EDITOR: Regarding the analogy of prohibition of alcohol, among other examples of people engaging in forbidden acts, used by Helen Koenig in her letter to the editor on Thursday, June 8, it hardly compares to the taking of lives of the most vulnerable of all humans; the baby, yes a viable human being confirmed by modern science and composed of human DNA.

At about 22 days after conception, the child's cardiovascular system is developed and his heartbeat can be detected on ultrasound. At just six weeks, the child's eyes and eyelids, nose, mouth and tongue have formed.

By the end of the second month all organs and bodily structures have been developed. During fetal surgery, the baby is administered anesthesia separate from his mother.

Unborn humans, depending upon the stage, are weaker, lesser developed, more helpless and less personable than born humans, but this does not make them any less human. Embryology has made this very clear. The fetus, therefore, is a living, breathing human and cannot be compared to a tree trunk as Koenig implies.

In 1865, the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified to outlaw slavery. However, a modern form of slavery - human trafficking - still exists in America today. This surely doesnt mean that slavery should still be allowed just because it exists illegally.

I have heard the expression time and time again that abortion is the scourge of our time, just like slavery was the scourge of previous centuries. Thankfully, there is a movement among the younger generation who can see abortion for what it really is. I am hopeful that in the future, society will look back to our era and wonder how we could have let abortion happen in the first place, just like when we ponder how slavery could have ever been made legal.

Abortion is a social justice and a human rights issue to the very core.

Aside from the psychological impact abortion has on the mother, it has been well established that induced abortion can cause breast cancer. There have been 37 worldwide studies from 1957-2013 that support this fact, which is sadly ignored by cancer organizations due to political reasons.

I do agree with Koenig that more education is badly needed, so people will truly see that abortion is not the answer and the infanticide that has been taking place can finally come to an end.

Most people who take the pro-life stance deeply care about pregnant women and understand how an unplanned pregnancy can be a tremendous stressor in life. This has resulted in a network of crisis pregnancy centers throughout the country to help women who do not have the means to care for their baby or may have been shunned by family.

They also care about post abortive women and the issues they face resulting in organizations such as Rachels Vineyard and Hope after Abortion.

Lastly, for readers who might say keep your religious and moral beliefs to yourself, well, that is just what those who worked to abolish slavery were told.

CINDY DECORGES

Far Hills

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LETTER: Abortion is a human rights issue - New Jersey Hills