Defer to the experts — women — in abortion debate

Dear Editor,

A recent Letter to the Editor argued we should “consider that our lack of respect for fragile, developing human life might be a partial contributing factor” to the “many random shootings, slashings, killings and other violent attacks,” in society, identifying abortion care as the root of such acts. This is woefully ignorant at best, and dangerous at worst.

There’s an objective connection between the disregard for women’s well-being and the violence this writer described, while there is limited — if any — connection to that and “disregard for the unborn.” Many mass shooters and violent criminals have histories of abusing women, domestic violence, and/or a known hatred of women for their refusal to date or subserve to them. Framing such violence as being tangentially related to the existence of abortion while ignoring its roots in misogyny is harmful, offensive, and insensitive to survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. It probably goes without saying that it also privileges the lives of the “unborn” above those of the breathing, speaking, and thinking human beings who can get pregnant. Like the abovedescribed abuse, much of the movement against abortion care is steeped in a disregard for the well-being of women.

I have known many women who went into pregnancy prolife and came out of the delivery room pro-choice; that’s what it took for them to finally understand. I suppose (cis) men could never have that experience, so perhaps they should practice some humility on this matter and defer to the experts: the women.

Mollie Cahill, Kingston, N.Y.