I am a 72-year-old “senior citizen” who happens to be “pro-life.” However, I do have intact memory of my years as a student in middle and senior high school in the 1960s. I distinctly remember young women would essentially disappear because they became pregnant.
The circumstances were never disclosed, so I have no knowledge of the “how.” However, I do know the experience was damaging to the young women being shipped off to homes for “unwed” mothers, shame heaped upon them, how they were economically strapped without much in the way of support, and at times they would resort to back-alley solutions for lack of professional support. The damage was immeasurable but real.
That is why I look upon the repeal of Roe v. Wade with trepidation. Do we really want to return there? This should not be a religious freedom issue. The Constitution prohibits any government action to impose religion on anyone and permits each of us the right to choose if or how we believe and worship. It does not give anyone (including the state) the right to impose their religious beliefs on others. The complex decisions revolving around pregnancy, including the termination of a pregnancy, best belongs between the parties involved — especially the young lady and her medical provider. Better we live our beliefs in our personal lives rather than impose them on others.
— Michael Mott
Eagle River
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.