This article by Judy Goad appeared in the Bakersfield Californian’s Letter to the Editor section on August 18, 2023.
Recently William Bezdek submitted an article respectfully disagreeing with a previous article regarding abortion. At this time I would like to respectfully disagree with William’s comments that “abortion is health care in the full sense of the word”.
First, the Oxford dictionary defines, in part, abortion as “the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. A medical or surgical abortion does require an intentional decision to terminate a pregnancy whether by means of an abortion pill or surgical procedure, and in California can be performed up to the date of delivery. Please note I am not speaking to miscarriages which is the sad and spontaneous loss of a pregnancy.
His statement that all surgery’s are violent procedures can actually be used to reinforce the violence of an abortion procedure that always ends in the horrific death of an innocent baby. Abortions terminate the life of the baby through the use of harmful chemicals and/or violent procedures (use of sharp metal instruments etc.).
Abortion also involves two patients, the expectant mother and the baby. Unfortunately, the baby is not able to speak for themselves to consent to dying a horrible death.
Finally, I disagree with his statement regarding what health care is. Health care is maintaining and restoring health by treatment and prevention of disease. Restoring and maintaining, not destroying or condemning an innocent life. Which is what abortion does! It destroys both the life of the baby and in many cases the well-being of the mother, the father and others.