Thanks to protesters, children saw horrifying images
I was driving with my 3-year-old daughter Monday morning down West Liberty Avenue, when we had no choice but to gaze out the car windows at a variety of 5-foot placards depicting extremely graphic photos of aborted fetuses. My daughter asked me, "Mommy, why are those people holding signs of scary monsters?" In shock myself as to what I was seeing, I did not know what to say.
How do you respond to a 3-year-old about such violent photos? She doesn't understand; how do I tell her that those are unborn babies when she is very excited about her aunt who is pregnant with twins?
What about the rest of the school buses carrying elementary children that use West Liberty Avenue? Was anyone prepared to be at the schools to discuss what those children had no choice but to look at? As a parent I would have been furious to know that my children were forced to view such graphic and violent photos without me there to talk about it with them.
I want everyone to understand that I completely respect the American choice to protest against something you oppose and to stand up for something you believe in, but when it is forced upon children, I absolutely lose all respect.
What about protecting the "born" children from such graphic depictions? I work very hard to limit the amount of violence my child sees on television, but Monday morning I had no control over it.
All I ask is that we, as parents, think about how these views were forced on our children and about the images they were forced to look at with possibly no one there to discuss it with them. Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life does not matter; what matters is that we protect our children.
CAROL BENDER
Bethel Park
Insensitive and ineffective
I am writing in regard to the pro-life protesters who have been seen about the city with graphic medical presentations of aborted fetuses. First off, let me say that I am pro-life. I believe that life begins at conception. However, these post-traumatic abortion photos do not belong on our city sidewalks. Our young children, our children in general, should not be subjected to these photographs on their way to school.
I cannot control what my child sees while riding in the car, as he is buckled in the back seat and I cannot reach back to cover his eyes. I thank God that he was not with me the other day when I passed by this protest.
Also, I feel strongly that these folks are being very insensitive to those of us who have had miscarriages at the same point in our pregnancy at which someone else had an abortion. It isn't fair to be reminded of what my baby could have looked like when I lost it. How dare these protesters bring back my feelings of loss and sorrow. Please rethink this style of protest.
The picture of the beautiful baby under the blanket, with a caption of "Confused? Call this number," would have been sufficient. Put the graphic photos in a pamphlet and pass the pamphlet out at an abortion clinic, but remember, those clinics are there to help all women, not just those who are seeking abortions.
It's a shame in our society that people are going abroad to adopt when we could have babies right here, if only we could reach out to the confused and pregnant women with some compassion and a helping hand.
LISA MATTHIS
Venetia
Workers' Memorial Day
Many people say, "What is Workers' Memorial Day?" People who work at many jobs, union or nonunion, don't know what this day is or what it means to many American workers and families. Tomorrow we will mark Workers' Memorial Day; at 1 p.m. our union local and many other unions will hold a service in memory of our departed brothers and sisters who have lost their lives at the work site or during their working hours. This service will be at the main entrance to the USX Corp.'s Irvin Works, where there is a monument in honor of 16 Irvin Works employees who lost their lives on the job.
We will rededicate ourselves to fight for safe workplaces and remember those who have died in workplace catastrophes, suffered diseases because of exposure to toxic substances or been injured because of dangerous conditions. We also will honor those who lost their lives Sept. 11.
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks claimed about 3,000 people in the United States. More than 600 of these people were union members. A few weeks later, workers were victims of anthrax that was sent through mail. This affected postal workers and others. These attacks have put a new set of safety and health issues on the front line for workers of America.
Mourn for the dead; fight for the living. We will protect workers' rights. United we stand, divided we fall.
ROSS McCLELLAN SR.
President
Local Union No. 2227, District 10
United Steelworkers of America
West Mifflin
Mourning for Andy
Most people will associate the name Andrew Jones with a young man whose "friends" have been charged with kidnapping, assaulting and murdering him. To those of us who knew Andrew Jones, he was Andy.
Andy played Little League with my son. I'll never forget their championship season. Most Little League champions celebrate their winning game by going to Dairy Queen or another favorite restaurant. The "Reds," as they were known, signed the game ball, then instead of going for a special treat, these dirty, sweaty baseball players presented "Coach Joe" with the ball as he lay in his casket; he had died of cancer on a preceding day. I can still recall the tears streaming down Andy's face and the sobs wracking his body.
Now all of us who knew and cared about Andy are left sobbing. As his family, his girlfriend and his many friends mourn his tragic death, the men charged in his death had the audacity to smile and laugh during their preliminary hearing, as pictured in the Post-Gazette last Saturday ("Trio Face Trial in Jones Killing," April 20).
ANNA ROWKOSKY
Westwood
Baseball gridlock
Whoever decided to have afternoon baseball games -- especially during major construction and rearrangement of the city streets -- should have their heads examined and then be committed. I am employed on the North Side and have no alternative but to drive.
I spent one hour in a traffic nightmare Downtown even after leaving work early; sitting in gridlock after a busy day at the office is not how we want to end our day.
Thanks for giving no consideration to those employed on the North Side who want to get home. Keep these games in the evenings and weekends, please!
CAROL CHURCHILL
Bethel Park
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