Letters to the Editor: Keep Michigan abortion regulations

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These abortion regulations must remain in place

On June 25, the Detroit Free Press featured an oped from abortion providers and advocates Paula Thornton-Greear, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan, Sommer Foster, executive director of Michigan Voices, and Loren Khogali, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan. ("Michigan abortion rights are still in jeopardy. Lawmakers can change that," June 25, Detroit Free Press.) Their piece sought to push three of the numerous legislative priorities Planned Parenthood announced at the organization's May 2 legislative day: targeting parental consent rights for removal; eliminating the 24-hour waiting period for abortion, an integral piece of informed consent for patients; and stripping abortion clinic regulations. They still fail to make a compelling case for the removal of these commonsense protections for women related to undergoing an abortion.

The suggestion that these basic health and safety protections for women must be removed demonstrates the blind fervor with which Planned Parenthood is seeking to expand — it appears that this has nothing to do with women and everything to do with their bottom line as the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Parental consent for a minor’s decision to undergo an abortion is not a pro-choice or pro-life issue, but a commonsense protection for both parents and minors that enjoys the support of nearly 70% of Michiganders. This basic parental right allows parents to advocate for and offer care to their children at the most difficult of times. It also helps bring to light cases of abuse of a minor and includes parents in a critical medical decision.

The larger informed consent law, of which the 24-hour waiting period is a key component, has been targeted for removal by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU for years. Most recently, in 2019 and 2021, state legislation was introduced to remove the entire informed consent law — yet it failed. Earlier this year, the ACLU echoed their intention, demonstrating the ongoing threat to providing women basic information about an abortion before undergoing one. The current informed consent provisions were developed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with medical professionals and enforced by every past administration, regardless of political persuasion.

Moreover, informed consent, including the 24-hour waiting period, is easily satisfied by logging onto the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Informed Consent Confirmation Form and clicking through the informed consent provisions. The American Medical Association’s own Code of Medical Ethics says, “Informed consent to medical treatment is fundamental in both ethics and law.” Intended or otherwise, removal of this protection is contrary to standard medical practice.

Health and safety regulations are just as important. Clinic regulations require hallways to be a certain width in case emergency responders need to access the patient, as a basic matter of safety.

It is high time we move past the politics of abortion and have a serious conversation about what serves women best. No industry is left to regulate itself. Speed limit and seatbelt laws are not barriers to driving – they are protections for drivers. We urge Michigan legislators to keep these long-standing, basic protections for women and girls in place.

Amber Roseboom

The writer is vice president of operations at Right to Life of Michigan

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The economy is actually doing fine

It is hard to believe that America is fifty-fifty when it comes to politics, since the conservative sides of almost all of the culture war controversies that Republicans use as fearmongering are overwhelmingly in the minority. The majority of Americans want LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, college debt relief, abortion rights, climate action, compassionate immigration policies, money for education and police reform. All of these are positions that Democrats in Washington D.C. support and most Republicans oppose. So what is the big equalizer?

The issue that makes your seemingly compassionate and reasonable Republican friends hold their nose and try to justify voting conservative? It’s the economy. There is an age-old axiom in American politics that gives Republicans the label as the party that is good for our economy. Republicans like helping companies, and they like helping rich people, therefore, their policies must be good for our economy. It is such a widely accepted truth that it is easy for former President Donald Trump to brag about the best economy in the history of the world under his presidency. Most people, even Republicans, can see through his myriad of other lies, but many still accept this claim about his great economy.

We need to dispel this myth once and for all. When taking into account job growth, the GDP, unemployment and inflation, our country is doing extremely well under President Joe Biden. In many ways, it is the best economy in the last 50 years. Trump, on the other hand, in spite of his claims, gave America objectively our worst economy since the Great Depression. The media needs to do a better job of delivering this truth and changing the narrative.

Bryan Chase

Huntington Woods

Telehealth should be here to stay

Telehealth is a resource that has been incredibly beneficial for both providers and patients in creating a convenient way to give and receive much needed care. I have had the opportunity to experience telehealth from both sides, as a patient, and through my work as a clinical psychology Ph.D student who provides teletherapy. As an eating disorder specialist in Michigan, I have seen how telehealth has improved access to specialized care, especially for the younger population. In particular, telehealth has allowed me to work with patients in rural parts of Michigan where access to specialists can be more challenging than in more densely populated suburban or urban areas. Without telehealth, one of my patients would have had to travel more than five hours each way, making care impossible. Especially for states with large rural areas such as Michigan, telehealth is a critical tool for increasing access to care.

Congress extended access to telehealth at the end of last year, but without additional action, this extension would run out next year — threatening thousands of patients with a telehealth cliff. U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters must act to pass permanent telehealth protections.

Megan Mikhail

East Lansing

Cluster munitions have no justification

President Joe Biden should not send cluster munitions to Ukraine. The cluster bombs release hundreds of bomblets that kill and maim indiscriminately.

The cluster bombs may be illegal under U.S. law because their failure rate may be over one percent. The unexploded bomblets can kill or injure civilians, including de-miners.

Just because Russia uses cluster bombs does not justify our country providing them for Ukraine. Furthermore, the U.S. focus should be on diplomacy to stop the war. Reports of secret talks with Russia may signal there are steps to be taken to end the deaths and destruction.

Rev. Rich Peacock

Sterling Heights

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Letters: Michigan economy is fine; abortion regulations must remain