Soft words for harsh reality

Aaron Weidert (Letters, Jan. 27) wrote about how a politician, Rep. Matt Shea, had allegedly set some double standards on government interference. This is not news. We get government doublespeak from both sides of the aisle all the time; nor is it news that someone points it out.

But what struck me was near the end of the letter. Mr. Weidert uses the term “women seeking reproductive health care.” It does make it sound like something that is healthy, necessary and positive.

In reality, I think Mr. Weidert was trying to soften the impact by not using the term abortion. Granted, he does use the term earlier in his letter, when he’s describing Rep. Shea’s actions. But let’s be honest, abortion is the termination of something living, that if left to term would become a human being.

Doesn’t that human being deserve the same rights that have been requested by “alternative lifestyle” groups? The right to life itself is even more basic than domestic partnerships. But I digress. What I really wanted to point out was the attempt to sanitize the issue of abortion. There is nothing clean about it.

Matt Gerdes

Spokane