The mandate of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception has been totally misrepresented by the media. The only part of the mandate reported concentrates on the contraception which they allege many Catholics use. The Church’s clarification on artificial contraception was made clear by Humanae Vitae issued by Pope Paul VI in 1968. Because some members of the Catholic Church are not following the truths laid out by their church is no reason to allow the government to violate the consciences of those who do.

Not once in media reporting have I heard the full truth that the morning after pill, the “abortion inducing drug,” just as the birth control pill, does not stop conception, it simply aborts any baby conceived. Also never reported is that it has always been a canon of the Catholic faith that sterilization is morally wrong. Catholics who ignore this fact do not change it, or the fact that this mandate violates the conscience of those who do not ignore it. It is a historical fact that all Christian churches held these beliefs until the Anglican Church’s 7th Lambeth Conference in the 1920s. The Catholic Church does not demand that non-Catholics adhere to their beliefs, but they do not change them because Catholic members violate them.

The 1st Amendment to our Constitution is clear, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” To force all employers to include these mandates in their insurance policies when they are clearly a violation of their religious beliefs prohibits them from “the free exercise thereof.”

Sincerely,

Annette Corrigan

Susquehanna County, PA

Does it make much sense, in partisan politics, to congratulate Tweedledum for a primary victory over Tweedledee? I for one don't think so.

And so, former Massachusetts Governor Willard "Mitt" Romney gets none from me. So far as the total package of policy goes, there is not one dime's worth of difference between his and that of the other guy, who has a thing about food stamps.

Mitt Romney may not know it. But he's got food stamps in common with that other guy.

Mitt's been claiming to have, like a tunneling earth worm, secreted jobs for one hundred thousand (100,000) Americans. And that happened, while he was the CEO of a venture capital concern that specialized in murdering corporations, shipping jobs overseas, and looting pension funds.

Rather, might this be closer to the truth? Those same Americans were reduced to dependency on food stamps! And here's the fun part. Before being reduced to such dependency, they were paying a higher percentage of their income in taxes than was, they now for sure know who was - namely the CEO of the aforementioned venture capital concern. What's more, their situation continues, even if they're lucky enough to land a new job, comparable to their previous one that was lost, thanks to that wildly successful and eminently enviable CEO Mitt Romney. They're still paying a higher percentage of their income in taxes than they now, for sure know who is.

And one more remark, that former CEO of that aforementioned venture capital firm is way far from being the only "vulture capitalist" to gorge on such egregious tax benefits.

Quite by way of contrast, the current President of the United States managed, by salvaging the American auto industry, to save Americans from falling into such dependency... that many at least. By the way, the majority are Caucasian.

Sincerely,

A Alexander Stella

Susquehanna, PA

President Obama has put into place so many of his plans and actions to destroy our USA, that is 80% Christian. A law stating that every employer has to provide baby killing drugs free to their employees?!

He already has put into place a way to destroy our military - repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law that would keep active homosexual members out. Now he has told the military chaplains that they cannot read from God’s holy Bible - passages like “Sodom and Gomorra” or any reference that reveals active sins against His commandments.

President Obama has ordered that the word “God” be taken off the U.S. Air Force patch that is on the U.S. Air Force One plane, that takes our president on his trips. The atheists complained because they don’t like God or believe in God - our God that created everything and let His son Jesus die for us and our sins. What’s wrong with this administration?

Now our own Senator Robert Casey said he would approve some form of contraception for women. He is not holding to what the Catholic Church teaches. Please do not support any contraception, Senator Casey!

Sincerely,

Bruce Moorhead

Susquehanna, PA

I don't usually weigh in on the super emotional topics such as your religion, money or abortion. I am compelled to now, as there is so much misinformation going around, which is par for the course of politics, and the buying of votes.

