A brief inconvenience?

Recently, I spoke with my local state representative about her anti-abortion views, and that conversation made it even clearer to me that many of our current politicians fail to see the long­ term impacts of their actions. One justification she gave for her stance was that pregnancy is temporary, implying that pregnancy was just a momentary inconvenience with minimal permanent impact.

I disagree with this opinion; pregnancy may only last 9½ months but has significant, everlasting consequences. Physical changes range from minor, such as stretch marks, to more life-altering such as secondary infertility, urinary incontinence and depression. Most severe, the National Vital Statistics System reports that maternal mortality rates have nearly doubled between 2018 and 2021. Emotionally, one in five women reported mistreatment during pregnancy and delivery care in a 2023 survey, and according to the American Psychiatric Association, 17% of postpartum parents indicate birth-related PTSD.

None of these outcomes simply stopped at the end of a 9½ month pregnancy. Financially, the cost of a simple pregnancy with adequate insurance costs close to $2,000. With New Hampshire’s minimum wage at $7.25 an hour, it would take almost 276 hours to cover that cost. A more complicated pregnancy with hospitalization of the woman and/or child(ren) with less adequate insurance could cost five figures. The estimated cost of raising a child today is $21,681 per year, not including the cost of college. Someone must pay these costs whether it be the mother or her family, an adoptive family, or the state. None of these feel-like momentary inconveniences to me; do they to you?

Therefore, I’m perplexed by how our elected officials cannot connect how their legislative decisions reduce many women’s quality of life. A woman, along with her doctor, should decide what is best for her and her pregnancy, not those with little or no medical training, the courts or politicians.

Sue Liebowitz

Plainfield

A good explanation

Thanks to Brandon Smith for the well-articulated and enlightened discussion of his negative Hartford Selectboard vote regarding the proposal of military banners in downtown White River Junction (“On Opposing America’s War Machine”; April 27).

Abner Schlabach

East Barnard

Camping at Yale

As a 1980 Yale Divinity School graduate, I have a wildly idealistic suggestion for the outgoing Yale president: Invite protestors to pitch tents legally on the lawn of the president’s residence on Hill House Avenue.

Then circulate among the tents and establish a personal relationship with some of the protestors.

Forty-eight protestor arrests calls for a William Sloane Coffin moment at Yale. As a lame duck president, Peter Salovey can well take the heat from alumni and donors who oppose such accommodation. Coffin did.

Paul D.Keane

White River Junction

Edelbut’s antecedent

I believe it was Mark Twain who said “History may not repeat itself, but sometimes it rhymes.” Case in point: Frank Edelblut seems to be aspiring to be the new Anthony Comstock.

Rich Blair

Grafton