Johanna Winant, Morgantown
In November, West Virginians will vote on Amendment 1, which would remove the right to abortion from our state Constitution and could directly lead to a ban on abortion in all cases, even for rape and incest victims and to save the life of the mother. Please vote no.
Twenty-five percent of American women will have an abortion by the age of 45. Everyone knows — and loves — someone who had an abortion. In my case, my grandmother had an illegal abortion before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in 1973.
She, like 59 percent of women who have abortions, was already a mother, and she and my grandfather were not financially able to provide for another child. I’m grateful that although her medical procedure was illegal, she had a doctor who trusted her with that decision and ensured that she didn’t end up with an infection, longterm damage, or dead, like so many other women then.
I also know a young couple who recently had an abortion in the second trimester of a much-wanted pregnancy because their fetus didn’t have working kidneys. I am also grateful that they were also trusted to make the best decision for their family, and that a safe medical procedure was available to them too.
I know many women who have had abortions for many reasons. You do too, even if you don’t know that you do.
I don’t know, or need to know, everyone’s private circumstances. Because I know that I trust women to make the best decisions for themselves.
I hope you also trust West Virginia women. Here’s accurate information from No on Amendment 1 — votenoon1wv.org
