Letters: Your views on the Gosnell verdict

CHRISTINE Flowers has long been an advocate for the unborn. For all the common ground that so-called pro-choice and pro-life advocates found in the case of the Gosnell house of horrors, it took a historic jury verdict to make everyone face facts.

As Ms. Flowers correctly states in her column "This jury saw the truth," this was a case of infanticide. The only defense that Gosnell had was that the abortion-inducing drug did not properly kill those babies while they were still in utero. To the jury, that only proved more so that this was a case of premeditated murder. A national dialogue about what really happens during an abortion needs to begin.

Gloria C. Endres

Philadelphia

I wonder if there wasn't a raid, how long women would have continued to seek out late-term abortions. Why would they wait so long, what was their motive?

Why was Dr. Gosnell the only one held accountable? What about the persons who referred the women to the place where the late-term abortions were being performed? I am sure hospitals in the area knew.

Even though greed might have taken over, I like to think that Dr. Gosnell was relieved when the place was raided. (Peace at last.)

Linda J. Turner

Philadelphia

In response to the first-degree murder convictions of "Doctor" Kermit Gosnell, I say, "Thank God." I had feared that Gosnell's charm and shrewd defense attorney might have planted doubt in the mind of at least one juror and caused a mistrial or an acquittal to occur.

The jury sifted through a mountain of material, involving complex and multiple charges, and did its job. The people of the Commonwealth and individuals with a sense of basic decency everywhere should be thankful to those that served in this challenging and disturbing case.

I am optimistic that the Gosnell convictions will make it far more likely that all purported health-care facilities are regularly inspected, and I shall hope that the first-degree murder convictions send the message that those who would dare to murder babies, viable human beings, will be dealt with harshly.

It is regrettable that no sentence of death will be carried out, but that would not have occurred even if a sentence of capital punishment had been rendered, as Pennsylvania's justice system has effectively nullified the death-penalty statute. Life in prison without the possibility of parole will have to suffice.

One irony that emerged during the trial is that on the night that agents swarmed the Gosnell clinic, believing him to be engaged merely in improper prescription of medication, the killer returned to the facility with live clams to be fed to his pet turtles. In his twisted world, there was obviously a higher value placed on his turtles than there was on helpless, innocent infants.

May there never be another Kermit Gosnell house of horrors.

Oren M. Spiegler

Upper Saint Clair, Pa.

The federal government is under attack, even from some of its own supporters, because it lacks openness and truthfulness. Questions without such answers occurred in the "Fast and Furious" scandal (end of 2010), when it provided weapons to a Mexican drug cartel in order to track them, but ended in the death of one of our border guards; the attack on our embassy in Benghazi, Libya, where four Americans were killed; the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing; and now the IRS watch-dogging of the conservative tea party.

In the tea party's 2009 "March on the Capital," it had approximately 1.5 million people gathered on the Washington, D.C., mall to protest the federal government's ignoring of our Constitution. Those present were principally churchgoing, "salt of the earth" types who follow our laws and protect our Constitution.

Unlike protest groups who leave behind destruction when they depart, the tea party was complimented for leaving the mall very clean for such a large gathering.

The IRS should have many more real targets for oversight than the tea party. If it is approved by the president, the tea party could become an advisory service to the government. It remembers "honor, duty, God and country."

Donald Dunn

Turnersville, N.J.

A few good I-95 ideas

In regard to your article on I-95 traffic congestion, there are several simple, commonsense solutions that will fix this problem.

First, commuters need to start carpooling and using public transportation to and from work, instead of driving alone, wasting gas and creating pollution.

Second, I-95 in Philadelphia should be re-designated and the entire length of the N.J. Turnpike should be officially labeled as I-95, so long-distance traffic can bypass Philadelphia.

Finally, check and listen to traffic reports before you leave, and if there is a problem, you should know and use alternate routes.

Nikola Sizgorich

Philadelphia