This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Re "GOP stands firm: no abortions, no exceptions" (Tribune, Aug. 22):
Instead of re-fighting the wheel-spinning culture wars by doing things like arguing for absolute bans on all abortions, even for rape, incest and the health of the mother (as the Republican Party wants), Republicans could significantly reduce the incidences of abortions for convenience by joining with Democrats to support each side's solutions: better sex education (not, as Pat Bagley rightly calls Utah's program, "ignorance-only sex ed"), free contraception and expanded resources and incentives for adoption.
After all, Democrats are not pro-abortion. They want the numbers to drop, too.
Instead of taking feel-good heroic stands that will do nothing to solve the problem of unwanted pregnancies, and which have no chance of becoming law (but only rouse the conservative rabble), we could make a real difference if both right and left came together to address the situation.
Brett Routley
Salt Lake City