Madam, - It is probably true to assert that there is nobody in Ireland who is pro-abortion. The differentiator is that the anti-abortion lobby believes that abortion is wrong in all circumstances. Ergo, it is on a par with rape or child abuse, which are unquestionably always wrong.
This is the view which was held by majority in the original abortion referendum. At that time we were, as a country, in denial as to the nature and extent of sexual abuse. The subsequent "X" case led us to re-examine the principle of abortion being wrong in all cases.
Obviously the majority of the population feel that abortion is unwelcome, but what would you do if your 14-year-old was pregnant as a result of a rape? In my view, and that of many others, abortion would be the best solution to a terrible problem. Once we have decided that abortion is not wrong in all circumstances, it follows that it is not possible to compare abortion to rape.
Absolutists of all hues are not only scary, they are dangerous. Ireland for decades was an example of what can go wrong when such groups have power. The utterly appalling assertions of Mary Stewart and Joe Foyle should make us thankful that Ireland has moved on from a time when their views were the norm. - Yours, etc,
SEÁN DOWLING, Timoleague, Co Cork.