Ms. Shah’s column on Planned Parenthood misses the mark on the recent funding battle. I understand and appreciate many of the services Planned Parenthood provides, such as cancer screening and STD treatments. Republicans have attempted to defund Planned Parenthood due to its decision to provide abortions. It is at best misinformed and at worst, dishonest to claim it is somehow a general assault on health care for women. For those of us who are pro-life, of course we do not excuse Planned Parenthood for performing millions of abortions, because they also provide women other health care services. Making abortion an issue of women’s health has been frequently used as a straw man to attack the pro-life movement. For anyone who believes that life begins at conception, there is no issue of choice because no one would think it was acceptable to kill an innocent child. Some would describe the way in which I frame the issue incorrect, because the Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funding of abortions or abortion services. Unfortunately, the reality is that anything that is”keeping the lights on” at Planned Parenthood is supporting abortions. As for the financial necessity of cutting funding to balance the budget, I would agree the approximately $350 million they receive annually is only a drop in the bucket. In fact, as the American Civil Liberties Union so callously points out, funding abortions would not cost taxpayers money because of “the costs associated with childbirth, neonatal and pediatric care greatly exceed the costs of abortion.” Thomas Borden senior, civil engineering