Letters..

My thanks to Lisa Falkenberg for her exposure of the hypocrisy behind Sen. Dan Patrick's "sonogram bill."

If the senator truly wished to protect the health and safety of women, as his bill claims, he wouldn't favor slashing funds for family planning, health care and education.

Actually, to protect women from the need for abortions, he could back a law making it illegal for men to have unprotected sexual intercourse without posting a bond equal to the cost of raising and educating a child in case an unplanned pregnancy results.

And they could also first watch a sonogram of a fetus and listen to the beating heart.

- Page S. Williams, Houston

Sen. Dan Patrick is certainly keen on obstructing and complicating a woman's right to control her reproductive life.

I wonder if he would consider similar measures for other rights concerning life. For instance, if a person wanted to exercise his Second Amendment right, he should first view a U.S. Army medical film on gunshot triage, and then attend an autopsy of an actual gunshot victim. Only then could he or she buy or handle a gun.

- W.D. Moore, Houston