Ellen Brehmer, Grand Forks, letter: To fight abortion, hold men accountable

GRAND FORKS — “End taxpayer funding of abortion providers,” as the headline over Gloria Patocka’s letter suggested? (Page A4, Jan 22).

Give me a break. Patocka’s letter was so offensive that I’m compelled to respond.

The statistics that she is reporting may or may not be true; I don’t see a source.

But if her figure of 324,006 abortions by Planned Parenthood is accurate and these women are “choosing” to abort a pregnancy, then I see 324,006 males who are not being held accountable for “spreading their seed.”

Were these women raped, molested or deserted by these males, many of whom apparently feel free to impregnate someone (by whatever means) and then disappear and leave the woman to make a myriad of decisions regarding their pregnancy?

Patocka also wrote that “statistics tell us that one in four women has had an abortion.”

Sounds decidedly similar to the statistics regarding women who have been raped or sexually abused; I bet there is a correlation between these numbers.

I wonder what the seven-week-long post-abortion Bible study that she refers to consists of? Women naturally will have need of spiritual healing after surviving the abuse that got them pregnant in the first place.

Where is the march on Washington to have men be held accountable for their misdeeds by garnishing their wages or being brought to trial for their criminal act of rape or sexual abuse?

If anti-abortionists would stop blaming the victim and start lobbying to have men be held accountable for their part in the pregnancy, I could start listening to them with an open mind.

No woman has ever “wanted” to have an abortion. Every one of them was forced to by the circumstance of criminality and/or desertion by the male or a grave health issue.

Try to focus on the whole picture and stop blaming the victim. Where are the males in all of this?

Ellen Brehmer

Tags: in the mail, abortion rights, pro choice, opinion, health, pregnancy, abortion