Re: “As a Christian, Obama should oppose abortion” (letter, 8-20).

I am a Christian who opposes abortion and who also supports Barack Obama for president.

The letter writer bases her claim that Obama would “allow a late-term baby . . . to die” on his opposition to an Illinois version of the federal Born Alive Infant Protection Act when it was debated in his home state in 2001.

However, it should be noted that the state and federal pieces of legislation differed significantly both in wording and in regulatory impact. The Illinois version was laden with several clauses that could have carried potentially negative consequences for innocent people. In fact, a “cleaned-up” version of the bill did pass in Illinois in 2005 after Obama had left for the U.S. Senate.

Obama’s book clearly explains his approach to the abortion issue, with an emphasis on addressing the root causes of unwanted pregnancies. Wouldn’t it make more sense to nip the problem in the bud rather than have to deal with a choice between terminating a fetus or thrusting a baby on a woman who cannot or will not properly care for it?

Preventing unwanted pregnancies in the first place is the best and safest option for all concerned.