 LETTERS

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Good people, please stop spreading the lie that there is an "abortion industry." No one advocates abortion. No man has any right right to tell a woman how to use her body! Stop spreading hate! Amen.

-- John K. Croft
San Diego


THE GOOD GUYS HAVE PROTECTED THE BAD GUYS

Thank you for being man enough to track down and publish information about the Roman Catholic priest Rudy Kos, whom a Dallas jury found guilty of abusing 11 boys (San Diego Reader, August 7, page 4).

For too long, the "good guys" have protected the "bad guys."

I hope that you will have the courage to provide the same information to readers of News Notes. Distinctions between civil and criminal convictions serve a good purpose in many cases, but, in this situation, it is reprehensible to pretend that there is a difference.

Children don't have enough knowledge and understanding to thank you for this service, but I am sure just that one article in the Reader will save some. On their behalf, thank you.

Can you possible alert your community, especially the Catholic community, to other priest pedophiles? Alas, reform will not come from on high. Parents have the first obligation to protect their young -- they cannot be excused for waiting around for somebody to give them permission to do so.

-- Joan T. Casale

University City

Ed. The publisher of News Notes also publishes the Reader. See "To Do Nothing Is Not a Solution" for more info on the Kos case.


PEOPLE-IN-THE-WOMB

Re: "'13' Unlucky for the Unborn" (July/August). "Unborn" sounds strange -- like "undead." People not yet conceived are also "unborn." "Un-" means "not" and is a negative prefix.

"Preborn" is a better term. "Pre-" implies something positive, impending. It has the feel of an event on the verge of occurrence.

Better still: "People-in-the-womb." It takes up more space but it's worth it. It emphasizes their humanity. The term "AIDS victim" was decried as de-emphasizing the humanity of people-with-AIDS.

People are people before they are born. This is recognized and well established in the law. They have the right to inherit and to sue (e.g., for harm done to their person or their interests). The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution acknowledges and guarantees the right to life for all people with the words, "No person shall be deprived of life...without due process of law." Due process means a court hearing in every case. Congress may make no law which conflicts with the Constitution, and if they do the law has no effect and they have violated their oaths and are in office fraudulently or treasonously.

Our Constitution asserts that rights are given to us by God, "our Creator." The right to form legitimate government is merely the collective right of self-defense, not the self-aggrandizement, which shows us that government's legitimacy is limited by its scope. We have no right to steal from others; therefore, no legitimate government can inherit that "right" from us. And legitimate government must by definition be based on the consent of the governed, which is how God sometimes visits on us the government we deserve, rather than the government we want. Look at the State house and the White House and decide whether God is judging our nation by our hearts.

The Declaration of Independence precedes even the Constitution and is the statement of the political philosophy of the Founders, and it says that life is "an inalienable right." The common law-based understanding of the Founders was that this and other rights are only lost by those who first deprive others of theirs.

The other side prefers to cast the abortion question as whether a human has a right to prohibit another from "access" to "provision" of "healthcare" regarding a "choice" for "removal" of a "parasitic" "clump of cells" from "their" body. We know that our bodies are not are own -- if they are, when did we take posession of them? At conception? At birth? At age 18 or 21? And to whom did our bodies belong before we received title to them?

We further know that people-in-the-womb have bodies distinct from their mothers, often with different blood types.

What our ideological opponents really want is for the state to sanction the murder of the inconvenient. Let them say that.

--Jeffrey Foxmore
La Jolla


LAWYERS ARE BY NATURE SCUM

J. Holmann expresses the view that Catholics are "by general reputation, intolerant by nature" ("Letters," July/August). I am often amazed that educated people can actually think that character traits like tolerance and intolerance are from nature. Indeed, the role of religion is to bring about an improvement from the natural man. I am aghast that he places any credence at all in choosing his religion and the salvation of his soul on "general reputation."

His statement has a much validity as some other examples: "Jews are by nature cheap," or, perhaps closer to Holmann's heart, "Lawyers are by nature scum." There are many beautiful Catholics and also some despicable Catholics; many marvelous Jews and some terrible ones; and many beautiful, marvelous lawyers and many scummy ones.

Holmann compares his legal experiences with accidental death from routine dental and medical procedures to [mothers'] deaths from abortion. He neglects to mention that in the case of abortion, like liposuction or breast augmentation, the procedure is always invasive and almost always elective. Unlike liposuction or breast augmentation, abortion is the annihilation of nascent human life which Catholics and many others believe has intrinsic moral value. At least Catholics are willing to discuss this view of life, while Holmann's side steadfastly refuses to for fear the mere discussion might lead to a limitation of a woman's right to choose to kill something.

-- Catholic, Free, Tolerant and Antiabortion
Oceanside


I WAS UP TO 27 WEEKS WITHOUT THE SACRAMENTS

While here in San Diego, I sought residence in two Catholic retirement homes, only to be told that they had orders from the bishop not to admit sisters. Strange. Did they think they might learn something? It even went as as asking me to remove my habit. I responded: "Please tell his Excellency I would rather take jail than turn my back on God by sacrificing my habit."

Then, to make matters worse for me, a new pastor came to the parish and when I asked him to bring me the Sacraments and anoint me, he refused. I was up to 27 weeks without the Sacraments. I never gave up and continued prayers for a turn of the tide.

For the sake of my soul and to carry out my religious duties, I plan on leaving San Diego on or about August 20. I will be joining a traditional community of sisters in Round Top, New York. They are a foundation of 1984. They came to visit me last year at about this time. They came to teach catechism to young souls.

They invited me to make my home with them, as they heard of my situation. I have everything to gain: Latin Mass every morning and a very intense religious life.

I will continue praying for this diocese. So many people are confused by what is going on but they lack the courage to stand up and be counted.

Please keep me on the mailing list so I can pray and sacrifice all the more as needs arise. As I leave all I can say is that since 1980 it has been a very rocky road.

-- Sister Claire Ritchot
aka Sister Marie Assumpta


VOTE WITH THEIR POCKETBOOKS

The Southern Baptists decided to boycott Disney products because of Disney's "pro-gay" stance. Disney's policy is to provide health and other benefits to "same-sex spouses." Disney also has a "gay day" at Disneyworld, where only gay men and women are invited to enjoy the park without the "prejudice" those gay patrons may experience on other days. Disney also owns ABC, the television station who produces Ellen, whose star recently announced that she was gay.

Now the Southern Baptists are taking a great deal of heat for boycotting Disney. Some are saying, "Who are the Southern Baptists to force their beliefs on anyone? This is a free country where people can do what they want, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, etc., etc..."

Well, they are right! This is a free country. The Southern Baptists have every right to vote with their pocketbooks. To say, "I'm not supporting an organization which promotes something which is against my moral fiber.'' To say, "I'm not letting a gay activism force its beliefs on my children and family."

Luckily, I feel confident in my own beliefs and the teachings of the Bible. I do not believe that supporting "same-sex" benefits, "gay-days" or other activities are positive for our future. Hooray for Southern Baptists for trying to make a change.

-- Robert Grosz
Oceanside

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