Be wary of extreme abortion access laws | READER COMMENTARY

The recent denunciation of state Sen. Chris West, and by extension all Republicans, by the former chair of Planned Parenthood of Maryland (“Hogan will fall in with his party on abortion if elected,” May 19) for failing to support an extreme abortion access law is misplaced.

Senator West, known as a thoughtful legislator for his successful work on juvenile justice reform, is not to be reproached for seeking a middle path on abortion even as the rate of unwed motherhood has exploded from 4% in 1970 to 40% today.

Planned Parenthood’s fanaticism is unchanged from a century ago when H.L. Mencken wrote: “…nor is the moral virtuoso much more prepossessing when he takes the devil’s side and howls for license instead of restraint. The birth controllers, for example, often carry on their indelicate crusade with the pious rancor of prohibitionists. In order that women may cease to be ruined for one banal indiscretion, we are now asked to abandon not only the idea of chastity but that of fidelity to contract.”

— George W. Liebmann, Baltimore

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