Linda Terwilliger: Using women's rights as a pawn for political gain is undemocratic, unethical and morally wrong

To The Daily Sun,

If you support a woman’s right to choose, make your voice heard at the polls this fall.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is poised to give a green light to Republican-led legislatures to quickly enforce laws against women’s rights and legal, safe abortions in 20-26 states.

It’s a sad state of affairs when a woman’s right to privacy can be so easily stripped away by politicians. What about her democratic rights and freedoms?

Unfortunately, suppressing women’s rights could be just the beginning.

Everyone’s basic rights and freedoms could be under attack next. Some ultra-right groups want laws against birth control, same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, and gender-affirming care, to name a few.

The stark reality is that women need access to legal, safe abortion.

One in four America women choose to undergo abortion in her lifetime.

Without the freedom to choose, many women and their families will suffer terrible hardships for generations to come.

Abortion is a very personal decision that every woman should decide with the advice of her doctor.

It is not a decision for politicians. Politics have no place in deciding a woman’s personal healthcare.

It is a cruel pretense to claim otherwise.

Right now, Republican-controlled legislatures in many states are ready to ban and heavily restrict access to safe, legal abortions, in exchange for the favor and financial support of certain conservative groups. Groups that want to force their religious beliefs on you and me. In my mind, using women's rights as a pawn for political gain is undemocratic, unethical and morally wrong.

To fight back, we must vote for pro-choice candidates who are running for state and federal legislative seats in the fall elections. All our rights and freedoms depend on it. The future success of our democracy depends on it.

Linda Terwilliger

Gilford