The Editor, Sir:

I was very disappointed in the poor attendance by the members of the Joint Select Parliamentary Committee on Abortion (six of 12), for such crucial presentations on November 13.

An extremely moving testimony was shared by a courageous young woman about her journey to the brink of an abortion and her last-minute decision to stay the execution, as she could not bring herself to kill her unborn child.

She shared how her daughter became her inspiration and motivation to enrol at university in search for better. She confessed her earlier poor judgement, accepted responsibility for her choices, embraced the tough, but right road, and is now blazing a trail as a role model for other young women to emulate.

Unfortunately, her impassioned plea to not legalise abortion fell on 'missing' ears.

Compelling presentation

The presentation of Dr Doreen Brady-West was very compelling, with surgically articulated arguments made to discredit the very basis given for the need to enact legislation for legalising abortion by the Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group (APRAG).

Dr West informed that APRAG cites the high prevalence of abortion in Jamaica, the resulting high maternal mortality rate (MRR), and the target to reduce MMR in Jamaica by 75 per cent by the year 2015 in keeping with the Millennium Development Goals for improving maternal health, as the basis for their recommendations and draft bill for termination of pregnancy.

However, she noted that by the Ministry of Health's own data, the average rate of death due to abortion is one per year for 2004-2006.

If MMR in Jamaica is about 90/100,000 now, then focusing on legalising abortion, as a means to bring the number to 25 deaths/100,000, is ludicrous and a gross misplacement of efforts and resources when maternal deaths due to indirect causes are rising due to obesity, hypertension, HIV etc.

On the showing of the film depicting an actual abortion of a four-month foetus, the members of the committee present were visibly impacted by, as one member put it the "gut wrenching" images. Some were unwilling to watch a few clips, and claimed weak stomachs or inability to handle the sight of blood, etc.

How ironic, that some members so glibly and often emphatically advocate abortion, but are not willing to face squarely nor can they stomach the sight of what they advocate for the 'mother with child'.

Future course

To all members of the lower and upper house, who must make a final decision, you must be prepared to not look away, for you must make the laws that will set in motion the future course for our women to walk!

Don't look away, but look on the flailing arms and legs as they strive to survive, being brutally destroyed.

No matter what euphemistic terminology we may use, killing is never easy to watch. But watch you must, as you will be held accountable by man (constituents), and ultimately by Almighty God.

Dear MPs and senators, don't look away - look at what your decision will bring!

I am, etc.,

RICHARD DeLISSER

richied100@gmail.com

Jacks Hill, St Andrew