In 1970, my body gifted my husband and I with a healthy baby, and I was ready to return to work as a young labor and delivery-room nurse.
I was assigned to a pregnant 11-year-old child who was in labor with her stepfather’s child. She clutched a teddy bear and cried for her mother. I held her, rocked her and soothed her as best I could during her hours of labor and delivery.
What happened to her afterward, I do not know, but from my experience with that childbirth, a women’s rights advocate was born. I marched, protested and attended rallies.
From my efforts and those of millions of others, Roe v. Wade was born. I continued on with my career and volunteered with Planned Parenthood, educating young women about their bodies.
Fast forward 50 years: The world I worked so hard for is turned upside down, and the cries of another 11-year-old from Ohio bring back haunting memories of the 11-year-old child I held 50 years ago.
The governor of Florida has signed into law a draconian ban on women’s bodies. A group of my friends and neighbors were at Sinai Residences, sitting around, having drinks and discussing the news of the day when the topic of that new law came up.
The conversation continued until one man said, “The problem would be solved if only women would keep their legs together.” I was uncharacteristically silent. All I could hear were the cries of pain of two 11-year-old little girls. My heart was broken and my spirit was crushed. Is it my body or isn’t it?
Norma Moskowitz, Boca Raton
Voters are being deceived
It saddens me to see how voters are being deceived on Amendment 4.
The quote from Amendment 4 organizer Kolyn Brown stating, “The amendment is not about making abortion legal in Florida. It is about preventing government interference with abortion,” is misleading and a total falsehood (as reported in Steve Bousquet’s Sept. 22 column).
We face the decision of whether we allow our government to protect life or allow it to take a life. America was founded on the principle of life in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
The way this proposed amendment is written does not state any limitations due to the use of the word “or,” which provides two options — “before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”
The amendment doesn’t say who is to perform it, where or how. Are we really helping women and children if this is passed by voters?
We must look at the truth and vote no on Amendment 4.
Darlene C. Sacks, Fort Lauderdale
Absurd and illogical
Re: the front-page headline, “‘Emphasize abstinence’ in sex-ed, Florida tells schools”:
As the news story states, Florida has told its 67 school districts that they may not teach teenagers about contraception, show them pictures depicting human reproductive anatomy, or discuss topics such as sexual consent and domestic violence.
Florida wants teens to be ignorant about teen pregnancy. Then, when teenagers do what teenagers do (don’t legislators remember ever being teens?), they don’t want to allow them to obtain abortions.
Wow, the logic is absurd.
Doug Quara, Mount Dora
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