Recently there have been several letters concerning Rep. Merrill Cook's so-called Partial Birth Abortion Act. Most recently, Kelly Miller of Salt Lake City expressed his concerns that the Legislature should leave medical decisions to physicians.
Although I generally feel politicians should stay away from the practice of medicine, as a practicing physician myself, I strongly disagree on this issue. Taking the life of an unborn child cannot be compared to deciding which antibiotic will be best suited for a particular patient or disease. Many other options are available to an individual with an unplanned pregnancy.Abortion is an atrocity in every sense of the word and should be opposed as a plague. When a society fails to take a stand on serious moral issues, its downfall is within sight. As a physician and as a citizen of this country, I strongly oppose abortion and applaud Rep. Cook and his colleagues who are addressing this difficult issue. History has repeatedly shown that a society without morals will fall. We cannot let that happen to this great nation by failing to face this problem.
Alan R. Smith, M.D.
Delta