Why don't you trust me? A letter to anti-choice politicians

Yes, this is Yet Another abortion rant blog post, but can you blame me?  The misguided, self-righteous, full-throttle attack on reproductive rights that is currently plaguing our so-called great nation is absolutely unbelievable.  Perhaps I am particularly upset because my adopted home state is suffering a large, national-news-worthy chunk of this attack, but, my gosh, I think it's something like DOZENS of states that are or recently have been ground-zeros for these assaults on our basic, personal, intimate rights.  For a little something different, I've drafted this letter to anti-choice politicians, which I could modify, personalize...maybe actually deliver (though I need to replace the footnote links with primary sources).  I'm thinking a good start would be my local representatives in the NC state house and senate, both of whom are, surprise, surprise, old white men with business/ real estate backgrounds and clear, consistent anti-choice voting records.

Dear Lawmaker,

We have not met, so please allow me to introduce myself:  I am an early-career scientist who was recently appointed to a tenure-track position at a private university in North Carolina.  I enjoy running, cooking, and hiking.  I attend church.  I am married and plan to start a family soon.  Please excuse my boasting, but I am well-educated, intelligent, and hard-working:  I earned my Ph.D. at the age of 26 and since then I have published many papers, taught many students, and contributed to my discipline in meaningful ways.

Now that you know a little about me, I have a question for you:  Why don't you trust me?  Based on your voting record (e.g., [INSERT SPECIFIC EXAMPLES HERE]), I understand that you have attempted to limit, make more onerous, or even take away my right to choose what happens to my pregnancy.  Thankfully, you have not yet succeeded in eliminating this right, but you have indeed managed to make it more difficult to access safe, legal care to which I am entitled, just as you are entitled to safe, legal reproductive health care.  I do not wish to take away your care, and I cannot understand why you are so concerned with mine when we have only just met.  Why don't you trust me?

Maybe you actually DO trust me now that you know I plan to start a family soon and thus you may assume that I would not chose to have an abortion.  But the sad reality is that none of us ever can predict what tragic situations may befall us.  I am sure you have heard the stories of women (and couples) who were stricken with the heart-wrenching decision of what to do about learning of something terribly wrong with their unborn baby (e.g., this would be a footnote in the letter).  In many cases, these parents felt abortion was the most loving, caring choice for their baby.  Why don't you trust them?  Especially when you do not even know the intricate, intimate details of their plight.  You would not want them or me to make such decisions for your family, correct?  Then why do you feel compelled to make them for me?  For all of your constituents? 

[SECTION OF LETTER FOR NC STATE LEGISLATORS]:  Why don't you trust me?  Why don't you think I am smart and clear-thinking?  I realize when you voted for the so-called "Women's Right to Know Act" you probably thought you had my best interests in mind.  But honestly, I - along with most of the women in this state and their partners - was incredibly insulted that you think I wouldn't know such important, intimate facts about my own reproductive choices and situation.  I am certain that my doctor is insulted as well that you force her to read to her patients a medically unsound, ideologically-driven script crafted by politicians with no medical training.  This is why so many of us re-named this the "Women Know Nothing Act" because it presumed NC women were not carefully considering their reproductive decisions.  Why don't you trust me?  Why don't you trust us?

Maybe I am beginning to sound too offensive and aggressive in tone, so let me stop, relax, breathe, and switch gears.  I respect you.  Honestly, I do.  I understand and respect the fact that you believe human life begins at conception and that it is your duty as a politician to stand up for those unborn humans.  You are anti-abortion and always will be.  Me too.  Yes, you read that right.  I am anti-abortion.  Who isn't?  Abortion is a horrible (but safe) procedure and it is nothing anyone hopes to have one day.  You and I both agree on this.  Where we disagree is how to eliminate abortions.  As a politician, you naturally think the law is the best tool (even though you are supposedly of a "limited government" philosophy).  But as a woman, a scientist who relies on data, and a former Planned Parenthood patient I very strongly - and respectfully - disagree.  When laws restrict or eliminate access to safe, affordable, legal, abortions, women resort to cheap, dangerous, illegal procedures that not only harm the unborn, but also the woman herself (another footnote or two).  Just think - if she already has children, such botched abortions could be depriving children of a mother.  They could be depriving other family members of a wife, partner, sister, aunt.  They could be depriving society of a valuable, hard-working citizen.  Real-life horror stories like Kermit Gosnell illustrate what women can be subjected to when abortion is unregulated (another footnote).  You call yourself pro-life, but how does forcing women to resort to these horrors promote life?

No, the best way to eliminate abortions is NOT to ban or restrict them.  It is to eliminate the need for them.  Rather than closing Planned Parenthood clinics, promoting "abstinence only" education, insisting that insurance policies should not cover contraception, and other actions that disproportionately neglect poor women, as a society we should be improving access to affordable reproductive health care.  We should properly educate our children about sex and pregnancy [FOR NC STATE LEGISLATURES] and not spread lies about abortion to our public school students like you have voted to do.  

By your voting record thus far, it is clear that you believe that abortion and women's reproductive health should be regulated by governments.  Fine.  While laws that restrict abortion clearly will exacerbate rather than alleviate the problem, there are other actions that you politicians could take that would actually make a positive difference.  So, help our state build more health clinics serving low income women in all regions of the state.  Data from many studies clearly show that improving access to and affordability of contraception reduces unplanned pregnancies, and reducing unplanned pregnancies reduces abortions (footnote; footnote).  Data also show a correlation between poverty and unplanned pregnancies, and so steps to alleviate poverty may also reduce abortions (particularly illegal ones; footnote).

I am informed, intelligent, and independent, and you should trust me.  You should trust all women and their partners to make their own personal, private, life-altering decisions - those decisions are theirs and not yours, no matter what laws you pass.  I strongly, passionately - even desperately - encourage you to heed my recommendations to eliminate abortions.  I want the same thing you do, but the only way we'll achieve this goal is for you to trust me - trust all of us.

Respectfully,
Sandra