I would like to counter these two premises. First, as far as the term fetus goes, in the Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, fetus is a Latin derivation meaning unborn offspring. Offspring is defined as a child. Secondly, no child after delivery can survive independent of the nurturing of the mother till the age of maturation when they are then responsible for themselves; probably, during the teenage years and sometimes that is questionable!
I hope I have made my point. Abortion is the denying of life to an unborn child.
Mary S. Burkholder
Chambersburg, Pa.
This death shows a need for respect
To the editor:
It was a shame to hear recently that Ennis Cosby (Bill Cosby's son) was murdered.
It wasn't just very sad because it had happened to Bill Cosby because most of us don't know him personally. We know that he is the voice of "Fat Albert," he does the cute Jello commercials and most recently The Cosby Show and Cosby.
It was very sad that a father has lost his only son, a son who had a disability which he overcame and was helping others.
Because it happened to a celebrity the media highlights it to our attention. That is fine, but we also need to be aware that non-celebrity adults and children are being killed such as the young boy who was killed for his jacket his mother had bought him, etc.
We need to help prevent violence from occurring and start teaching respect and understanding of others and all our many differences beginning when they're youngsters to when they're adults and never stop this process.
It is helpful in life as far as how people relate to themselves as well as to one another.
Helen Willis
Hagerstown
Thanks so much
To the editor:
We would like to thank the kind people who came to my wife's assistance immediately following her accident Dec. 9, 1996 on Md. 60 at 10:40 a.m.: the Leitersburg Fire Company, Community Rescue Service Inc., Maryland State Police Trooper First Class Timothy J. McKenrick, the nurses, and Raghavan K. Chari, Md. of the Washington County Hospital emergency department for their professional and excellent services rendered.
John M. Klepser Jr.
Patricia C. Klepser
Greencastle, Pa.
Local chamber's `good intentions' remain suspect
To the editor:
I am writing in response to Steven Dennis' recent article ("Bowers' remark blasted"). The article has Fred Teeter, who is Director of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, saying that "there is no evidence of friction between labor and business" and that "the Chamber wasn't against organized labor." That's news to me.
Mr. Teeter may be unaware of the Chamber's recent unsuccessful lawsuit against the governor to stop an executive order which gives collective bargaining rights to state employees.
Or maybe he is uninformed about the Chamber's annual legislative agenda, the top of which is to pass a right-to-work bill that will weaken unions and cripple their ability to adequately represent their members.
Perhaps he doesn't know that the Chamber fought tooth and nail on a national level to prevent an increase in the minimum wage last year. Or even that over the years the Chamber of Commerce has led the fight against child labor laws, the 40-hour work week and laws protecting worker safety on the job.
Mr. Teeter claims that it is a "real fairy tale" that the chamber is anti-union. The only fairy tale here is the one that he is trying to sell.
I look forward to the day when the chamber is interested in working with organized labor and the workers that we represent to find a better way to become more competitive, efficient and productive.
But actions speak louder than words, and until they cease their war on working families, a lot of us will remain very skeptical about the chamber's "good intentions."
Brian McDonnell
Hagerstown
