Abortion Politics: The Third Rail

In a recent letter to the editor, Nancy Northup refutes Melinda Henneberger’s remarks on the role of abortion in America’s two-party political system, citing that the majority of women, and Americans in general, support a woman’s right to make decisions for themselves and their families, including the decision to terminate a pregnancy.The New York Times, Letter to the Editor
Published: June 26, 2007To the Editor:Re “Why Pro-Choice Is a Bad Choice for Democrats,” by Melinda Henneberger (Op-Ed, June 22):For someone who claims to have listened to women, Melinda Henneberger gives little credence to the voices of the majority of women, and Americans in general, who trust women to make the right decisions for themselves and their families, including the decision to terminate a pregnancy. The right to make the most basic decisions about family, parenthood and bodily integrity is protected in one of the world’s first human rights documents, the United States Constitution, and held dear by the vast majority of Americans.And as countries around the world recognize, these human rights include reproductive rights. Respecting women means respecting these rights, not kowtowing to political opportunism or outdated notions of women being in need of protection from themselves.If Ms. Henneberger were really listening, that’s what she might have heard. Nancy Northup
President
Center for Reproductive Rights
New York, June 22, 2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/opinion/l26abortion.html