Adrian Vassallo MP declared in The Times (December 11) that he stands against abortion without qualification or reservation. Then he went on to declare, also, that he will not sign the petition to entrench anti-abortion provisions in the Constitution because Parliament, according to him, "should concern itself, as a priority, with safeguarding the interests of the living before those of the unborn". As if unborn children are not "living" in their mothers' wombs. Amazing, coming from a medical doctor.

It is suggested that, as a Maltese parliamentarian, Dr Vassallo should read the book The Secret Life Of The Unborn Child, which is around, by Thomas Verny, psychiatrist, family therapist and parent. Or just type "Thomas Verny - Unborn Child" on the internet.

I think Dr Vassallo will then change his mind and will also sign the petition as many other MPs have done already.

To my mind Dr Vassallo, as a Maltese parliamentarian, should sign the petition to publicly show his respect for the views of the very big majority of the Maltese people on the issue of the beginning of human life. Ironically, that majority includes Dr Vassallo himself, to go by his initial declaration that he is against abortion without qualification. He should do so also to show respect publicly towards the dignity of human life from its very beginning and not, conveniently, later. To my mind that's the way he put it, though for a very just cause, as he described it. Very strangely, he seems to have relegated unborn children, 4,000 of them every year in the Maltese islands, to unknowns.

I sincerely hope that history will not record, sometime in the not so distant future, that Dr Vassallo's name, for lack of foresight from his side at present, appears on the side of those MPs, in the Maltese Parliament, who couldn't but vote for some form of legislation permitting abortion of the lives of unborn children. We already have had a Maltese member of the European Parliament who voted, more than once in Brussels, in favour of terminating pregnancies in certain "extreme" cases. It just happens that this MEP has already(!) made a bid to lead one of the two major political parties in Malta.

I do admire Dr Vassallo for persistently bringing to the attention of the public, legislators and ministers "the social problems that are rearing their head on our island" but I do not share his priorities. Indeed, if he were to read Dr Verny's book he would soon realise the great importance of giving even preferential care to unborn children in their first environment, the womb, specifically to avoid, now, so many other "social problems" to "future generations".

Another Dr Vassallo, Harry Vassallo, the leader of the Green Party of Malta, after having had second thoughts on this issue, and though not a member of Parliament, yet, eventually also went on board.

What is not clear yet is whether Arnold Cassola is on board. He, also a prominent politician of the local Green Party, and though not an MP so far, had received massive support in the Malta EU elections in 2003 and is also, now, a member of the Italian Parliament representing expatriates.

The leaders of the two major political parties have not signed the petition either. I am optimistic they will soon also grace the list. If not, that means we are in very dangerous waters, very, very dangerous indeed!