Your Voice: Believe it or not, N.H. abortion laws as sad as New York's

Phyllis Woods (Courtesy photo)

If you were appalled and outraged at the joyous celebrations that took place upon the passage of the New York law that allowed for unrestricted abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, right up to the time of birth, you might be surprised to learn that New Hampshire got there first.

I experienced déjà vu when seeing the disgusting display of glee as I recalled the same happening here in the New Hampshire House back in 2000. As a Dover representative, a bill that I sponsored to ban partial-birth abortion was narrowly defeated by less than a handful of votes. The chief opponents of the ban, who worked diligently to defeat the bill, were given beautiful long-stemmed roses by pro-abortion advocates who were delighted that their "right" to kill a baby in the very process of being born, was protected.

To this day, in this Live Free or Die state of New Hampshire, we remain one of only seven states which has no restrictions on abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy, and in a country that is one of only four in the world that allows unrestricted abortion up until birth.

The mantra of the abortion supporters claiming they wanted to make abortion "safe, legal, and rare" has succeeded only in making abortions legal. But abortions here and throughout the country are far from "rare." Planned Parenthood, the primary provider of abortions, has just released their annual report in which they showed a record high income of $1.69 billion and the highest annual profit in their history of $244.8 million for fiscal years 2016/2017! Should abortion become rare, it would have an adverse effect on their bottom line.

The feminist chant of "my body, my choice" defies the reality that the body inside of their body is not their body! Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, "It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." So many people don't realize that women have real choices and options and they deserve better than abortion. Pro-abortion advocates who support Planned Parenthood fail to tell women how they could be severely damaged psychologically and emotionally after an abortion. When a post-abortive woman realizes that abortion doesn't simply make them un-pregnant but only the mother of a dead baby, they may suffer from loss, guilt, and remorse for years and even decades.

The devaluing of human life is also affecting the other side of the abortion coin that is euthanasia and assisted suicide. These laws in countries and states where they are enacted disproportionately target the elderly, handicapped, and seriously ill. It's been said that the strength of a nation depends on how that nation treats its most vulnerable citizens. With our culture of death that refuses to acknowledge the value and the dignity of every life, we are traveling down the wrong road at breakneck speed. With over 60 million lives lost since Roe V Wade in 1973, through abortion in the United States alone, we have wiped out literally generations of people.

In New Hampshire we have the ability to change the course of not only our state but also of our country. We have the distinction of having a legislature of 424 representatives serving in a House and Senate that is largely voluntary but also uniquely representative of the citizens of this state. We should be mindful when we go to vote that we cast our ballots for representatives that truly reflect our values and reject pro-abortion advocates and activists publicly supporting Planned Parenthood.

Phyllis Woods is the current chair of the Strafford County Republican Committee and a former Dover State Representative and Republican National Committeewoman.