Letter to the Editor

Anti-abortion issue

By Glenn Henricksen, Newburgh
Posted 6/30/22

Abortion means the destruction of a life that could amount to something.  That’s what troubles me.  On the other hand these anti-abortion laws have great unexpected …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in
Letter to the Editor

Anti-abortion issue

Posted

Abortion means the destruction of a life that could amount to something.  That’s what troubles me.  On the other hand these anti-abortion laws have great unexpected consequences.  The bulk of abortions have been for poor women of color.  If a state forces a woman to carry to birth and then care for that baby that state should also provide state-supported pre-natal care, health care for the child and mother, day care, good education, and so forth.  The states outlawing abortion are notorious in not providing such care.  Thus it is another unfunded mandate.  The decision was fundamentally based on the principle of states rights:  The individual states have the right to make the determination in this issue.  States rights vs. federal rights was the main issue of the Civil War.  Certain states claimed that White men had the right to control the lives and bodies of Black people.  There is a vivid similarity here: White men and women of power have the right to control the lives and bodies of pregnant women, particularly those of color.  Will we have to fight another Civil War to correct this?  I hope not.