Lawmakers pandering on fetal tissue issue
In Andy Sher’s story “State lawmakers to hold fact-finding hearing on Tennessee Planned Parenthood fetus practices,” Senate Operations Committee Chairman Mike Bell is quoted saying, “The gruesome videos released by the Center for Medical Progress have implications at Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide, including those located here in Tennessee.”
Sen. Bell is referring to videos showing extremists posing as health care workers and badgering a longtime physician for hours, trying to get her to discuss unethical and criminal activity that she doesn’t engage in or know anything about.
There is nothing in these videos that suggests any violation of law. These tapes are heavily doctored, and the full tapes show charges that Planned Parenthood profits from women’s decisions to donate fetal tissue are false and outrageous.
Rep. Jeremy Faison and Sen. Bell’s use of taxpayer money to investigate a practice that is already widely known to be banned at the state and national level demonstrates that this is all about political grandstanding meant to pander to extreme antiabortion interests.
Lauren E. Kramer
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Slain service members deserve medals
I was interested in the July 31 article “Returning Fire” about the manner in which Lt. Cmdr. Tim White pulled a personal weapon to protect the murderous onslaught of Mohammad Abdulazeez. While his actions may have violated military regulations, no one can argue with the fact that he probably saved more lives than the five who were tragically lost.
What boggles my mind is that 100,000 signatures are needed to get a response to a petition from the White House to honor the men who bravely defended their comrades at a critical time. Not only should they receive medals for bravery, but Purple Hearts should be issued to the families of all who were killed in this tragedy.
There is no difference for a service member wounded or killed by a home-grown terrorist and one who is shooting at them in Iraq or Afghanistan
But of course, decisions like these require common sense, a quality that seems to be sadly deficient in the White House or Congress these days!
Dr. Gary D. Bell, Trenton, Ga.
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Planned Parenthood apology insufficient
Reacting to the videos showing its physicians displaying the insouciance of Josef Mengele enjoying the pairing of Cabernet and arugula while bartering over the price of baby body parts, Planned Parenthood and its supporters insist that the organization has done nothing wrong or illegal.
Well, whether or not the harvest and sale of fetal body parts is illegal, it is immoral, as evidenced by the Planned Parenthood president’s apology over the “tone” of staffers discussing pricing.
For if the “specimen” under discussion is not a human being, no apology is required; if it is a human being, no apology is sufficient.
Regis Nicoll