Reader viewpoint: Issue 1 is about choice
Letter to the Editor,
You can be against abortion and vote yes for Issue 1. Issue 1 is about personal choice and not inviting the government to determine your reproductive decisions and health.
I have been a family therapist for over 30 years. I am writing to encourage you to vote yes on Issue 1. It protects individuals, couples and families’ basic right to choose what is best for them regarding reproductive health (and other health needs) without government interference.
I see vote no on Issue 1 signs that say “protect parents and protect children,” which I believe is ironic since to vote no is giving up deeply personal choices. In fact, many of the women and families that would be most affected by this issue are parents and grandparents. When the government can interfere in personal choices on that level, where does that control and intrusion stop?
On many levels I have worked with people who have been denied personal choice regarding these issues, and the results can be devastating: hopelessness, suicide, drug abuse, mental illness, et cetera. At any age, with any race or cultural background, with any level of financial security and regardless of political or religious beliefs, the right to choose regarding our family’s personal decisions is core to a sense of mental well-being.
Basically, to vote yes is to protect personal choice and reproductive health without government interference. It is an issue that certainly can be complex in some ways and trigger deep emotional responses. But I encourage you to look at the basic message: If you vote no on Issue 1, you are giving the government, no matter who is in office, the right to take away the basic rights of choice and access to quality medical care.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Chris Sand-Ashley, LPCC-S, IMFT-S
Dover