Rooted in Abortion

Regarding "Crisis-Pregnancy Centers Targeted by Congressman" (Nation, June 16 issue):

The referenced article reports that Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., introduced a bill into the U.S. House of Representatives that attempts to eliminate pregnancy centers based on the lie that pregnancy-center volunteers trick poor pregnant women into not having an abortion and mislead them by telling them abortion presents serious medical and psychological risks.

A similar bill was introduced into the Senate by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

The Maloney/Menendez bills are rooted in the abortion industry, primarily NARAL, which produced a video in May 2012 falsely claiming that abortion is completely safe and has no physical or mental-health risks. NARAL has tried to suppress pregnancy centers around the country, with little success. In Maryland, NARAL’s bill was rejected by the state Legislature, but it passed in Baltimore and Montgomery County.

Pregnancy centers in these areas were to be forced to tell clients on first contact they don’t do abortions and urge them to seek medical treatment elsewhere.

After the Centro Tepeyac Pregnancy Center sued, saying the ordinances violated its freedom of speech, and won victories in the district court and from a three-judge panel at the appeals court, the Montgomery County Council appealed the decision to the full appeals court.

Oral arguments were in early December 2012, and Centro Tepeyac awaits the appeals court’s decision.

Maloney and Menendez promote these bills, even though their constitutionality is not determined.

These bills would stop pregnancy centers from assisting and supporting poor women, further enabling the killing of the unborn and the abuse of women in abortion facilities. Failure to act against these bills is a failure to love our neighbors, particularly our poor neighbors.

John Naughton

Silver Spring, Maryland

‘Spiritual Vigilantes’

Relative to "WYD and the Trayvon Tragedy" (Editorial, July 28 issue):

Today’s "self-appointed vigilantes" are the abortion lobby (Planned Parenthood, NARAL, etc.), legislatures, abortionists and even the Supreme Court, which have all overseen the murder of 500 million of God’s kids worldwide.

Does the press cover this "tragedy"?

Margaret Sanger founded Planned Parenthood to rid America of the "undesirable" black population.  Roe v. Wade was passed for the same reason.

"Frankly, I had thought that, at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of" (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, New York Times Magazine, July 17, 2009).

When I read Cardinal Timothy Dolan saying he has not preached on the Sixth Commandment for 40 years and Archbishop Charles Chaput saying "Religious Liberty Depends on the Lay Faithful, Not Bishops" and 60% of Catholic voters voted for Barack Obama, I realize the Church is not that needed role model either.

Not only do we not "practice" — we don’t even "preach." It seems each of us individually has to fill these "role model" shoes.

Does the press cover both sides of the "gay marriage" tragedy, including that sodomy is within "gay marriage"?

There are few male role models of any stripe, especially regarding human procreation. Not only do we seemingly shun procreating eternal beings (children), we murder them.

Until "spiritual vigilantes" come forward, physical vigilantes will rule the day.

Joe Marincel

Flower Mound, Texas

Justice Was Served

I write in response to your editorial "WYD and the Trayvon Tragedy" (July 28 issue).

Trayvon Martin was shot and killed while assaulting George Zimmerman. The jury found Zimmerman acted in self-defense, which is supported by the evidence and known facts.

It is irrelevant that Trayvon Martin was unarmed or that he was followed. The facts show that Martin punched Zimmerman in the face, broke his nose, knocked him down, and while astride Zimmerman continued to aggressively assault him, as evidenced by injuries to Zimmerman’s head. Martin had no injuries other than the bullet wound.

The facts reveal that, instead of continuing home after noticing Zimmerman, Martin doubled back to confront him, where he initiated the physical assault.

You state: "There is no dispute that Zimmerman profiled him." If by this you mean profiled a suspicious person, this is something all reasonable people, including law enforcement, do routinely. There is no evidence Martin was profiled because he was black. The only "glorification of violence" in the case was the violence started by Martin.

To defend one’s life is not to glorify violence, but to stop it. Once Martin threw the punch that broke Zimmerman’s nose, he turned what was a nonviolent confrontation into a violent one, and thereby completely changed the dynamic, permitting the smaller Zimmerman to reasonably defend himself. And so the jury found.

This is our system, and we should thank God for it.

Francis D. O’Brien

Marietta, Georgia

Eastern Rites

Your article "Byzantine Beauty" (Travel, July 28 issue) was very interesting.

I am a parishioner at Annunciation Church in Crestwood, N.Y. It is Latin rite. Every once in a while, I go to Mass at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Yonkers. It is a perfect example of Byzantine church art. The iconography there is breathtaking.

So many Latin Catholics aren’t even aware of these beautiful churches and rites, also known as "smells and bells."

You failed to mention the Union of Brest of 1596 that brought the Orthodox Church of Ruthenia, now Poland, back to the Church of Rome, with the stipulation that they keep their rites and a married clergy.

I am a graduate of Fordham Prep (’58) and Fordham College (’62), founded by Jesuits, who had an influential role in the Union of Brest.

Thank you for the great article.

Guy J. Capozzo

Crestwood, New York

Good Catholic Colleges

In response to Greg Chamblee’s letter of June 16 — "Follow-Up Needed?" — you referred to info which will be available next fall. 

A more complete response could have included a referral to the Cardinal Newman Society. This is a wonderful resource to tap into online that will answer many of his questions.

I feel his loneliness in a sea of secularism.

It is good to know that these issues are being addressed with zeal and some success. It will give him info on the mandatum, which is required of Catholic colleges and universities. It will show what is being done now to win back our schools and give him an opportunity to influence this return with petitions, etc.

He may be able to be the instigator of Catholic action where he is with the help of this society. At the very least, he will see that this problem is being addressed in many places and that he is not alone out there.

Josephine Wagner

Hollywood, Florida

The editor responds: You will also be happy to know that the Register’s ninth annual "Catholic Identity College Guide" will appear in our next print issue. Last year, 33 schools made the list.