This op-ed was posted with the sincere desire that many would evolve towards "the current result." Even if only one does so, its worth the effort and frustration, and it balances out the closed-minded anti-Catholic kooks I hear from, for which this email is representative (I'm still trying to find the part in my op-ed where I called for outlawing contraception; hope he reads this thread or someone sends him a link ;-):
From: rebuttal@webtv.net (John Bogner)
Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 07:04:09 -0500 (CDT)
To: info@CathFam.org
Subject: Dumbing Down
Dr. Kopp:
Face it. You've lost. Americans want contraception and they're always going to have contraception. And what's more, they should have contraception. Here's why: It's called liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That means that everyone in this country, regardless of his or her convictions, has every right to do whatever they want to do and engage in things that they think will make them happy as long as they don't violate the civil rights of any other American. Period. Abortion violates the civil rights of another human being, and that's why we can legitimately work to enact laws against it.
The Catholic Church has every right to make connections between contraception and abortion and to do everything in it's power to convince people not to use it, but it does NOT have the right to try to enact legislations against it. The Constitution forbids it. Contraception is strictly a moral issue and has nothing to do with the violation of someone else's civil rights. That's why the sodomy laws were struck down. That's why you can't be thrown in jail for taking God's name in vain or dishonoring your parents or worshiping a golden calf. That's why the evangelical fundamentalists can't prevent you from having a glass of wine or force your wife to be submissive.
If your bunch and other ultra right-wing zealots like the American Life League think that a Theocratic form of government would be so wonderful, then I suggest you all move to Iran. The rest of us pro-lifers are embarrassed by you and we don't need you anyway. We'll just continue trying to save babies by sending out a message that the most people are eventually going to take to heart.
God bless,
John Bogner
Wichita, KS