I thought I'd write something about how having access to legal and safe abortions saves lives. Do we want more women to die without access to healthcare?
I thought I'd write something about how scary it is to see a portion of this country act like women of reproductive years are worth nothing while pregnant — that they have lost their rights. I thought I'd write about how strange it is that a fetus has more rights and wonder why not take away the father's rights at the same time to make it fair?
I thought I'd write about how strange it is that none of the anti-abortion laws Include the father. Many will penalize the woman, the doctor, the driver, but nothing happens to the father. Why is that? Why is that fair?
I thought it stranger there seems to be some who think we should get rid of safe and legal abortions and contraception. They must want more women to die for lack of healthcare.
There's something peculiar in this country. It seems those who want to ban reproductive healthcare are also those who don't seem to care about babies. Their outrage and support for fetuses is gone as soon as those fetuses are born. This country is not a nurturing country. Families are on their own. Even after the Child Credit issued during the pandemic cut child poverty by 50% they still don't want to renew it. Yet a nurtured child has a better chance to become an educated and contributing adult. A child that is brought up in poverty doesn't have the same opportunities and support, s/he has a more difficult time.
All babies should be born into families who can love them and nurture them.
It would be easy to make this fair for all ... one modest proposal would be to strip men of their rights during their reproductive years just like women have theirs taken away w/o protection of legal abortions.
Fair is fair. Require men to have vasectomies as they become reproductive. That would be fair. Men and women of reproductive age would have equal rights.
How would we make up for the decline in population (how will we do that with the million excess deaths from the coronavirus?).
Well, we could encourage immigration for those with all the skills we need to grow and continue to prosper and allow those of reproductive years to reproduce. What a pity that ability must be taken away from those born in our country to maintain equality.
I don't know if that's the best way for equality in this country for those of reproductive age. There must be something less complicated. I do think encouraging immigration for those with the skills we need is a good idea. But … how about trusting women to make the right decision themselves and with the help of those they trust?
If that means delivering a baby? That's glorious. If that means have a legal and safe abortion? That's glorious as well. If that means putting their baby up for adoption? Absolutely glorious. Women know what's best for them.
Equality for all means equality for all. My body my choice. Simple and it's appropriate for men and women. When it is taken away, equality dies. Women die for lack of healthcare. A surprising number of women die today in childbirth, it's much more dangerous than abortion. Babies may or may not die if unwanted. My body my choice. Your body your choice. Equal rights for all of us.
Carol Edmund is a Carson City resident.
