Republicans’ abortion bill all about control of women

Republicans in our Statehouse who refuse to abide by our Constitution are determined to pass as much hateful legislation as they can while clinging to power. The bill to ban abortion at conception is a travesty. It has absolutely nothing to do with protecting life. If that was our legislators’ concern, they would be doing something about all the guns in our state, about our high infant and maternal mortality rates, about all the children going hungry.

It’s all about controlling women. It amazes me that the same people who whined about having to wear a mask in public or getting a shot think nothing of making a woman carry a fetus for nine months. A fertilized egg is not life, it’s only potential life. Much can happen in the nine months before birth. I want to know what happens to the woman who has an ectopic pregnancy or other life-threatening condition. What happens to her if she has a miscarriage — a common occurrence? Will they put her in jail? Most abortions are performed on women who already have other children. What happens to the woman’s other kids if she dies or loses her job because she misses too much work?

What happens to the 12-year-old who has been raped by her father or uncle or brother? I want to know how the man whose precious sperm fertilized this egg will have his life disrupted. Maybe all men should have to have their DNA in a registry so we can be sure who the fathers are. Oh, would that be an invasion of their privacy? The biggest and most important decision a woman makes is if and when to have a baby. It will impact her entire life, but I guess they think she has no right to make that decision.

CENA BUCHANNON, HUBER HEIGHTS

The Dayton Daily News article “If Roe v. Wade is overturned, what’s next?” from May 8 was very informative. Accurate reporting benefits everyone, wherever one may stand on an issue. Reporter Kaitlin Schroeder said there were 20,605 abortions in Ohio in 2020. I would emphasize that 48% of these were obtained by Black women while being only 12.4% of the Ohio population. This is unacceptable.

Justice Harry Blackmun wrote the majority opinion for the Roe v. Wade decision of January 22, 1973. He said, “We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins.” Every rational person knows when life begins. His facetious remark has cost countless unborn children their lives. Although the recent Supreme Court leak is unacceptable, Roe v. Wade needs to be rescinded.

MARY GIGANDET, VERSAILLES

The Ohio Supreme Court needs to hold the Republican members of the Redistricting Committee in contempt. They have refused to abide by the Supreme Court’s order to draw constitutionally fair districts. They have deliberately run out the clock and are forcing Ohio voters to use their rigged, unconstitutional maps. Take note of the childish Twitter statement sent to former Ohio Democratic chair David Pepper from Republican state Rep. Bill Seitz of Cincinnati. “Too bad, so sad. We win again.”

By their actions, they have clearly demonstrated they have no regard for the constitution and are wiping their feet on it. They’re also thumbing their noses at Ohio voters who overwhelmingly voted to end highly gerrymandered districts.

BEVERLEY K. GARDNER, ENGLEWOOD