Who will stand up for the first human right?

IN Evelyn Ring’s report (‘Women’s group aims to shame Government at UN,’ Irish Examiner, July 2), a number of issues were listed, most of them areas of genuine grievance against the Government.

However, the holy grail for many of the listed groups is what they like to term 'reproductive rights' a euphemism for, among other things, the right to freely available abortion.

In the light of our current embryological and general scientific knowledge, human life is clearly a continuum extending from the moment of conception right up to natural death.

It is hard to believe that any civilised person would not abhor the direct killing of an innocent human being at any stage of development.

To describe it as a 'right' is to turn the meaning of the word on its head.

And we can't wriggle our way out of this by saying abortion is just a religious issue.

Clearly it is a human rights issue the most fundamental of all human rights: the right to life.

Are there any women's groups I know there are some wonderful individual women who are speaking out against these so-called rights that would allow the most innocent and vulnerable of all human beings to be destroyed.

Or is it just that the media will not give those who want to speak for them a fair hearing? I hope it's the latter.

Oliver Broderick

'Montserrat'

Ashe Street

Youghal

Co Cork