I understand and respect the convictions of those compassionate minds for whom the debate on reproductive rights is one of life-saving importance. I also view this as a matter of the most profound concern. One of the greatest sins of our age must be our lack of concern for human life and the future of that life once a child is born.
It is vital to protect the rights outlined in the constitution and defend the separation of church and state, while respecting the views, values and ideas of all.
That said, the supreme court ruled on this almost 40 years ago. Legislation and debate on this matter should be on the nuance of safe application, and the protection of fundamental human rights, not a stalemate on constitutional arguments settled decades ago.
As such, I will always defend a woman’s reproductive rights and defend Roe V. Wade. First, because the U.S. Supreme Court made abortion legal in the US forty years ago. Second, because I believe the difficult, private decision impacting a family and woman will not be made any better– medically or morally– by politicians dictating what choices they have, who don’t know anything about the circumstances. Third, it makes more sense to protect a woman’s right to choose than a government’s right to dictate choice to a woman. God gave the gift of how and when to bring a child into the world to a woman, not a government.
When a family loses a child, as our family has, death and loss cease to be abstract concepts. This issue, because it touches on something all of us will experience– death– has the potential to draw us closer if we can maintain our empathy, including for those who see this issue completely different than we.
Over the years, our government has too often restricted women’s reproductive rights in a way that can be detrimental to our parents and our society. Abortion rates do not drop when it is made illegal or access to them denied. Just as with prohibitions on drugs and alcohol, the practice thrives in a black market, becoming more dangerous. We must approach this complex and often intensely personal issue with understanding and respect.
We can all understand the implications of this ongoing disconnect. Legislating against the matter can only harm vulnerable Americans, when laws outlawing the practice would force underage and underprivileged potential mothers out of the doctor’s office and into an unregulated and unsafe black market.