Letter: Democrats true pro-life party

Thursday, Nov. 2, 2000 | 9:25 a.m.

The one and only cause of abortion is unwanted pregnancies. There are only two ways to stop unwanted pregnancies -- abstinence or birth control.

Abstinence is the only method that is 100 percent guaranteed to prevent pregnancy. In a society that daily bombards children with sex, we need to reassure them that abstinence is a good, acceptable choice and brings no shame.

However, the history of the human race proves that "abstinence only" is not the answer for everyone. For those who elect not to abstain, contraception is the only prevention of unwanted pregnancy. Education regarding contraception is essential to the prevention of abortion. The only responsible choice is to not conceive a child until a person is ready to become a parent.

To save lives, we must educate people about abstinence and contraception, and recognize human fallibility by keeping Roe v. Wade legal. The Democratic Party has the platform that saves lives. The Republicans have repeatedly voted down the Democrats' bills that include education for both abstinence and contraception.

By so doing, the Republicans have guaranteed that abortion continues. The Democrats are the real pro-life party.

STEVE BECK