In the Aug. 11 editorial ”Moderation asserts itself on abortion,” you contend that abortion regulations such as waiting periods and so-called
”informed consent” requirements are good because they assure that women have given serious thought to the termination of their pregnancies.
Do you really believe that, in the absence of such laws, women decide to abort blithely, thoughtlessly, on a whim?
Laws like these are unnecessary and are patronizing toward women. Supporters of these regulations have no regard for women`s intelligence and decisionmaking abilities; they do not recognize that even without government- mandated waiting periods or other restrictions, women do realize that whether or not to continue a pregnancy is one of the most serious, important, far-reaching decisions they can make-and they are capable of making it without government intrusion.
The restrictions supported by the Tribune have the effect of making abortions harder to obtain for rural women, poor women and young women. It`s meaningless for the procedure to be legal if it is inaccessible.
The Tribune also supports letting public opinion have some say over abortion; however, I submit that public opinion never has to go through a pregnancy or care for a child.
