So, last week's Transcript had another letter from Bruce Moorhead attacking me.  I've been asking for years, perhaps he can answer a few questions that anti-abortion fanatics so far have refused to address:

I want to know, how do you possibly expect to enforce a prospective abortion ban?  Wouldn't it be a totally empty gesture?  Back in the bad old days, women could sometimes find an understanding doctor to perform an illegal operation in their offices, and moralistic busybodies would be none the wiser.  Women who were less resourceful would have to resort to back-alley butchers, or would attempt to self-abort.  Of course, some would be injured or killed by this; to which moralists would merely sniff, "Well, they shouldn't be getting abortions to begin with!"  (Yeah, serves you right!  Nyaah!)  In a future America where abortion is illegal, this state of affairs will return.  So how will you stop it?   I say it would take the most thoroughgoing dictatorship ever conceived to prevent illegal abortion.  Basically, all females between puberty and menopause will need to be under arrest and detention.  Are we willing to do that?  I for one am not.  It reduces women to a regulated public utility for the purposes of procreation, and for the sick male obsession with controlling it, and them.

I also would like to know how they can worship a God who is the biggest abortionist of all.  20% of all pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion, otherwise known as miscarriage.  If God is against abortion, why does he create so many of them?

We should avoid being so frantic for the sake of gestational matter.  The Catholic position on ensoulment is unclear and has never been consistent.   Any pregnancy that is interrupted for any reason should not result in the extinction of any soul.  It was likely never there to begin with.

At least Mr. Moorhead didn't flub my name this time.  Apparently Dutch names confuse him.  I wonder, if he met Dick Van Dyke, if he'd refer to him as "Mr. Dyke".

Sincerely,

Stephen Van Eck

Rushville, PA

In Response to Bob Scroggins' Letter, "The Color of Culture"

I am responding to Bob Scroggins' Letter about "Color of Culture" in last week's Transcript.

I am saddened and disturbed by it and his perspective and view of non-whites and his painting of non-whites with a full, negative brush while painting White Culture with only a positive brush.

My perspective of White Culture, especially "White Male Culture" is different. I can show the other, not-so-appealing side. I see the horrors of our founding "Fathers", who gave full Constitutional Rights only to "White, Male, Landowners”. Everyone else was out of luck.

White Women had to struggle for the Right to Vote for almost 60 years and struggle to be full, American Citizens with full Rights like their white male counterparts. What a shame and travesty in a supposed "Free American Society and Democracy".

Our African and Native Americans had to also struggle for generations to be able to vote and be given full, American Rights and are still struggling for full position in our "Democracy".

White males have designed and perpetuated the strongest military-killing Machine the World has known. White males have designed the A and H Bombs and dropped them at and near civilians. White males continue to run our country and have bombed and continue to bomb cultures in the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa to name a few.

White males have designed the environmentally risky forms of energy, like nuclear and oil and gas drilling/fracking that has impacted our waterways, aquifers, air, land, and all life in general.

First of all, "White People" didn't populate America; it was all ready populated by over 500 Native Tribes in North America. Without Whites here, the Natives would have flourished and black slavery would not have spread and dehumanized generations of Africans.

Economic power, wealth, greed are not the main components of  a superior and humane Culture, even though White men like to emphasize economic power and wealth as admirable traits of a Society.

I do not find all that much "tolerance" in our White Culture.  I can personally attest to the subjugation of women and non-whites.I found myself as a white woman being discriminated against in my growing years, sexually harassed, fear of rape and discrimination in the job market. According to Bob Scroggins: White Culture has "honored, respected, and protected it's most vulnerable members: women.”

Why are the women "most vulnerable"? Because of the White Males that have grossly used their aggressive nature to belittle, threaten, degrade and assault women since the beginning of this Nation.

I'm glad to see the so-called "feminization and emasculation" of the Marine Corps and Military, which Bob Scroggins laments. It's time to soften and feminize this killing-military machine until it can be fully retired and not used anymore against anyone or any nation that is different or not aligned to the American way.

I look forward to 2044 when the "pale species" and it's culture will pass and will not "mourn" it. I will welcome a more mixed race of people and see ourselves as one people and race and treat each other more equitably, humanely and respectfully and not believe any one group is superior to another.

​More white men are beginning to understand the high, negative price of holding onto white superiority and I do see shifts and changes to an inclusive view and embrace of all races, nations and cultures in our country.

Sincerely,

Vera Scroggins

Brackney, Pa.