Budenske: Women need support

A woman’s right to choose an abortion has been a legal right since 1973. Ever since that, pro-life folks have been trying to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Lately, the pro-life folks are winning.

The Wyoming Legislature passed HB0092 – “Abortion prohibition-supreme court decision.” The governor signed the bill into law on March 15.

The law will only go onto effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns or seriously limits Roe v. Wade.

The irony of the party of small government is using government power to force women to be parents. It is my position that the party of small government is only really interested in small government (deregulation) when they are passing laws to enhance the affluence of the 1% to the detriment of the rest of us.

It is easier to make abortion illegal, punish a woman and threaten anyone that may help her with criminal prosecution than to support women to avert unplanned pregnancy.

People are also reading

Studies show that about half of all pregnancies are unintended, and half of the unintended pregnancies end in abortion.

Want to end abortion? Reduce unintended pregnancies. Start with universal free contraception services. Better sex education focusing on medically accurate information are necessary. Better funding for family planning services would help.

Many unintended pregnancies are the result of domestic abuse and/or rape. Fully fund programs designed to curb family violence. Let’s hold men more responsible about where they deposit their sperm. The irony is that the man often has “parental rights” but is held harmless from any responsibilities for the pregnancy in the first place.

Clearly, if a woman can avoid an unintended pregnancy the difficult decision to have an abortion never enters the discussion.