I find Mr. Ramagli's arguments nauseating, despite the fact he claims this is a victory ("Court's abortion ruling shows conservative shift," April 24). Congress' hearings on the Partial Birth Abortion Act of 2003 were hostile to established Court decisions (Roe v Wade). The "evidence" given during the research was flawed and any individual can observe its lack of expertise.

I do not understand where any court in the country has the audacity to rule over any individual's rights. Precedent has determined any regulations set upon abortion policies must consider a woman's life and health. This act fails to provide any outlet for health and should be considered unconstitutional.

Mr. Ramagli, I understand you feel the process of partial-birth abortion, as you so affectionately call it by its anti-choice name, is horrendous, but how do you justify taking away a woman's rights for that of an unborn fetus? The medical terminology is D&X and therefore should be quoted as so within the Act if it were truly factual. Congress is clearly biased in its decisions against a woman's reproductive rights. How do you support an act that gives no recognition to the necessity or importance of a woman's health? Do you support the inequality of women in America, or do you merely support taking away a woman's right to control her own life and destiny?

You may not grasp why any woman would ever undergo such a horrifying procedure. A little insight -- they don't do it because they just feel like waiting. There are innumerable reasons why a woman may engage in D&X. I do not believe you will give much consideration to the plight of women in this situation, as you seem to have already condemned those who engage in such a procedure as heartless. Perhaps you should examine personal testimony and see that any abortion, especially D&X, has grave emotional consequences. These are not women who feel like this is a better alternative; many are forced into a desperate situation with few safe alternatives. This new Act analyzes women's situations for them and takes autonomy out of their hands, eliminating what may be the safest method of abortion and condemning them to a more dangerous fate. This Act outlaws one method of abortion, yet in effect does not technically save any fetuses' lives, so what, may I ask, is the point of such an Act but to deprive women of their equality as citizens?

This Act does not symbolize a victory for any part of the country, but in effect shakes the very foundations of equality America is built upon and takes one large, dangerous step in the direction of the past; you know, that past where women weren't allowed to keep their inheritances and African Americans were beaten and kept as slaves. That was a more enlightened period, now wasn't it? Thanks to God that we are once again moving in that positive direction and away from this equality thing those darn females keep yelling about.