DEAR EDITOR: The purpose of this letter is to take issue with your support of the recent passage of a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives providing for federal penalties for those who injure an unborn baby in an attack on a pregnant woman. While I certainly support the protection of the lives of unborn children, I do not support efforts of the United States government to do this. Remember, this is the same government that has forbidden states to protect unborn children since 1973. The U.S. government has no delegated powers to promote or prevent the practice of abortion, and therefore that power is automatically reserved to the states and the people. It is the domain of the 50 states to regulate their own abortion policy. This makes the Roe v. Wade decision illegal and, therefore, null and void. We have a big enough problem with the national government usurping state powers, and we do not need another power grab, even though it’s supposedly to do good. If our nation is to be truly diverse then we have to return to the tradition of allowing diverse populations in diverse states to make diverse policies as they see fit. The U.S. government should run its business and let the states and the people run their business. An accumulation of power in one area endangers freedom in the whole nation. Now, returning to Roe v. Wade. If that decision is illegal, then does anyone have to follow it? As citizens, we are bound to follow the laws of the land whether we agree with them or not. No nation could long exist if people could pick and choose which laws they figured they’d like to follow. That’s anarchy. But if a law or ruling of a court is illegal, is one bound to follow it? An illegal law or ruling is, by definition, not a law, so no one is bound to it. Before 1973, Louisiana had very strict anti-abortion laws. If the Roe v. Wade decision is unlawful, which it so obviously is, then Louisiana still has very strict anti-abortion regulations. If the governor and other state leaders were really anti-abortion, then they would stop it. The state police should simply shut down the abortion “clinics” and the governor should announce that henceforth all state abortion laws will be strictly enforced. Now, someone might say, “Well, what if the state officials refuse to intervene? Who can step in to save unborn lives then?” The answer is obvious. If someone down the street was killing little kids and the sheriff refused to stop this, then you would certainly have the moral right to end the murders, using all appropriate means. People might also argue that the federal government would never allow a state to forcefully stop abortions. That may be true, but let them do what they want to do. Our state and our people should stand for the right. If the U.S. government tries to stop us, then God will vindicate. All Louisianians should stand for freedom today, freedom tomorrow, freedom forever!

R.J. Theriot Jr. LaPlace