Well, it’s that time of year when I marvel at the hypocrisy of the Ashland County Republican Party display at the county fair.

The sign in their booth emphasizes that they value individual freedom and limited government.

Yet, they evidently don’t feel that those principles apply to women. The Ohio State Republican majority passed a 6-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest in 2019.

Thus, they restrict a women’s basic freedom to decide whether or not to be pregnant.

Furthermore, by outlawing abortion EVEN after rape they insert big government into the most private decisions of women and families.

Also in the booth is their marked-up version of Issue 1. Republicans continue to spread deceit about the Reproductive Rights Amendment.

Minors cannot obtain abortions in Ohio without parental consent, and passing Issue 1 will not change that.

Only 1% of abortions occur after fetal viability, and those are tragic medical situations when a cherished pregnancy goes terribly wrong.

The Ohio Republican Party is eager to throw women and girls under the bus. They will make sure that parents cannot choose pregnancy termination for their pregnant young daughter.

When women and families are struggling with difficult decisions about pregnancy, they need to have all options available.

The issues are diverse and complex and only the people involved can weigh the pros and cons of their situation.

The government has no business inserting itself into these decisions. Vote YES on Issue 1 to make sure no restrictive abortion bans can ever be passed in Ohio, to protect women’s bodily autonomy, and to assure that your daughters and granddaughters have the same choices that you did.

Jane Stoops
Loudonville, Ohio