Letter: Dec. 12 letter-Drastic abortion laws unsafe.

Re: the letter, "Drastic abortion law unsafe". Dec 12. The writer refers to the fetus inside of a woman as a "cluster of cells," "an invader" and "a burden." Since the Roe decision there have been major medical and technological advances in human embryology. 4-D ultrasound observations confirm that as early as 14 weeks fetuses can distinguish between music and other random noise, as early as 20 weeks there are hand movements toward the eyes and mouth that are straighter and less jerky and can, even without a fully formed cortex, experience pain at or before 18 weeks. An embryo and the resulting fetus are alive and fully human. The "cluster of cells" description which reduces the unborn child to some form of a sub-human status is mean-spirited, contemptable and ignorant.