Reading a letter published Sept. 16, I grimaced because such an outlook should be outdated and dispelled today but isn't ("Abortion laws"). Even when ignoring a bulk of the author's more outlandish statements like his belief that "it is a women's choice whether she becomes pregnant," a comment similar — but not as absurd — to the one that may have ruined Missouri politician Todd Akin's bid for Senate last year, I found one thing in particular telling: The author used female pronouns seven times and failed to acknowledge the responsibility of males once.
Liberal politicians and activists have called recent attempts at restricting abortion, contraception and sex education a "war on women." Although hesitant to liken anything to the horrendous atrocities of actual war, I consider these movements ill-fated because they zero-in on women and leave men free from scrutiny.
As a 20-year-old male who should weigh the costs and benefits of being sexually active and ponder the subsequent decisions that come with having sex, I don't take time to think about these issues. Why? Because talking heads and conservative politicians who promote anti-abortion legislation in state Senate meetings throughout the U.S. don't acknowledge that as a man — with 50 percent of the attributes needed to create life — my decisions in regards to sex and what may happen afterward can be harmful if I'm both uneducated and under the impression that there aren't ramifications for my actions.
Payton Davis
St. George