Leigh LeClair: Other responsibilities

In response to the Jan. 30 letter “Responsibility before abortion”: Family values and the sanctity of life are more than just birth of a child.

Those who truly believe that all lives are sacred should support programs that support the family, including paid maternity and paternity leave, paid sick leave, paid vacation leave and universal health care.

They should support safe and affordable day care and universal pre-K programs since both parents usually work today to make ends meet along with equal pay for equal work laws and increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour. SNAP benefits should be increased to help those who have fallen on hard times. They should be supporting our public schools with well-paid, well-trained teachers.

We should also make college affordable because education is the path out of poverty. To prevent the pregnancy that might lead to an abortion in the first place, we need comprehensive sex education in the schools along with easy access to affordable or free birth control.

The letter-writer put the sole responsibility on the woman, but it takes two to make a baby. Young men need to be made equality responsible, not only to control themselves and their actions, but to be responsible for birth control.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Leigh LeClair: Other responsibilities."