Letter of the Day | Switch the conversation from death to life

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Once again, Member of Parliament and State Minister in the Ministry of Health & Wellness, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, is back on her favourite subject – abortion!

This time, she is calling on Jamaicans to look outwards and follow the example of the Spanish-speaking, South American country Argentina, which recently passed a law to legalise abortion.

The question for Cuthbert is, how much do you know about Argentina, and have you taken the time to properly understand and assess the position of the pro-life population of that country and of the 29 of the 38 senators who voted against the legislation?

The member of parliament should know that Jamaicans are neither followers nor ‘wagonists’, and because abortion has been legalised in Argentina does not mean that we will automatically follow suit, and certainly not with her prodding.

The people of Jamaica continue to speak loudly and clearly on the issue of abortion – they do not support it! In a national poll conducted in 2018, 75 per cent of Jamaicans stated clearly that they are not in favour of abortion at any stage.

So, who is the member of parliament speaking for? Has she conducted a silent poll in her constituency that the rest of us are not privy to?

Additionally, has Mrs Cuthbert Flynn ever conducted a women’s focus group to discuss abortion? I wish to inform her that in my 40 years of leading such discussion sessions, I have yet to interface with a woman who has not expressed regret for having had an abortion. They typically say that they wished they had other options than terminating the life of their unborn child.

In the midst of the dangerous COVID-19 pandemic and the daily loss of life through violent crime, I would encourage the member of parliament, especially in her position as state minister for health and wellness, to switch her conversation from death to life.

BETTY ANN BLAINE

FOUNDER

HEAR THE CHILDREN’S CRY