This moral decision should not be state-controlled

You oppose state Rep. Tom Tangretti's amendment to House Bill 288 because it provides a conscientious objection for hospitals that differ on their approach to rape victims ("Choice Denied: Rape Victims Deserve Standard Medical Treatment," June 21 editorial). You would force these hospitals to commit actions that they consider immoral.

It is interesting how blithely you deny freedom of choice to those who don't agree with you. The state should be limited in the amount of control it has over private hospitals. Religious freedom, after all, was one of the principles upon which this country was founded.

How sad it is that you stand against those "who put moral argument over conventional medicine," especially since one of the regular features of conventional medicine these days is change. I hope the Legislature doesn't abort Pennsylvania's hospitals' right to choose how to handle these difficult cases.

BRIAN W. DONNELLY, M.D.
Richland

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Religious protection

Your June 21 editorial ("Choice Denied") correctly explains that Catholic hospitals do provide emergency contraception to sexual assault victims to prevent ovulation or fertilization, but not if tests indicate ovulation. You go on to say, "That's because the church's belief on when life begins differs from that of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists." It is a shame we have differences on something as valuable as human life, but that is precisely why religious hospitals oppose House Bill 288.

Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy by delaying ovulation, preventing fertilization or preventing a fertilized egg from implantation. Catholics believe that life begins at conception, so preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb constitutes abortion -- the termination of a human life.

House Bill 288 mandates that hospitals provide emergency contraception in all circumstances. It ignores the protection of conscience laid down years ago in the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act that assured health-care facilities would not have to participate in administering abortifacients, or drugs that terminate an unborn human life.

You also say hospitals should follow standard procedures for rape just like treatment for heart attacks or automobile accidents. It is indeed wise to use standards of care, but standard procedures for heart attacks and automobile accidents are not mandated.

Emergency rooms in Catholic hospitals provide compassionate care to everyone who comes through the doors. What is at stake here is protection of religious conscience. Our hospitals are standing up for their right to provide care without compromising their moral beliefs.

AMY L. BEISEL
Director of Communications
Pennsylvania Catholic Conference
Harrisburg

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Child's humanity

The editorial "Choice Denied" shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the issue, from both a scientific and a moral perspective.

Embryology tells us that from the moment of conception, a new human life is present. Science (and Plan B's packaging) also tells us that emergency contraception (EC) can work in one of two ways: either by preventing the woman from ovulating if she has not yet done so, or by preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg (i.e., a human life) in the uterus.

The Catholic Church does not oppose the use of EC if a woman has not yet ovulated. The woman has a right to protect herself from pregnancy resulting from a rape. However, if the woman has already ovulated and may therefore be pregnant, EC will prevent the new human life from implanting in the womb, resulting in the death of the unborn child. If a woman has conceived a child as the result of a rape, there is no longer one patient, but two. The manner of the child's conception is irrelevant to his or her humanity.

If an egg is fertilized, a new life is present. That isn't moral teaching; that's scientific fact. A new human life is present that -- given the time to grow and develop -- can replace tragedy with joy, and anger with love.

Catholic hospitals cannot (nor should they be forced to) violate moral principles or ignore scientific fact. The proposed mandate will essentially force Catholic hospitals either to face a mountain of litigation or to close, which would be a tragic loss to the communities they serve.

SUSAN RAUSCHER
Secretary for Pastoral and Social Concerns
Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
Downtown

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Not for us to judge

Regarding George Kanakis' character critiques of Shakita Mangham and Furaha Love ("Poverty Is Not What Caused These Tragic Deaths," June 20): I would remind him that "people who live in glass houses should not throw stones." Do you know about poverty, sir, and understand that it redefines who a person was created to be and alters life opportunities that many of us take for granted?

Mr. Kanakis' assertion that these mothers were not "dedicated to their [children's] health, safety and well-being" came from what firsthand source? That Ms. Mangham and Ms. Love made a ferocious error in judgment the night their children died goes without saying. Clearly they are able to relive their personal hells without our help.

The Rev. William Curtis preached about being on top of the mountain. There we all are forgiven by God for our transgressions. To the gathered mourning crowd his task was to bring words of hope, consolation and forgiveness. The Rev. Curtis did this.

Seeking to forgive is a necessary and right practice whether we profess faith or not. Ours is a broken world. We ought not be found guilty of helping to break or fracture our community any further with words that do not heal but aim to hurt. When we have not walked in another's shoes or suffered their despair we should try to be compassionate and understanding.

We just witnessed how quickly life changes and could suddenly be in need of that very same forgiveness ourselves. And about incoming stones? They hurt, so you best duck.

KRISTEN VanDERBURGH
Munhall

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Essential labor

Dan Eichenlaub's June 17 Forum article ("Get on With Immigration Reform") made a point that needs to be repeated: Guest workers make a critical contribution to Pittsburgh's economy. I know, because my company, Burns & Scalo Roofing, employs Latino nationals and will continue to do so. The simple reason we bring guest roofers here on legitimate work visas is because we must!

Despite our continuing recruiting efforts, we are unable to find enough people here who are willing and able to meet our standards, including being drug- and alcohol-free, able to be trained to perform at a high level and willing to come to work every day. All of our employees do meet those demands and each earns better than average wages and benefits, no matter where they come from.

The issue is not just about where our employees originate, but about the positive impact efficiently run companies have on the regional economy. When I can fill my crews with able and willing workers, I provide my customers superior service and generate significant economic activity here. Without a competent work force, we can't be competitive, which leads to low wages, stagnation and decline.

Our doors remain open for hard-working people who, like us, want to grow and prosper in our region, but at least for the foreseeable future, we will reach out to any community to assure that we have the work force we need.

JACK SCALO
President
Burns & Scalo Roofing
Thornburg

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Let's be honest about the condition of our health system

We read with dismay and a certain amount of anger the final sentence of the letter by Gordon R. Woodrow, regional director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("We Won't Support Expanding SCHIP to These Levels," June 20), stating the often-repeated myth that this country has the best health-care system in the world.

This statement ignores all the available evidence. Isn't Mr. Woodrow aware of the numerous medical and lay press reports where our health system is compared with those of other nations? If he is not, we recommend that he read the May 16 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association, where we are ranked 45th in the world in life expectancy and where our infant mortality rate is higher than almost all other developed countries, as well as Cuba. Additionally, the World Health Organization ranks us 37th among 190 nations of the world in health care.

What is more maddening about Mr. Woodrow's ignorant statement is that it comes from a health official who ought to know better and that it keeps our own population from knowing about health systems in other parts of the world that do a much better job and at a fraction of our costs. In 2005, our health care cost more than $6,000 per person; the nearest rival, Switzerland, spent $4,077 per person.

The public needs to be provided with honest appraisals of our present health-care system so that informed decisions regarding such topics as universal health care and other important future considerations may be made.

A. BILBOA, M.D.
O'Hara
ROBERT STIFFLER
O'Hara

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