Working Women’s Charter

Press, 10 June 1980, Page 20

Working Women’s Charter

Sir, — The Labour Party is the only political party committed to creating a sharing, caring society, w'th a priority of people over things. It is inconceivable therefore that the party could adopt wholly, ihe Working Women's Charter, as part of its policies, when that charter advocates abortion on demand. Embryos, living tissue, unborn babies, foetuses, call them what vou will, when aborted, are dead potential citizens disposed of hygenicaily and conveniently. Anj r society accepting abortion as a solution to economic and/or social problems, could , never be called a sharing, caring society. Many of us who support the ideals of a nu-clear-free zone in the Pacific, do so for a fundamental reason, one encompassing the complete ideals of respect for human life. —

Yours, etc,, „. . (Mrs) PAT CREED. June 6, 1980. Sir, — Since the publication in 1959 of. “Silent Spring” most people have come to realise that in a few years it is easy to destroy irretrievably a delicate ecology of nature, built up over many ages. My guess is that these environmentalists, with whose aims most sympathise. include supporters of abortion on demand (the direct result of permissiveness), women’s lib extremists and other advocates of the down-grading of family life. Yet these do not seem to be concerned with destroying a human ecology, the result of long years of trial and error. They talk blithely about rights which must weaken the family unit, with its restraints, taboos and balances, which evolved so -that the two sexes could come to terms with each other, the basis of any society (Margaret Mead). The trouble with modern myths about sexual revolutions, etc., is that although they sound well in theory, in practice and in time they do not work. — not work. — Yours, etc., V. F. WILKINSON. June 8, 1980. Sir, — A. C. O’Loughlin (June 6), supporting the Working Women’s Charter, suggests that women should have freely available contraception, sterilisation and back-up abortion in order to have access to job opportunities, etc. We are asked to assist, rather than inhibit, New Zealand women. Professor Linda Gordon, University of Massachusetts, writes: “Women fought for sexual freedom only to find themselves imprisoned in new forms of sexual exploitation; women fought for jobs only to find themselves exploited more intensely; women fought for education only to find it used to keep them in their subordinate places.” No-one should question the sincerity and concern of A. C. O'Loughlin, but if your correspondent was to read “Women and the Crisis in Sex Hormones” (G. and B. Seaman) there would be less insistence on ■contraception, sterilisation and abortion as the answer to the very real problems which women face. . Assistance is needed, but it will only be given by finding radical, effective solutions. — Yours, etc., G. E. DALZIEL. -June 6, 1980.

[This correspondence is now closed — Editor!