It seems to me that the issue of abortion is always brought up in a presidential year, to spark fear and polarize the voting public. I am always amused that it is the men who carry the banner, some of them too afraid to utter the anatomically correct word for a woman, but not afraid to show, or look at a graphic detail. And coming right along with that, was the ill conceived notion that the Susan G. Koman Foundation, she herself dying of breast cancer, would no longer contribute to Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood is one of the few women's health centers around. I wish there were more of them. I say this because my daughter, who lives in a big city that isn't afraid to have a woman health center, recently went to the clinic and was diagnosed with bronchitis. The beauty of a woman's clinic is that it is about total health. While they were listening to her lungs, it was noted that a mole didn't look right, on her back. These larger clinics have the ability to act immediately, and they then biopsied 3 of these suspicious moles.

The one on her back came back as melanoma. There can't be very many scary things said to a woman than the word cancer, and your name used in the same sentence.

The blessing of this is that it was caught early enough so she will not need any follow up treatments, like chemo or radiation.

Medicine is just starting to understand a woman's health. And the very reason for that is because the male population seems to get the studies done, and the financial support for the studies. We know more about a prostrate and erectile dysfunction, than we know about breast cancer and heart attack symptoms in a woman. I get very excited when I hear any funding being cut to a woman's study, and yet we will spend millions so that a man can remain in his youth.

I also get excited when anyone thinks that Planned Parenthood performs a medical procedure on a woman (abortion). That is simply not true. Planned Parenthood, in order to receive funding from the male lobbyists, must promote adoption first, which is odd since one can't adopt an American child as easy as another country’s child, or the Catholic version of moral conduct, which in this time in history seems a rather hypocritical position to listen to.

Planned Parenthood is more than a place for good information about a woman's body, they also do the checking out of. They do the pap smears, mammograms and deal with issues of the aging body. They also do the check up for a pregnant woman, and treat the child with a good pre-natal vitamin, and after the child is born, will help you with issues related to nursing and other programs for women and children. Wonderful resource to have around. As for the 3rd trimester "abortions" that I read so much about during the "Thank You Mom for giving me life" campaigns, over-look the fact that any woman that would carry a child that far... already has been considering a name, and colors. The very idea of the guilt that another would place on someone else... almost doesn't seem Christian like. Where is the one who would carry the banner of life, to show up to the woman who carries a still-born? Do you know how to save the one who is alive for the one who is passed? I have cried and cursed myself at nature's way of selection. How can this be?

I have confided more than I would, yet on this note I will stress... I love women and children. I will move heaven and earth to protect, maybe because I never met a woman or child I did not like. I am saying good-bye to SGK and hello to the relay for life. The survivors and supporters who walk the talk. I also will show up and support all the woman's health clinics, and be truly educated in the work for woman's health that they so caringly do everyday.

I also try not to be cross in any letter I write. I am sorry if one misunderstands me, but unless, or until, a man gives birth to a child, or is one who loses a child in utro, I guess I just will have to look at it as just another political deal, dealt by a man who would be nervous about a unruly woman, who would look after her health, and understand it. Being a woman isn't for sissies.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Allen

Summersville, PA

Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius last week directed Catholic (and other religious affiliated) hospitals and schools to provide their employees contraceptive and sterilization services under the “Affordable Health Care Act.” This in spite of the Catholic Church’s opposition to such acts. Progressives are singing out that the Church is opposed to providing health services to women. Yes, they are when such support flies in the face of fundamental Church doctrine. We Catholics are also opposed to abortion and, if this directive stands, we certainly will be forced by the government to pay for abortions also or face the consequences. The administration is mandating that we accept that government has the right to force Christian (and other) faiths to accede to the bureaucrats and to compromise their faith or face severe financial penalties. Folks, the camel’s nose is under the tent and it is up to us to cut it off in November.

This debate is not about women’s health, as the administration would have us believe. That is just a smoke screen. It is about intrusion by government into the Constitutional right of the people to practice their faith without government interference. I’ve been writing about this administration’s deliberate erosion of our freedom for many, many months now. By this time, I am hoping that you are all seeing the handwriting on the wall.

