More and more pregnant young women are choosing to abort their babies. Why? Because it's legal. On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court said it was okay to kill an unborn baby. Since then, an average of one and a half million babies have been destroyed every year in the United States alone (55 million a year worldwide!). That's over four thousand US babies a day.

Have you ever noticed that most people who are in favour of abortion never talk about the baby? They talk about the foetus, which is Latin for "unborn child''. Why? Because "terminating a foetus'' sounds like getting rid of some toxic waste product. Destroying a baby sounds much different.

Did you know that from the moment of conception, the instant your life began, your tiny one-celled "foetus'' had all the ingredients for you? In that one cell were the characteristics that made up your height, the color of your hair and eyes, and you many other traits. All of you was already there. Only time and food were necessary for you to grow into the "larger'' person you are today.

Did you know that your heart was beating at three weeks, your brain was starting to function at six weeks, your skeleton, head, face, arms, legs, and fingers (with fingerprints!), toes, and major muscle systems were in place by eight weeks, and you were making facial expressions by the 12th week of your life in the womb? When somebody talks about aborting a foetus, don't let them kid you they're talking about killing a human being.

Aborted babies suffer a brutally painful death. In one type of abortion, the baby is burned to death by a salt-water solution injection into the mother. In another method of abortion, the baby is pulled from its mother's womb by cutting the baby's little body apart. Another method uses a powerful suction (like a vacuum cleaner) to suck the baby's body out of the womb. That's the reality, folks. Some doctors use less painful methods such as pills and injections.

No matter what the methods are created to perform abortions, the result is the killing of an innocent human life.

For all of you who may be thinking about taking the easy way out and aborting your child -- please I beg you to think again and choose life. Life is such an important gift -- what if you parents decided to get rid of you? If you're unable to care for a child you can give it up for adoption to someone who will give it a loving home.

CHOOSE LIFE Going to the dogs Dear Sir, On the 31 October, the former Dog Warden, Mr. Simons was invited to appear on ZBM evening news to defend his appointment as Chairperson of an all "new'' committee to deal with dog control issues, and recommend new legislation.

During this little chat, Mr. Simons, in his conspiratorial manner, led the interviewer and viewer to believe that he had had some sort of spurious dialogue with a couple of un-named practising veterinary surgeons, but that he -- being the appointed (!) and therefore neutral chairperson -- preferred not to lower himself to comment upon their remarks.

Let it be stated for the record, that no such dialogue with Mr. Simons concerning his appointment to this committee had ever taken place prior to that interview, and that had any interchange occurred, he would have been more than able to discuss it before camera. We are after all, civilised and competent professionals, all of whom have a commitment to the welfare of Bermuda's animals.

With your indulgence Sir, I should like however to add perspective to this issue: The problems which we face, are caused utterly and completely by irresponsible dog ownership and breeding. In particular, the misuse of certain breed types by the drug-fuelled criminal element on this Island has led to their abuse and prolific numbers. They are in effect, an alternative currency.

It has been the failure of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and their dog control department, to enforce licensing and breeding laws which already exist, in particular with respect to known undesirables, and let it be said criminal elements of this society, which has resulted in a situation, which the rest of Bermuda is forced to tolerate.

It is my opinion, that the current wardens are persisting with a policy, which has been conventional for many years. How, therefore the former dog Warden can be impartial and compile a report, which should directly examine his recent tenure, policy and practice of which he was the very architect, and incorporate such findings into an objective report, is unimaginable.

This committee can in my personal opinion only be an exercise in political search and rescue. An attempt to placate the law-abiding good citizen, and at the same time not lose the vote of a certain other constituency. For the current Envirionment Minister to suggest that he is open to input from the practising veterinary fraternity has not been at all apparent to me. My head hurts from knocking it against a brick wall. I have tried my level best. I have gone to the Minister, I have taken my concerns to the Director. Nothing changes, and instead the veterinary profession ends up being vilified, as in some peculiar and distorted manner, certain employees of Government attempt to make us responsible for their manifest incompetence, and dare I say it -- yes, I think I can -- tolerance, even aiding and abetting of law-breakers. It is not the job of private veterinary surgeons to enforce any laws, and indeed, we must be most careful to treat all our clients with equanimity, and the privilege of confidentiality. Sadly however we are swimming against the tide, trying to do the best by our responsible owners, and as is our duty to render professional assistance to the ultimate victims of civil servant ineptitude: the canines.

DR. A.M. WARE-CIETERS Government must act over club November 3, 2000 The following was sent to Tourism Minister David Allen and copied to The Royal Gazette.

Dear Sir, Over a year ago we had been pleased to see The Royal Gazette 18 June 1999 article, by Tim Greenfield, regarding the initiation of the long overdue review and revisions to the 1981 Timeshare Act in the Attorney General's chambers. Such revisions have never been documented. We refer you to our earlier correspondence conveying our serious and long term concerns about the Act and the related Club Rules and Regulations in respect to the Bermuda timesharing strategy, specifically, at the St. George's Club.

Since then, the Ministry of Tourism has instituted, without any significant results, various tourism strategies in a vain attempt to turn the visitor numbers around. The latest articles in The Royal Gazette point out the sad commentary that this year, 2000, may reflect the lowest number of visitor arrivals in 21 years. It is very obvious that the ministry's strategy has to be refined to address the real core issues involved. A major consideration should be the timeshare equation with its thousands of yearly club members, their families and guests. Unless this significant portion of the equation is speedily addressed and the Act completely revised to reflect `a level playing field' for the timeshare members, we can predict further erosion of the arrival numbers.

We had been visitors to Bermuda for over thirty years; first in various hotels and then a combination of hotel and weekly stays at the St. George's Club.

This summer we sold our remaining week at the Club; primarily, due to our growing conviction that Bermuda government would not revise the Act to provide a beneficial occupancy situation there. While we love Bermuda and may return, in time, to the Southampton Princess Hotel, we are saddened by your lack of interest in the plight of the Club members. Positive change is up to the Government.

JOHN & BETIEJEAN VOSSLER Danbury, Connecticut A call for intervention November 8, 2000 The following was sent to Baroness Scotland of Asthal and copied to The Royal Gazette .

Dear Baroness Scotland, I am personally writing to appeal to you to intervene with the utmost urgency into the irregular and undemocratic methods currently being employed in Bermuda by the current Government, the Progressive Labour Party, to amend our constitution.

As a citizen of Bermuda and a member of the Commonwealth, I am appalled by the methods being employed to make this massive amendment. Surely our country warrants the UK's attention in this matter. There is no question that our constitution, from time to time, needs attention and indeed amendments.

However, such grave changes require the widest involvement of the population possible to ensure and in fact uphold democracy.

As the Minister responsible for Bermuda, we must turn to you for assistance with this potential travesty.

We urge you to ensure a constitutional conference is held with the widest possible debate prior to any constitutional amendments taking place.

STEPHEN W. THOMAS