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Readers Write: Fetuses should be given 'certificate of life'; Can't put off climate change solutions; Will immigration reform hurt jobs?

Letters to the Editor for the March 3, 2014 weekly magazine:

If authorities issues a death certificate for Jahi McMath after diagnosing her as brain dead, it would be logical to issue a "certificate of life" for every fetus whose 'brain waves' can be detected.

Scientific integrity weighs against premature claims that this winter's weird weather is a symptom of human-caused climate disruption. But a wait-and-see attitude may seal our doom.

Why do politicians want to reward employers who hired illegal workers, and why should their jobs receive special federal protection when the jobs of many Americans haven't.

| Westminster, Colo.; Palo Alto, Calif.; and Holden, Maine

'Certificate of life' for fetuses?

Regarding the Jan. 27 Focus article "Struggles over life and death": If medical authorities can issue a death certificate to Jahi McMath's family after diagnosing her as brain dead because they can no longer detect brain waves in her body, then it would be logical to issue a "certificate of life" for every 5-month-old unborn child whose "brain waves" can be detected.

John P. Cardie

Westminster, Colo.

Climate change choices

The Feb. 17 Focus story "Why the weird winter?" makes a good point. Scientific integrity weighs against premature claims that this winter's weird weather is a symptom of human-caused climate disruption.

However, by implying that a wait-and-see attitude is OK, such caution may seal our doom. The CO2 emitted now will set the climate change pattern for decades to come. If we hesitate to curb such activity now, continuing on a business-as-usual path because we are not certain about the causes of climate disruption, and that turns out to be the wrong choice, by the time we know for sure it will be too late to reverse course. Honest reporting should make that point as well.

William H. Cutler

Palo Alto, Calif.

Hard questions on immigration reform

I wish that economist Jason Furman had been asked an additional question about immigration reform at The Monitor Breakfast Jan. 31 (recap in the Feb. 17 issue): How will this legislation affect the jobs and wages of American workers? We know it will "grow the economy," but that's an inane phrase. Does this legislation really serve the national interest – and not simply political interests?

Many Americans are puzzled: Why do politicians want to reward employers who hired illegal workers, and why should the jobs of illegal immigrants receive a special federal protection when many Americans have had their jobs outsourced and the government didn't protect them?

Jonette Christian

Holden, Maine

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