I don’t often respond to letters to the editor, but today I must make an exception. For some reason, much of civilization continues to talk about a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy based on “her body-her decision.” This fallacy raised its ugly head in Wednesday’s letters to the editor in The Press. Mr. Joe Lykins stated, and I quote “arguments against abortion are based on religion, preventing women from exercising autonomy over their bodies” and uses that to suggest it is “no less than a violation of their right to freedom of religion as stated in the First Amendment.”

Apparently, Mr. Lykins didn’t take a lot of science in his education background. See, Mr. Lykins, every human being has a DNA that is different from all others except for some identical twins. All the women you suggest are “exercising autonomy over their bodies” are actually destroying the body of the innocent child in their womb, as that child is a different body with a stark difference in DNA from everyone else.

So, all this talk we hear from abortion activists about “My body, my choice” is a lie. The baby is a person unto itself, each cell differing in DNA from its mother. Let’s start speaking truth when we discuss killing an innocent child. In America we have rights, right? Or do babies give up their rights? Have we also forgotten the Declaration of Independence — Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness? Hmmmm.

DAVID PALMER

Hayden