Letters to the Editor

Abortion is health care?

To the editor,

The heading of a column in the last edition caught my eye: “Abortion is health care.” Really? For who? It’s certainly not health care for the babies. It’s not even health care for the vast majority of the mothers – less than 1 percent of whom have a medical need for an abortion.

The author of the column argues that abortion is a “fundamental reproductive right.” What is reproductive about an abortion?

Finally, the author proudly announces that she is a co-sponsor of LD 1619, a bill currently before the Legislature that would allow an abortion for any reason, or for no reason at all, up to the moment of birth. This goes way beyond Roe v. Wade. For the past 50 years, Maine law has pushed the abortion envelope to the limits of Roe and has allowed abortions for any reason up to the point that the baby can be delivered and live – called “viability,” which is typically around the end of the sixth month of gestation – and has allowed abortions even after viability when the woman’s life or health is jeopardized.

Now the Legislature is considering allowing abortions without limits after a baby can be delivered and live outside its mother’s womb. That’s not abortion; that’s infanticide.

If we want to claim that abortion is “health care,” let’s at least keep it to instances when it is medically necessary after viability, as Maine law does currently.

Stephen C. Whiting

Scarborough

Share abortion opinions with senator

To the editor,

State Senator Anne Carney’s column in the May 19, 2023, Scarborough Leader is interesting on many counts. She focuses on one woman’s emotional story, rather on the facts of what her choice, and the choice of anyone who chooses a late-term abortion, entails.

Late-term abortion takes the life of a vulnerable, living, kicking, unborn human being, no matter what reasons may make a woman feel inclined to that decision. Many others in such a situation choose life for their unborn child with potentially lethal conditions, and deliver them and provide them whatever love and support they can until nature takes its course. This prevents the risks to the mother of a late-term abortion (remember the cases of abortionist Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia), and prevents a little baby boy or girl undergoing a painful death by salt poisoning, or being rent limb from limb in the womb, or by having their brain sucked out in a dilation and extraction abortion. There is no medical condition that requires an abortion as treatment.

Senator Carney states that many of those who testified regarding LD1619 “misunderstand abortion care.” That is inaccurate. We all know that abortion takes a human life, whether done early or late. We all know that abortion is a choice, usually by women in crisis, who believe that they do not have anyone to support them in a choice other than abortion. Going to Planned Parenthood will not disabuse women of that idea, since abortion is their major source of income, even though adoption is available, and pregnancy resource centers are available who will provide support throughout pregnancy and then provide support for three years after delivery.

Medicaid or other health insurance will cover the medical costs. Women need to be made aware of these options so they can make fully informed choices. However, there are bills being proposed to shut down pregnancy resource centers, even though they help many women and families for free.

Also, Sen. Carney failed to mention that LD 1619 removes criminal penalties for unlicensed (i.e., non-medical) people to perform abortions. Not allowing unlicensed people to do abortions was one of the main talking points for legalization of abortion in the first place. Do Mainers want to go back to that?

Finally, Sen. Carney implies that she knows more about abortion than the rest of us who came to testify. Heck, I’m sure Sen. Carney is intelligent and well-educated, but as a physician who practiced for 40 years, and back in the day did about 500 deliveries and supervised about 500 more, I know, and I think most people know, what abortion is, and like any medical procedure, and that there are sometimes complications such as perforation of the uterus, retained placenta, and infections that put women at risk.

LD 1619 proposes legalizing grisly, late-term abortions in Maine, and no longer penalizing non-medical people for performing abortions. Let Sen. Carney know if you think this proposed legislation is not good for the people of Maine.