There are limits to personal choice when our choice damages someone else, as happens in an abortion when a human life is taken

(The letter can be read here: ‘Peadar Tóibín cannot make decisions for pregnant women’)

This assertion shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how societies arrange themselves and try to arrive at consensus around complex problems.

What Peadar was correctly stating was that Westminster had no right to foist legislation here in Ireland, her first and last colony, especially concerning a devolved matter, and in contravention of the stated wishes of the majority of the people here, expressed in repeated public polls and in the legislative assembly.

Especially in these days, people realise that there is a limit to personal choice. Ms Linnane must surely realise that our choices can frequently have significant adverse effects on others, especially the weak and vulnerable.

The limit to personal choice is where our choice damages someone else. In every pregnancy, there are two individual living human beings. Abortion takes the life of one of those individuals.

Abortion offers no support to women in crisis except the death of her child. It is the choice of the strong over the weak. Indeed, babies are far more likely to be aborted if they are from a poor family, have a disability, are female or are from an ethnic minority background. 85% of abortions are for economic reasons.

Why do supporters of the abortion industry never fight for the necessary conditions to create real choice for mothers, to raise their children with confidence that they will be cared for.   

It is also important that Mis Linnane and those who think like her do not hide behind the really difficult cases that make up less than 1% of the abortions that will happen under their new regime. The Abortion Rights Campaign support the ending of a child’s life for any reason right up to their birth.

One hundred thousand of our friends and neighbours in this state are among us because of our life affirming laws. Covid 19 will be insignificant in terms of mortality and human suffering, in comparison to what is coming. 

Aontú supports the human right to life for everyone in society. We oppose the leadership of Sinn Féin, the SDLP who hand in hand with Westminster, have introduced abortion on demand in our land.

Anne McCloskey. MB, Deputy Leader, Aontú, Londonderry