Too often we must admit to being ashamed to be Hoosiers. Most of those times are related to the behavior of our Legislature and our Governor. This is one of those times.
The behavior of our political “leaders” with regard to the abortion issue is despicable. Is there another word for it?
A woman (or a man) has the right to control the use of her/his (not their!) body. To deny that right, even in the case of suicide, is contrary to the dignity of each individual.
If you believe God made us in His image, then we are each distinct persons capable of and responsible for our behavior.
We do have responsibilities with regard to others, but we also must be granted freedom from the dictates of others when our actions do not abridge those of others.
Cells lodged in the body of a woman, with or without her consent, are hers to keep or discard as she chooses until they become viable humans beings.
And what right does the man have who helped form those cells? None, if he failed to take precautions to prevent impregnation. And only a very limited claim, if the pregnancy was mutually desired, but later rejected by the woman.
Women bear children. It is not the place of the General Assembly or the Governor to mandate that a woman who becomes pregnant must accept her condition, which has life-long implications for her and ultimately for society.
Just as it was wrong for China to limit women to one child, so too it is wrong for Indiana to interfere with the choices women make about child-bearing.
Far more important than restricting abortion is providing every child with a secure path to adulthood. That path needs to include good health care, a broad education, and a means of contributing to their own and society’s well-being.
Does the Indiana General Assembly do that? In the 31 years of this column, I have found that body delinquent in meeting its responsibilities to Hoosiers.
They pander to local and out-of-state corporations. They fail to support public health. They enable environmental degradation. They degrade public education. They disregard the needs of the poor. They ignore the consequences of their own bigotry.
Those conditions will not change with the elections of 2022. Both parties have put forward their candidates. Democrats struggle to find good candidates willing to make the effort to win. Republicans, by and large, choose those with little conscience and less knowledge.
Our efforts must turn to making the 2024 election one between qualified Hoosier candidates so we can be proud of our state. So that we can stop thinking: “Well, we got what we deserve and it’s good enough for us Hoosiers.”
Morton Marcus is an economist. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow his views and those of John Guy on “Who Gets What?” wherever podcasts are available or at mortonjohn.libsyn.com. Send comments to [email protected].
