A chara, – Colm O'Gorman, of Amnesty International, tries to suggest that the right to an abortion is a human right under international law (April 15th). I do not know if he is distorting the situation or if he genuinely thinks support for his agenda dwells in places it does not; for there exists no such right.
There is, however, an ideological desire by certain elements of various international organisations that wish to portray it as a right, which is not the same thing at all. The right to life is, on the other hand, an acknowledged right and one which is recognised in our Constitution.
Mr O’Gorman and the organisation he represents may have their own personal and ideological reasons for wishing to deny a basic and fundamental human right to a particularly vulnerable group in this country and around the world. But if they are to continue to do so I would suggest that it would be better if they ceased to portray themselves as promoters of human rights and instead styled themselves as an advocacy group for abortion. – Is mise,
Rev PATRICK G BURKE,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny.
A chara, – Colm O’Gorman (April 15th) writes that “women’s reproductive rights are . . . rights clearly and precisely set out in an international human rights legal system created by states, including Ireland”.
He quotes not one international human rights treaty that has been signed by Ireland which establishes a right to abortion. These treaties form human rights law, not UN committees which issue reports on the matter.
Breda O’Brien is correct in saying we can do better (“Abortion – we can do better than women in prison and dead babies in bins”, Opinion & Analysis, April 9th).
The only reference in Mr O’Gorman’s letter to the unborn child is in his quotation of the title of Breda O’Brien’s article, and a passing reference to foetal impairment. He concludes his letter, referring to women, “it is their bodies, their lives and their rights, after all”. This is true, but not the whole truth. It is true also of the children.
At what point does someone have constitutional rights? Is Mr O’Gorman saying that a child a month before delivery, or on its due date, just hours before its delivery, should have no constitutional rights whatever?
Breda O’Brien is right. We can do better, for both women and babies. There is a cost, human and economic. The way we investigate perinatal deaths is evidence that it is worthwhile. –
Is mise,
PÁDRAIG McCARTHY,
Sandyford,
Dublin 16.