Mother daughter march causes concern The story...

Mother daughter march causes concern

The story of Kayley Harrington and her mother marching together in

Washington, D.C., to defend a woman’s right to an abortion brought

tears to my eyes. (“Newport native makes abortion march,” April 28.)

The fact that we live in a time in American history where mothers and

daughters unite in their passion for abortion rights should make us

all weep. It certainly begs the question: what’s wrong with this

picture?

What kind of skewed thinking has led Harrington and her mother to

think young women must depend on this medical option to pursue fully

liberated lives?

Despite her education, Harrington is sadly misinformed. Her

philosophy was riddled with the kind of contradictions and illogical

rhetoric that drive the defense of abortion in this country.

Most importantly, abortion is certainly not a “huge issue” for

“young people today,” as she states. The vast majority of our youth

recognize instinctively that abortion is an unnatural solution to

problem pregnancies -- a solution that goes against a woman’s, even a

very young woman’s heartfelt instinct. If it were not an abhorrent

procedure, than why would Harrington have suggested twice in one

article that there should be “less abortion” among teens?

Abortion rights activists and their “this is your right”

propaganda are the ones putting undue pressure on our young people to

embrace abortion as a healthy option.

Even here in “the OC,” mothers and daughters can surely find more

wholesome hobbies to pursue together than defending abortion.

PEGGY NORMANDIN

Costa Mesa

Boating around the behemoth charters

My husband and I have been avid boaters for more than 35 years on

the bay. We saw the fun of the Christmas Boat Parade come and go,

which was taken over by mega yachts and charter vessels. Now, you

don’t dare go out in a small boat on those nights for fear of being

overcome by exhaust fumes, or run down by these ships in the dark. I

consider a 45-foot boat small in comparison to these behemoths.

It is really time for the city to put a limit on the number and

uses of charter and dinner vessels in our harbor. Currently, the

restrictions on these monsters are practically nonexistent, which is

why we are seeing so many new operations.

The charters produce lots of noise and dirt. Diesel exhaust

carries black, sooty particulate matter that settles on harbor area

homes and other boats. We breathe it. The car traffic produced by

these charter excursions is not regulated by Greenlight restrictions.

Presumably, boat charter businesses do nothing to enhance the quality

of life for Newport residents, and yet our city leaders seem

oblivious to the growing number of these operations.

Unless some restraints are enacted, our harbor is going to look

like wall-to-wall charter vessels. It really takes the fun out of it

for the private, smaller boat owners and resident taxpayers of the

city -- few of whom use the services of the charter vessels. Why

should a few individuals be able to profit while the quality of life

for the general population is degraded? The bay belongs to everyone.

People who charter these vessels for weddings, private parties and

yes, the boat parade, don’t stay around later to visit the shops and

restaurants in town. There is no monetary incentive for the city to

encourage the charter businesses. They only drain our city resources

and pollute our waters and air.

MERIDEE THOMPSON

Newport Beach