Letter concerning abortion…
To the Editor,
The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the 1973 decision to allow women to abort an unwanted pregnancy. Women throughout history have sought to control their reproductive health. They experimented on their own or relied on willing amateurs, which resulted in botched abortions and frequently death. Roe v. Wade was passed to insure women a safe alternative. If this ruling is discontinued women will return to “back-alley” abortions and unreliable medical care. There are some lawmakers that consider abortion a “crime.” They seem to be unwilling to deal with the complexities “women” face. There is rape, incest, the medical health of the mother, and no one likes to think about the fact that the fetus may be deformed. Should we expect a teenage girl who is attending the fourth or fifth grade to carry a “baby” to full term?
The focus in the future in our society should be on education and prevention. The idea is to not get pregnant if you don’t want or can’t afford to have a child. All “women” who are active sexually should have access to an “ IUD” (intrauterine device) – cost free if they request it.
Yvonne Nyenhuis, Lanesboro, Minn.
Star Ostgard says
This whole thing to me ignores the major question: Who do women’s bodies belong to? The government – or the woman? Some church – or the woman? Some stranger with so-called religious beliefs – or the woman? People are so willing to decide what a woman can and can’t do with their own bodies – their own LIVES – but what do they say about the other HALF of the equation? Are we going to demand that men get vasectomies immediately after puberty, and can’t have it undone until they are financially able to support a child? Are we going to publicly shame them for participating in an unwanted pregnancy? Are we going to execute them if the woman dies from complications of a pregnancy, because, after all, they were just as “at fault” as the woman.
Please people – be honest about this. It’s not about babies. It’s not about life. It’s about controlling the women. PERIOD.
An Opinion says
What about the “Male” that is involved in all of this? Shouldn’t he (Am I using the incorrect pronoun?) be held accountable also? No one seems to think about the male’s role in conception. When I took biology in high school and college, it took a male and female to make a baby. But the lefties think this is all wrong and are changing gender identification. In the words of our new supreme court justice, “I do not know how to describe what a woman is”.
Donna Halvorsen says
I love Stan’s statement: “hopefully women will be more cautious about becoming pregnant if they don’t want to be.” How do pregnancies happen, by immaculate conception? Men need to step up and take responsibility for their actions, and some do. But Men have had a right to women’s bodies since the beginning of time and the ultra conservative Supreme Court has cemented that right. It is appalling that the right actually would force a 10-year-old rape victim to carry a fetus to term. Stan isn’t sure if abortions for rape or incest are “reasonable.” That is a guy statement if ever there was one.
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Stanley J Gudmundson says
Billy Graham thought abortions for pregnancies as a result of rape or incest were proper. Why? Because, he said, the pregnancies were caused by evil acts. On the other hand, I’ve heard testimony from someone who was the progeny of a rapist. Grateful for having been given the gift of life, she was also very successful. But, could every woman who became pregnant as a result of rape, love and nourish that child properly? These are cases where the women involved should decide. Otherwise terminating human life is immoral and wrong. Except to save the life of a mother.
Stan Gudmundson says
The most important question is this. Are people ending the life of another human being for reasons other than saving the life of the mother? However, are abortions for rape and incest reasonable? I’m not entirely convinced. On the other hand, their numbers are trivial compared to the numbers of the other abortions performed. Given the mutiple ways available to prevent pregnancy, there is little excuse for becoming pregnant ‘accidentally.’ Moreover, if abortions are more difficult to achieve, hopefully women will be more cautious about becoming pregnant if they don’t want to be.
Anonymous says
I like your last paragraph. Seems to make sense to me, As far as rape, incest, eclampsia etc. I think common sense should prevail. You would be hard pressed to find a parent of a child with most disabilities to tell you that they weren’t blessed by that child. That should be between God and the “menstruating people” as the left calls them. One thing for sure, common sense isn’t too common these days. Be happy your in Minnesota, I think you will still be able to get your abortion.
Margaret Ness says
One in six pregnancies end from miscarriage. Would the burden to prove that the pregnancy ended from natural causes and not from an abortion be her responsibility to avoid possible prosecution?
Anonymous says
1 in 6 end from miscarriage? So if your not counting those that end in live birth, 5 in 6 end d/t abortion. Just not sure if that’s what you mean. The truth is, those that end in miscarriage generate tons of sadness from the prospective mother. My guess is that if it was not a living human while in the womb, it would not cause that much sadness. Certainly it should not be a burden of proof issue. If they had a miscarriage, they had a miscarriage. Remember, in MN as in many states, it’s not going to matter. Abortion is pretty much the law of the land. Ending R v W did not change that in states where the majority of people like abortion.