I must say that I disagree with what Matt Mellott said in his letter to the Collegian on Wednesday. First, Mr. Mellott pointed out something that George W. Bush said in the debate, that he wants "to promote a culture that values and cherishes life." It seems odd to say that George Bush cherishes ALL life, considering that he is the governor of the state that executes more people than any other.

Mr. Mellott also said that Al Gore never said what choice he was talking about when he said he would protect a woman's right to choose. The choice that Al Gore was talking about is obvious. He is talking about protecting a woman's reproductive freedom and letting her decide what to do with her own body. It's interesting that conservatives are always saying that there should be less government interference and then say that the government should decide whether or not a woman can have an abortion.

Mr. Mellott then questioned where the right of a woman to choose was found in the U.S. Constitution. Perhaps Mr. Mellott should read the part of the Constitution that gives us a right to privacy, specifically the Fourth Amendment. Oh, and as for the question of whether or not this is before or after the rights to life and liberty, the answer is neither.

The rights to life and liberty are NOT guaranteed by the Constitution, Mr. Mellott. They are listed as "certain inalienable rights" in the Declaration of Independence.