While I might personally never seek an abortion nor wish my daughter to seek one, my choice has nothing to do with the choice made by another woman over the health of her own body or the arc of her own life. Thus I believe that restrictions politicians, especially male politicians, impose on a woman’s ability to seek to control her own welfare are wrong. Regulations that grow out of religious, political, or moral views of one group of people—views that may not be held by another group—should not be thrown up as roadblocks to a woman seeking help with her health. A healthy citizenry is as important to a functioning society as an educated or employed citizenry. Health clinics that provide services to women to stay healthy should be supported not thwarted.

 There are so many problems in our communities that need addressing—poverty, homelessness, job training, competent parenting, lack of dental and eye health care for many, and so on, plus the larger issues of environmental degradation and climate change! Let the clinics that are helping women, doggedly, day after day, do their jobs without moralistic meddling. We need expanded services, not the loss of services.

 I completely fail to comprehend why people, who protest the expansion of government in their lives, in their businesses, and in their communities, set out to interfere in decisions that should be private ones between a woman and her doctor. How can this interference be justified? In my opinion it cannot be justified.