So Louise, where would you set limit on births?

In her feature (Irish Examiner ‘Weekend’, May 7, 2016) Louise O’Neill laments the fact that Ireland’s ‘archaic laws ensure that the life of an unborn foetus is treated as equal to the woman’s, if not more important.’

Given the power ratio of the woman to the unborn child, the law at least gives recognition to the vulnerability of unborn life, whereas Louise would see equality in that context as giving women absolute control, and the unborn having zero rights.

She might spare a thought sometime for abortion opponents who occasionally have to read of those miracle babies who survive early births, while a more advanced pregnancy is being ‘terminated’. Maybe she might tell us sometime where she would set the limit.

On the back page of the previous Saturday’s edition, we were told that ‘Newborn babies in Scotland are being tested for alcohol after researchers raised concerns that some pregnant mothers are drinking regularly’. This is the country that in 2012, was reported as having the second highest teenage abortion rate in the world. The logic appears to be, choosing to drink (or smoke) may adversely affect unborn children, but the choice that will deprive them of life is a basic human right.

Rory O’Donovan

Killeens

Co Cork