Mailbag

It should sicken

Thank you for the excellent, horrifying article ("Brutal hearings," April 17). It is sickening and it should be. Thank God for people like Judge Casey, who insists on using plain English to discuss abortion procedures in his court, and Rep. Steve Chabot, who had the courage to press on in the legislature. And thank God for a president willing to sign on the bottom line, standing against the abomination of abortion. "For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed," as it says in the Gospel of Mark. God help us speak for those who cannot.

-Jean Boulanger, Dayton, Ohio

The public also needs to know about the trauma many mothers go through after an abortion, such as excessive bleeding, possible damage to the uterus, post-abortion syndrome, and many other horrible conditions. The media ignore the realities of abortion because the truth would expose it for what it is: grotesque and barbaric.

-David Stevens

St. Louis, Mo.

In the testimonies of doctors who perform partial-birth killings is proof that education will not make the world a better place. As in Nazi Germany, brilliant minds who do not believe in a God to whom they will be accountable are extremely dangerous. They know very well that those babies they kill are not mere blobs of tissue, and that they really do feel pain. But their hearts are calloused and their consciences seared.

-Bob Olson

Vancouver, Wash.

On the attack

I'm glad someone is finally drawing attention to the threat of attacks by homosexual organizations on the finances of Christian organizations, but it's not a future concern-it's already happened ("Status seekers," April 17). In Portland, Maine, the city denied funding to both the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities of Maine because the city requires organizations accepting funds to provide health care for "domestic partners."

-Rita Feeney

North Yarmouth, Maine

Tax-exempt status has been a gag in the mouth of the church since it became law. How many churches fail to take a stand in political campaigns because of fear of losing it? I wonder what the church could really do if it were unfettered by government control and censorship. Are we willing to trade what we see as pure and unvarnished truth for a bowl of lentils? Have we already?

-Steve Holle

Billings, Mont.

Homosexual activists have been relentless in their attempts to identify with minorities who truly qualify as minorities-those who are born that way and cannot change. If allowed to shop by sympathetic judges, they will ultimately succeed. Joel Belz is right to advocate for a Federal Marriage Amendment.

-Jack R. Dortignac

La Habra, Calif.

Modern Pilates

Regarding "All those in favor, say 'nay,'" (April 17): Pontius Pilate was "personally opposed" to the crucifixion of Christ. Nevertheless, he let it happen for reasons of political expediency and he is forever remembered as something between a coward and murderer. It will be no different with politicians who are "personally opposed" to abortion.

-Robert Vreugde

Houston, Texas

Offensive

I found the comic about the mothers with depressed children offensive and insulting (Quotables & 'Toons, April 17). Depression is not something to be made fun of, especially in this light.

-Julie & Elizabeth Franks

Elsmere, Ky.

Is Whoopi Goldberg leading her show as a woman or an African-American? This question is as silly as the one she asked of President Bush, whether he is leading this country as an American or as a Christian. I am impatient with those who think their private philosophies should not "inform" their public lives. Isn't that what used to be called hypocrisy?

-Nancy Sliwa

White Salmon, Wash.

Posthaste

"Sick unto death?" (April 17) is of keen interest as Columbine is still a very present image here in Colorado. However, casually referring to the myth of violent postal employees ("go postal") did not clarify the point and is a disservice to the 750,000 postal employees in this country. A recent Columbia University study found postal workers are only a third as likely as those in the national workforce to be victims of homicide at work. Retail workers are eight times likelier than postal employees to be homicide victims at work, and taxi drivers are 150 times likelier. Physical assaults in the workplace can be reviewed without perpetuating the untrue postal connection.

-Judy Reeve

Postmaster

Galeton, Colo.

Mr. Veith states that teen pregnancy rates are the lowest since anyone has kept track, and states that the rate of sexual activity among teens is down. However, the CDC reports that youth ages 15-24 account for half of all new reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases, and overall the rates of infection for diseases such as chlamydia (which can lead to infertility) are rising while there are 5.5 million new cases each year of the human papillomavirus (which can cause cervical cancer). I would suggest that many teens are just as sexually active, but are using condoms to avoid pregnancy. The sad fact, however, is that condoms are ineffective in preventing STDs, and this is not taught to teens.

-Frank Nolton

Goodrich, Mich.

Out of range

I just read your review of Disney's new animated movie, Home on the Range, and I am dismayed ("Home run," April 17). Did Andrew Coffin fail to notice the crude humor, or that one of the saloon dancing "girls" was a cross-dressing man, or that the peg-legged rabbit, Lucky Jack, is a shaman? Finally, it simply was not very funny. Disney does not deserve any of our dollars for this film.

-Kerry Dean

Henderson, Nev.

A bad name?

Please take my name off your mailing list immediately. You are the Pharisees of our day and give Christians and even Jesus a bad name.

-Vonda Van Farowe

Portland, Ore.

Last year I cashed in my frequent flyer miles by subscribing to several magazines, including Time. I soon realized I had made a mistake. Time turned out to be a mouthpiece for liberal ideology. Then I received an advertisement in the mail for WORLD, and after reading my trial issue I was ecstatic. It is a great breath of fresh air not only to read a magazine from a conservative perspective but with a biblical foundation.

-J.L. Pattison

Dayton, Nev.

Corrections

The photo accompanying "Pressure point" (April 24, p. 35) contained only red blood cells.

The television show CSI is set in Las Vegas ("Attack of the clones," May 1, p. 14).

The the courts hearing the challenges to the federal partial-birth abortion law are in New York, San Francisco, and Lincoln, Neb. ("Painfully unaware," April 24, p. 24).