Readers React: The only sensible compromise on abortion: Leave it up to women

To the editor: Columnist Jonah Goldberg suggests there is some kind of “middle ground” that both sides should consider when it comes to abortion.

By saying there are extremists on both sides, he shows his ignorance of the issue of “late-term abortion.” Generally speaking, no woman would want to wait until her last trimester to have an abortion. For sure, there are medical reasons why abortions are had so late.

Goldberg believes this should be left to the states. Nonsense. Abortion should be left up to pregnant women. It ought to be off limits to politicians.

As for compromise and incrementalism, I remind Goldberg that the U.S. Constitution originally compromised on slavery, and we are still feeling the effects of that decision from 230 years ago. Just think of how many people continue to suffer because of incrementalism.

Benny Wasserman, La Palma

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To the editor: Goldberg apparently believes Roe vs. Wade was wrongly decided and that states should decide on abortion. That’s no “middle ground” — rather, it’s state-sponsored discrimination.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, in the first three months of 2018, 347 measures to restrict abortion or birth control were introduced in 37 states. Since then, multiple states have introduced restrictions, some so severe as to make legally obtaining an abortion all but impossible.

Goldberg’s suggestion would work well for those women with resources that would allow them to travel to New York or California, but less fortunate women would be forced to resort to illegal and unsafe procedures.

Abortion is a medical procedure and should be a patient-doctor decision. But since we’ve gotten government extensively involved, we need Roe to provide at least a baseline for equality to ensure the procedure is available to all women, not just those who happen to live in the right states.

If Roe is overturned, there will be no limit to the restrictions passed by anti-abortion legislators.

Julia Springer, Santa Barbara

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