In his commentary, John Seager bemoans the births of so many infants ("An unhappy World Population Day," July 11). He claims we can't feed them all. In fact, incalculable quantities of food are wasted as evil men starve the children and greedy men impound great storehouses of food.
Mr. Seager claims we can't supply the world with sufficient water for its children. Yet, we have vast lakes and rivers and sophisticated means for desalinization of our enormous oceans. But selfish men refuse to grant access to these supplies; they and their governments build grand monuments to themselves and let the children die in thirst.
He warns that grocery prices will soar. But malevolent men withhold the food supplies, let them rot, until they can be paid their inflated prices that they so cravenly demand so they can stuff their own lives with the richest of chocolates, the juiciest of steaks, the most luscious of sweet cakes.
Mr. Seager seems not to understand that life is a transcendent gift; it surpasses all else. He seems not to see that the birth of an infant brings hope, a priceless treasure that reduces all other things to dust. The promises and infinite possibilities that inhere in any child, born or to-be-born, were once great cause to celebrate. And so we sang "Happy Birthday."
But Mr. Seager and his ilk want us to extol death so that we who are not dead can celebrate our fortunes in abundance. Should we follow his advice, we will find that we are already dead.
Leo Otterbein, Lutherville
