“Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use violence to get what they want.” Mother Theresa.
“A person’s a person no matter how small.” Dr. Seuss.
We have a candidate for governor claiming reproductive freedom is a personal decision. What this candidate is truly talking about is the right to an abortion. The candidate is essentially telling us abortion is a personal matter. Let’s just ask a few questions. Then you all can decide. Is getting an abortion a private matter between the woman and her health provider?
**Become a monthly donor at ANY AMOUNT and get EXCLUSIVE content!!!**
True reproductive freedom
First, let’s talk about reproductive freedom. We all have the right to reproduce. The candidate is correct that the government should never tell us how many children we should have and the government should never tell us when we should have children. So reproducing is definitely not something the government gives or takes away. It is a God-given right. But, is this candidate really talking about being able to reproduce? Or is he talking about abortion?
Join the effort to preserve our community by becoming a monthly donor today!
The original question will reveal this answer. In a recent interview, Kay Hendersen from Iowa Press asked this candidate, “Democrats who are in the minority in the legislature have proposed a constitutional amendment that would guarantee abortion rights. Iowa has a six-week abortion ban. If you’re governor and you’re facing a Republican legislature, what sort of abortion policy will you pursue?” Excuse me, Mr. Candidate and Kay, it’s a heartbeat bill, not an abortion ban. Abortions are still legal in Iowa in the case of rape, incest, and the health of the mother.
Abortion’s effect on public health
In 2023, abortion pills accounted for 63% of all US abortions. What does the abortion pill and birth control pill do to the ground waters and our drinking water? Abortion pills are readily available to anyone who orders them, no age verification required. They are accessible through mail order in all 50 states. When a person takes a pill, only 10% of the ingredients are absorbed into the body. The rest is excreted into the ground water system. A study done by the U.S. Geological Survey tested water across nine states and found 85 man-made chemicals ending up in our tap water, including estrogen from birth control. Did you know that progestin, a synthetic form of progesterone, a major component in contraceptives and in the abortion pill, is also a major health risk to women’s uteruses? Recent research from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) found that one in ten women experience serious side effects from the abortion pills. Just think if over 700,000 women take abortion pills per year, what that is doing to our ground water and future fertility rates!
What does an abortion do to a woman’s mental health? According to a recent study done by the Lozier Institute, women who have abortions are twice as likely to abuse alcohol, 2.5 times as likely to misuse marijuana, and over three times as likely to use illicit drugs. Furthermore, women who had abortions had an 81% greater risk of a psychiatric hospitalization, 157% greater risk of hospitalization for a substance use disorder, and 116% greater risk of hospitalization for a suicide attempt.
Let’s face it, we have a mental health crisis in America and mental health is a societal issue. According to one source, “Mental health issues influence relationships, work productivity, educational outcomes, and overall societal well-being.”
Whose body is this?
Who does the person in the womb belong to? The baby is biologically connected to both the mother and the father. The baby obviously has characteristics and traits that come from both mother and father. In many states the baby belongs to both the mother and the father.
In biology class we learn that when something grows it is alive. At the moment of conception, the tiny human begins to grow. The tiny human has a detectable heartbeat at an average of five to six weeks. According to many sources, if the baby has a heartbeat it’s very likely that she or he will survive to childbirth. The laws in Iowa state that it is a heartbeat bill. A heartbeat in the baby indicates the baby is alive. We all have a heartbeat because we are all alive. The heartbeat bill is attributed to decreasing the innocent loss of lives by over 60%. The baby, as do all humans, has a special purpose. Just think, what would it be like if Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, or Pope John Paul II were aborted?
Private funding for a private matter?
Where does an abortion provider like Planned Parenthood get its funding? Simple, public tax dollars. Or more specifically, sixty percent of Planned Parenthood’s budget is in the form of government reimbursements from Medicaid and the Department of Health and Human Services.
What is taught in public schools about abortion and who is in charge of the health curriculum? SIECUS is an organization that has been promoting sex education in our schools and communities since 1964. It is federally funded through grant programs, government agencies such as the Office of Population Affairs, and (yes) our public tax dollars. The worrisome piece about SIECUS is in their vision statement, SIECUS envisions a future where comprehensive sex education is the foundation for health, pleasure, and wholeness—a nation where every individual’s identity is affirmed, and communities are safe and supportive.
Their statement says, “We advocate for transformative public policies, build robust cross-movement coalitions, and foster a national dialogue, ensuring sex education drives social change. Join us in our commitment to a sustainable and equitable future for all.” In other words, you are nothing more than a sexual being and you can have all the sexual pleasure you want to be a whole person. Many states, Iowa included, have been changing legislation that prohibits abortion providers and comprehensive sex education programs like SIECUS from being used to instruct students on human growth and development.
Conclusion
In summary, here’s the truth, Mr. Candidate, abortion is a public matter. Abortion causes a steep decline in mental health, it is funded by public dollars, it destroys an innocent human life, and it pollutes our ground waters destroying future generation’s potential fertility. The politician claiming it’s a private matter only wants power and control. He doesn’t truly care about you, your health, your ability to provide for your family and your future generations.
Patty Alexander lives in Indianola
Leave a Reply