Ignoring the real need

Sue Lani Madsen complained about the Born-Alive Act voice vote blocked by Sen. Patty Murray (“Why vote against care for babies?” March 2). When the Democrats take control of the Senate in 2020, I hope they will sponsor the “Forget the Mother; Save the Deformed Fetus Act” to set a similar political trap for Republican senators. The Spokesman published another Madsen-like negative opinion (Cynthia M. Allen, “Abortion still divides America,” March 6) and tasteless cartoon about infanticide which greatly distorts and misrepresents the abortion issue.

Madsen is from the same political tribe that stopped Medicaid expansion in many red states. That political action killed many “born alive” children who didn’t have access to medical care. That’s because Republicans wanted Obamacare to fail and governors turned down federal funding for the expansion. An example would be a nine-month-old child in Idaho who never saw a doctor until he was near death and couldn’t be saved.

America’s infant mortality rate (5.7/1,000) is a red stain that can’t be washed away by political showmanship. Our rate is the worst among the top 20 wealthy nations. How can we excuse 22,000 infants dying and just focus on a few failed abortions?

Pete Scobby

Newport