The letter in Tuesday’s Tribune calling Democrats &uot;the party of abortion rights struck me as a little unfair.

When the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade, six of the nine justices were appointed by Republican presidents. Of those six, five voted to uphold Roe.

When the ruling was seriously challenged in 1993 (Planned Parenthood v. Casey), eight of the nine justices were Republican appointees, yet the court upheld the ruling.

It has been 35 years, and four Republican administrations, since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. It appears that politicians have reduced this issue to a get-out-the-vote strategy for Republican candidates.

Along with gay marriage, stem cell research and gun ownership, it is guaranteed to mobilize conservative voters, who can be relied upon to vote a straight Republican ticket regardless of the quality of the candidates.

Abby Fowler

Ironton