Proponents of abortion bans are celebrating the states’ rights angle of Dobbs. States’ rights have historically been used as suppressive tactics against the poor and disadvantaged. Leaving it up to the states, like Ohio, will result in the extremist views of a few being etched into law and forced on all Ohioans.
For example, Ohio House Bill 480 permits private citizens to sue other private citizens for at least $10,000 for aiding and abetting in abortion care services. This is a bounty hunting bill akin to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. In Ohio House Bill 598, there is broad language that purportedly bans access to plan B contraceptive pills, which is sold over the counter in retail pharmacies.
One out of every five Ohio children does not know where their next meal is coming from. Over half a million Ohio children live in poverty. And Ohio spends far less on child and family programs than most other states. Furthermore, the people who support government mandated pregnancies often fail to support social programs that will help these very same families post birth.
It is ironic that Paid Family and Medical Leave, increases to the minimum wage, paid maternity leave, paid sick days, increases to WIC, increases to SNAP, and increases to housing subsidies are all blocked by the very same Republican politicians who worked to criminalize abortion.
Margie Christie
Executive Director of Dayton Right to Life
As a society, we can do better for women than offer the empty promise of abortion. Dayton Right to Life was established in 1972 — before Roe v. Wade — for just this reason. Our goal is to improve these mothers’ situations, not just eliminate their children.
Many mothers will tell you that having their children inspired them to get off drugs, finish school/college, and work for a better life for them. Their children inspire them to better their situation. There are dozens of organizations in the Miami Valley that support moms and children. One such example is Dayton Right to Life, which offers baby/toddler supplies and college scholarships.
As a society, we need to better support mothers and fathers. Our colleges need to be more family-friendly. Our businesses need to support family leave, job sharing, and other parental benefits. Communities need to appreciate motherhood and parenthood and offer family-friendly activities and offer child-care at other events. Families are the foundation of our communities. Children need to be prioritized and valued. We are a better society without abortion.
Read more from Margie Christie.
Dr. Timothy Wood
Senior scientist at Byro Technologies
At what point does human life become more special or sacred than any other form of life? At conception we resemble most other species. When a “heartbeat” is detected it is not even a heart, but just some rhythmically contracting tissue. The real heart comes later. Birth just gets the baby out of the womb so it is no longer parasitizing its mother. There are still months of development ahead before we find consciousness and memory, then years to achieve judgement, creativity, problem solving, and other human attributes.
For me, there is no easy answer to when human life becomes “special” and worthy of legal protection. Instead, there are many interesting possibilities beyond the narrow ones most often debated today.
Read more from Dr. Timothy Wood.
The future of abortion in the Miami Valley
Following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health ruling on June 24, the debate over the future of abortion reignited in communities across America. Hear from several perspectives on the issue from across our region and look for more columns on the topic coming later this week.