Sincerely,

Joe McCann

Elk Lake, PA

Fairy tales have always been popular. Stories such as Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp or Jack and the Beanstalk are portals into the make-believe. A magical world where ordinary objects become cornucopias of wealth.

The origins of these stories are lost in the mist of time, but our own age is also proving to be a fertile field for fantastic fables, but not for children, for grown-ups. Here is a trilogy of tales for adults about the untold riches in the ground beneath our feet.

Our first tale of will-o'-wisp wealth begins like this: The golden age of gas is about to dawn. An estimated 2,170 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas lies trapped in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale. At the present rate of consumption, 24 tcf/year, that's enough to power the entire nation for 90 years and make the U.S. energy independent.

A wonderful tale, indeed, but easily fracked by facts.

The estimated “2,170 tcf” in national reserves was deflated by the United States Geological Survey to 482. That same agency revised the Marcellus reserve from 410 tcf to 144 tcf.

The rosy 90 years of national NG reserve has withered to less than 11 years. The Marcellus reserve would supply the nation's need for less than six years.

And, by the way, natural gas cannot replace oil or the myriad of products made from it.

Here's another popular once-upon-a-time yarn. This one is spun by Michael Krancer, head of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). “It's untrue the chemicals from fracking could end up in drinking water since they are pumped so far underground.”

Great story. Reassuring. But it wins the Pinocchio Award.

Nine square miles in Dimock Township are under investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for groundwater pollution caused by fracking. Thus far 21 homes have been identified as having “threats posed by the presence of hazardous substances,” said the EPA.

Pollutants found were arsenic, barium bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, compounds of glycol, manganese, phenol, and barium. “The levels of these hazardous substances were considered against primary Maximum Contaminant Levels,” according to the EPA. These chemicals are consistent with fracking fluid.

The EPA is now delivering potable water to four families in the effected town. As its investigation continues, this is expected to increase. The EPA is at loggerheads with the DEP which insists Dimock's water is fine.

But to be fair to Krancer, perhaps he can't be blamed for such a misstatement. After all he came to his conclusion without an investigation, without facts, and without visiting Dimock. Too bad, Mike. You might have enjoyed imbibing a glass or two of a Dimock ready-mixed fracktail right from the faucet.

As an aside, Krancer was appointed to head the DEP by Governor Tom Corbett who received $1.5 million in “campaign” contributions from the oil and gas companies.

“Let me be clear,” said Paul Hetzler, a gas drilling engineer, “if you were looking for a way to poison the drinking water supply here in the northeast you couldn't find a more chillingly effective method of doing so than with hydraulic fracturing.”

Our third tale concerns gas well integrity.

The cement that fills the space between the well pipe and the earth is critically important. Proper cementing prevents fracking fluid and gas from barreling back up the sides of a borehole and polluting groundwater or causing surface contamination so these conditions should not be a concern, say the gas raconteurs.

Oh, but they should. This gasconade is busted.

“Very rarely are they perfect,” said Gene Beck, a petroleum engineering professor at Texas A&M University. “Fully one-fourth of all cement jobs fail to some degree,” he said.

It was a cement failure that caused the disastrous BP blowout in the Gulf - as were the multiple failures in Dimock - in 2010. “Cementing failures are not uncommon even in the best of circumstances,” said a BP executive. But in Pennsylvania, drilling procedures compromise even “the best of circumstances.”

In the Keystone state it is common practice to drill as many as 12 wells spaced only 20 feet apart on a single pad. Prof. Tony Ingraffea, an authority on hydraulic fracturing at Cornell University, warns that vibrations caused by drilling fractures the cement casing of nearby wells. Drillers in British Columbia reported that drilling vibrations caused cement fractures in wells 350 feet distant.

Fairy tales are a pleasant reprieve from the harsh reality of everyday problems. But they're only make-believe at best, or a scaffold of lies at worse.

Sincerely,

Bob Scroggins

New Milford, PA