I’m writing in reference to the letter by Betty Kovacevich (“Support Life,” Auburn Reporter, Jan. 8) regarding cutbacks in Planned Parenthood. I would ask if she or anyone she knows has needed the services offered by Planned Parenthood. I and many women I know have used their services.

If you have no interest in police or fire services, cutbacks in those organizations don’t interest you. If you have no interest in politics, cutbacks in federal, state, county or city departments don’t interest you. If you have no interest in the health care crisis, these cutbacks don’t interest you. These are all serious cutbacks if you use and have a need for these services.

Planned Parenthood is no different. In fact, in some cases, it is more important because it involves unwanted babies.

What about the need of any female regardless of age who has been raped? The same applies to incest, or a pregnant 14-year-old who cannot care for a baby.

There is an article in the Jan. 29-31 issue of USA Weekend magazine that is included in the Reporter addressing the issue of two 15-year-olds. The girl is pregnant and Dennie Hughes, the author, suggests some options, two of which are abortion or adoption.

You say “3,000 children will have a chance for life.” In a perfect world that would be true, but anyone who has heard about a newborn thrown in a dumpster, a 2-year-old beaten to death or thrown against a wall, legs, arms, skulls crushed and broken, or shaken babies who suffer brain damage or die, must understand every unwanted baby can die.

And the most tragic of all, the mental abuse most of these children will suffer their entire lifetimes because they were not wanted cannot be ignored.

When you use the word “chance”, understand that word has a dark side also.

– Pat Horn