Kerry compromises his faith for his own political gain

Kerry compromises his faithfor his own political gain
EDITOR:
I just received a letter from Sen. Kerry wanting money. All members of my family and ancestors are/have been Democrats. My great aunt was the first female delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Her name was May Arkwright Hutton. My father, grandfathers, uncles have fought in wars all the way back to the Revolutionary War.
What's got me upset: this Catholic man went to Communion, then flew to Washington to vote for partial-birth abortion. Even most Democrats voted against partial-birth abortion. This goes against everything he's suppose to believe in. If he can't stand up for the values of his faith, how's he going to stand up for the principles of our country when push comes to shove? Oh, that's right ... he believes in it, he just doesn't practice it. So what part of our country's principles will he sell out for his own gain?
There's a large difference in being the great tolerators that Americans are naturally, from being asked to choose the principles of the party, but lose your faith, or choose your faith and lose the principle of your party. When it comes down to it, it's an easy decision, just a little painful. It's not easy doing the right thing.
I'll choose God's side as my ancestors would have. I can't help but think how they would have felt being kicked out of the Democratic Party. They were all a living testimony of believers to their party and their faith, but they would never have sold out their faith.
It's such a shame the Democrats took on abortion, same sex marriage, etc. as issues. The country would not be so divided and politics would still be the issues instead of our faith, religion and values.
SANDRA ARKWRIGHT MANKE
Youngstown
President's actions showlack of concern for women
EDITOR:
On July 16, the Bush administration announced its decision to continue denying lifesaving funding for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA). If there was ever any doubt that this administration cares more about its ultra-conservative political base than about the health and dignity of women, it is gone now.
UNFPA provides a range of basic reproductive health services in developing countries where access to birth control and comprehensive sexuality education is often a matter of life and death. According to UNFPA, our country's $34 million could prevent upwards of 80,000 maternal and infant deaths annually -- more than the entire population of Santa Fe, N.M. And with 5 million new HIV infections last year alone, denying access to preventive services, supplies and information through funding cuts along with "abstinence-only" restrictions on global HIV prevention programs amounts to a death sentence for millions the world over.
Despite the tired refrain that "W" stands for women, cutting of health services provided through UNFPA reveals the president's blatant disregard for the health and rights of more than half the world's population. Recently, at the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, the world's leading public health experts emphasized that women must have the tools and information to not only protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, but also to address persistent discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence that fuel the AIDS epidemic.
It is time for our elected officials to stop playing politics and start saving lives.
JACK VAUGHN
PAMELA WASHINGTON
X The writers are board members of Planned Parenthood of Mahoning Valley, Inc.