However, I didn’t go because pro-life women’s groups were uninvited. That night, I tucked my 2-year-old into bed. I remember she was holding a red Lightning McQueen toy car. Later, I thought about her little hand holding that car. I saw her unborn sister’s hand balled into a tiny fist on a sonogram. I loved them both equally.
This summer, as expected, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The residents of each state, in pure democratic form, will now decide for themselves whether to allow abortion if they haven’t already done so. Each state will determine under what restrictions an abortion can be carried out. Kansas, a reliably red state that Trump carried by almost 15 points in the 2020 election, voted in early August to not restrict abortion.
The headlines lead people to believe that this was, at worst, a major liberal victory and, at best, an indicator that Republicans will struggle to explain their position on abortion in the coming November elections.
When I look at the residents of Kansas and their voting history, and then I look at the results from this referendum, I see the next iteration of a broken debate we have been having for decades.
The question “Are you pro-life or pro-choice?” ignores the complicated decisions made by women all over the country. Most adult Americans understand that life is complex. We rationalize our decisions and tend to reject extremes. This is why most Americans do not favor completely banning abortions, nor do they favor late-term abortions.
Because of this, I believe the conversation must leave the courtroom. As a lawyer, I have seen how the adversarial setting of a courtroom can bring out the worst in people. The longer we fight this battle in court, the less time we have to focus on solutions that support women and lessen the number of abortions. If we can put a man on the moon, we can put safe, effective and affordable birth control on our store shelves. We must improve sex education, and the sooner we fix the costly adoption process and improve the broken foster care system, the sooner they can be seen as real solutions to an unplanned pregnancy.
I want to be perfectly clear on this point: I do not believe abortion to be the answer. I do have real concerns about efforts to downplay the weight of this decision and the health risks of the practice. I’m the mother of two beautiful girls. I’m a Christian. These are permanent, immutable pieces of who I am. They are the things that define me as a person.
The thing that defines me as a Republican and a conservative, and the passion that drives me toward public service, is the unshakable belief we should be free from government involvement in our day-to-day lives and that we must uphold our Constitution. So, let’s break free from the broken debate. Kansas showed us that we can hold personal beliefs while staying committed to the work of limited-government overreach.
This position might not make me popular with the national Republican Party, nor with the far left wing of the Democrat Party. The truth is, both parties are broken, but my position more accurately represents the will of the people of Maryland.
I know the value of a growing human life. I’ve felt its kicks and hiccups and watched its heartbeat at 12 weeks. The struggle to save them is not in the courts. The struggle is finding a way to comfort the heart of a woman who sees that positive test result but cannot see a way forward. The struggle is helping everyone understand that different women face different situations and obstacles and have different beliefs.
I did not choose abortion, and I never will. But I will not make that decision for another woman, nor do I think the government should do it for her. I will, however, support her and love her no matter what decision she makes.
If, after reading all this, you are still looking for a simple label for a very complex position, then call me pro-women.
The post Opinion | A Republican woman for Congress: Pro-life? Pro-choice? Pro-women. first appeared on Eatory.my.id.
