I appreciate Danielle Dulken’s courage in sharing her abortion experience in the July 31 Opinion piece, “The Face of Abortion.” It is important that the voices of all people are heard, as our nation struggles with the place of abortion, gay marriage and other issues. Open discussion, despite the fear of condemnation for less popular opinions, is important for the healing our society needs.
She states that 1 in 3 women have chosen abortion. Since Roe v. Wade overturned state abortion restrictions in 1973, over 50 million abortions have occurred in the U.S. Clearly these women include our friends, church members, coworkers and family. They need our love and support, not judgment.
We must also never close our ears to the many women who have experienced significant physical or mental-health difficulties, like guilt and anxiety, as a result of having an abortion. All medical procedures can have complications. These women need our support, as do those such as Ms. Dulken, who has “never once regretted” her decision.
I can reassure Ms. Dulken that it’s not just the abortion industry that is increasingly burdened with regulations that drive up costs and decrease access for its customers. Indeed, my own industry of health care is experiencing a massive increase in costs, creating a similar decrease in access for our patients. Rising costs and increasing regulation are also occurring in education, transportation, food service, energy, etc., with predictable consequences.
Finally, to comment on the frustration that Ms. Dulken expresses with the results of North Carolina elections: It’s important to remember that as a representative democracy, laws will necessarily track to some degree with changes in public opinion. Some polls suggest that popular support for abortion is falling, even as support for other causes, such as gay marriage, appears to be rising. It is, therefore, no coincidence that across the nation we are seeing laws that add limits on abortion availability while expanding access to gay marriage.
— Dr. Daniel Hey
Black Mountain
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