I must respond to Cindy Johnson’s letter (Your Voice, April 8, “Don’t criticize — help!”) that takes to task “these men protesting outside the Tracy Planned Parenthood Office.” I am one of those men. Her argument falls apart, because she does in her letter the very thing she criticizes me for doing — that is, “judging.” She has judged me without knowing about me or the others marching with me.

She criticizes me for not trying to help the situation or asking to “adopt that child” or have my church help. First of all, my wife and I have adopted two children. Also, we have taken care of foster children. In 1975 we “adopted” a Vietnamese mother and her four children as they fled the Communist takeover of Vietnam. We never received nor wanted a penny from anyone for what we did, and they stayed in our home for six months.

I have also given blood to the Delta Blood Bank, and every month we give money to numerous charities that help men, women and children. I have picketed and marched around the state Capitol for universal health insurance for all Californians, and have talked to state legislators and signed petitions. If this were to become law, millions of poor families would have this financial burden removed. Also, all my adult life, I have worked not just for an increase in the minimum wage but for a livable wage for all.

Some of the larger churches, mine included, have adoption programs with all kinds of help. Tracy Interfaith Ministries helps poor families with food, clothing and anything you can think of, except abortion. One man on the picket line with me volunteers 25 hours a week at Interfaith.

Catholic Charities helps millions women and families every year. There is also a pregnancy center in town that offers all kinds of compassionate help free. Thousands of organizations like the ones mentioned above give financial, medical and emotional support to women who want to keep their baby. And there are adoption agencies in town, too.

Finally, for the millions of women who have had abortions and are troubled about it, we have hundreds of Rachel’s Vineyards across the United States that reach out with compassion to women to give them reconciliation and healing. They don’t judge, and they offer love and help.

Those of us who picket Planned Parenthood would like to offer help to the troubled women and misguided youth, but we are severely restricted from doing so. It is hard to offer our fliers or even to say hello or talk to the women who are going into the clinic, because of the way it has configured its building to restrict those entering from knowing about other choices available. We obey the law, stay on the sidewalk and use our signs to speak to the many different aspects of this issue.

But maybe you are partly right — our signs don’t clearly say what we are doing to help. We will add some new signs to correct this misimpression.

I am glad to see in your letter that you realize that there is a child involved in this issue — something Planned Parenthood doesn’t admit to.

• Marvin Rothschild, a longtime Tracy resident, is a retired Tracy High business teacher and local business owner, former school district trustee and past president of the Tracy Democratic Club.