To the Editor:

Although Santorum has been mocked throughout the media and by Hatten for his controversial claim that prenatal testing, specifically amniocentesis, leads to more abortions, medical experts and available data strongly support his claim. Dr. Gene Rudd, an obstetrician-gynecologist, agreed that amniocentesis often leads to an abortion if a genetic defect is detected. A 1999 study conducted by the American Journal of Medical Genetics discovered that over 90% of amniocenteses that diagnosed Down Syndrome led to an abortion. For other genetic disorders, such as Trisomy 18, the abortion rate is almost 100%. Additionally, amniocentesis has a high rate of false positives, leading to the abortion of what could have been a healthy child. The evidence suggests that amniocentesis does, in fact, lead to more abortions.

After switching from prenatal testing to state control of education, Hatten continues with his bold and factually inaccurate attacks on Santorum by asserting that, under Santorum’s plan, the educational system would fracture and Southern states would rebrand the Civil War as “The War of Northern Aggression.” This notion suggests that the curriculum is now dominated by a board of bureaucrats in a conference room within the Department of Education. This, however, is blatantly false and actually unconstitutional. Curriculum standards are already set by state governments. Contrary to Hatten’s assertions, a state-centric education system would actually be highly beneficial to students. Those at the state and local level have a better understanding of the issues facing their community and, therefore, can tailor better solutions to the problems. Federal involvement in education only leads to one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter policies, which work for some, but fail many.

Hatten’s focus on pre-natal testing and education undermines the most important issue of the campaign, the economy. On February 27, Santorum launched his bold, new plan to stimulate the economy. Focusing on tax cuts for both families and businesses, Santorum seeks to rebuild the American economy by promoting manufacturing and trade. Additionally, Santorum seeks to rein in government spending, shrink the size of government, and balance the budget within four years. Despite the clarity of his economic agenda, it has received little attention because media attention is focused primarily on controversial statements from past speeches. Hatten continues in this vein, writing that Santorum “is controversial, inflammatory, and more often than not, incorrect.” The facts, however, show that, more often than not, Rick Santorum is right.

Grant Williams