I was quite amused by Vinny Grande's declaration ("Anti-abortion arguments exist in realm of ethics," Oct. 21 letter) that the "most sacred clause in the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Mr. Grande might do well to actually read the Constitution at some point; the "most sacred clause" to which he refers is in the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence is not law, and doesn't guarantee any rights.

The rest of his letter is just as flawed. Apparently, Mr. Grande would like to make genes the basis for democratic rights; were we to follow that line of reasoning, it would outlaw removing brain-dead patients from life support. It would also mean that amputated limbs should be buried as if they were a living being; after all, they too are fully equipped in the genetics department.