Letters to the Editor

Yes to abortion on demand

Bernard McLaughlin’s jaundiced view of women’s rights of conscience (“Roe v. Wade,” Letters, Saturday) only confused the issue. Here’s why: In 1992, Maryland residents had to vote on Question 6, whether to lock in for Maryland the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling upholding every woman’s right to decide for herself whether to end a problem pregnancy.

The results: Statewide, abortion rights were upheld 62 percent to 38 percent, in Montgomery County 70 percent to 30 percent, in Prince George’s 66 percent to 34 percent, in Howard 65 percent to 35 percent.

The question is not how people feel about abortion at various stages of gestation or for what reason women seek the procedure (contraceptive failure, rape, spousal abandonment, woman’s health, fetal deformity, etc.) but, rather, who should decide, the individual woman and her physician or Big Brother government. Most Americans reject government intrusion into women’s most basic right.

KENNETH A. STEVENS

Savage, Md.

Maryland and Real ID

To the editorial “Commonsense immigration enforcement” (Friday) should be added this looming problem, further illustrating the thrall in which Maryland Democrats are held by illegal aliens and their lobbyists.

Those reading this who possess a Maryland driver’s license should be advised that they will not be able to use it after May 11 of next year for federal ID purposes unless Maryland changes its licensing policies to require proof of citizenship or legal presence in the U.S., according the federal REAL Identity Act of 2005. We sent the Montgomery County House delegation (all Democrats) the following e-mail about this issue on Jan. 4:

“We have not had the courtesy of a reply to [an earlier] e-mail, so we write again with an update on this issue of great concern to these registered Democrats.

“Jane Lawton was quoted [in The Washington Times] recently on this as saying, ‘It’s up to the federal government to step up to the plate and decide if foreigners should be denied licenses.’ Ms. Lawton may be uninformed on what the federal government has done to impact Maryland driver’s licenses.

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