To the editor: Now that Arizona has repealed its 1864 abortion law, Republican lawmakers should repeat after me, even if they have to do so in front of a mirror in the privacy of their home:
I'm sorry. Like so many Americans, he thought abortion surgery was entirely elective. He had no idea that so many confirmed pregnancies do not result in a live birth and that many women need surgery to preserve their fertility or ensure they never reach death's door.
I regret that I did not meet with board-certified OB-GYNs to educate myself before introducing or supporting anti-abortion legislation. I now realize that my law degree or my experience running a business does not make me an expert in everything.
I will swallow my pride and work to correct this.
And the next time I take the oath of office, I will quietly add part of the oath that all doctors take: First, do no harm.
Diane Scholfield, Vista, California.
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To the editor: Currently, in some states, sick pregnant women are denied medical care because hospitals or doctors fear legal consequences or even jail time.
This makes me think about one of the basic principles of medicine: do no harm.
The late Rep. Elijah Cummings is reported to have remarked, “The cost of doing nothing is nothing.”
When sick pregnant women are turned away by health care providers and nothing is done to help them, there are multiple costs: certainly physical and emotional trauma for the women and their families, but there is also a cost for the entire community.
Why would a doctor practice in a state that could force him to harm patients by denying them treatment?
Melanie Hinson, MD, San Pedro
