The push for medically unnecessary regulations in women's health clinics is a guise to make abortion inaccessible. We all know that. This will put women in jeopardy of losing the only health care available to them and will drive some good, compassionate doctors and many unskilled quacks underground. If abortion becomes inaccessible many women will again die horrible deaths by depending on hacks and it will simply be the result of the drive for political or religious power or because you are being pressured by those groups. If you are pushing this for electoral victory you should ask yourself if it is worth the devastating effect that will result from the cause, both personally and culturally.

Whatever sincere beliefs you or your constituents have about when personhood begins, it is an opinion and cannot be manipulated into fact. Many religious people in the world believe that personhood begins with the first breath and not before. Many religions teach the soul is eternal and goes on through different lives over time always moving toward compassionate enlightenment. The soul cannot be murdered and the soul is the essence of every person. Many religions teach that even though there may be a heartbeat a fetus without a soul is not a person yet Many women from different religions live here in our diverse American democracy and it would be a travesty to take away their freedom of choice and put them in harms way for an opinion that does not belong to them.

Also, in most cases a woman holds her babies' best interest at heart and therefore may choose to terminate a pregnancy and wait until she can actually care for a child's physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. But most of those who regret their abortions are believers in fetal personhood and are so wracked with guilt having been convinced they are murderers. This murder propaganda is an opinion and not a fact and therefore should not influence law by any means including the guise of protecting women's health and safety. Squeezing health clinics out of existence under this lie would be irresponsible, immoral and unethical as it will do harm to many women and their families. Please take this into consideration when you make your decision.

Thank you,

Rev. Frances Curtis Barnhart (Interfaith, Minister)