Author says “It has nothing to do with patriarchy.” Patriarchy means ruling over women. Patriarchal institutions and discourses impose legal, cultural and moral norms which reduce the opportunity for women to make genuine choices about the way they may want to live their lives, including the ability to exert control over their own bodies. Where state policy instruments infringe a citizen’s sexual and reproductive rights, they are often reflecting norms about women’s place being in the home under the care of men, and ideas that they are born to nurture children — fulfilling their ‘Motherhood’ role to society.

Author says, “It has nothing to do with liking or disliking women.” Misogyny means being against women. If you think a woman who has a pregnancy that is not normal, is dangerous beyond the normal risks of pregnancy, which could destroy her health or potentially kill her, leaving any children she currently has without their mother, should have to prove to some authority other than herself that what her doctor is telling her is true, you hate women. If you think a woman who has a baby in economically unwise circumstances is a whore, a tramp, a freeloader, but you would have blocked her access to either an abortion to end the pregnancy or birth control to avoid it, yes, you hate women.

Author says, “It has nothing to do with women’s freedom.” Let’s look at reasons a woman might not want to have a child right now. She may be barely getting by financially as it is. She may already have children she’s struggling to provide for — whether or not she has a spouse who is also contributing. At the low end of the economic ladder, resources do not expand to fill all the mouths that need feeding. She may be alone, and struggling to feed herself. Freedom???

No religious dictum states “Abortion is Evil”.

Richard Keckler

North Ogden