letter to the editor

Self-defense rights denied pregnant children or women

Mon, 06/11/2018 - 3:45pm

Dear Editor:

Self-defense uses reasonable force to protect oneself from bodily harm by an aggressor, if the defender believes they are in danger. 

What is reasonable force for a raped 5- to 10-year-old pregnant child?  The youngest known ages of impregnated children.  These victims are at risk of death if forced to carry a child through delivery. Yet they have no rights to self-defense or to live. Instead they have new attackers who play God as if God would want these victims to suffer from the physical attack and carry the nightmare with minimal comprehension of why their young body hurts. Is this the answer we give to our  daughters? 

No-one gave us the right to be God, nor did they give us the right to be pimps of raped females forcing them to suffer when there is no need to do so.

Who are we to forbid medical advice to patients, much less rape victims? There are simple answers — we are not God, we are not doctors and we appear to lack imagination that would cause us to seek better solutions for rape victims returning rights to privacy and choosing solutions, because it is their life, not ours. 

When abortion became legal lives were saved as deaths declined from 3.3 deaths to 0.4 death per 100,000 procedures. We continued research and created birth control pills allowing families to determine how and when they would be able to welcome their children with joy and love. Rape continued to be a problem for victims. Abortion or birth control helped and the morning after pill worked as  a less invasive solution. None of us has the right to rape, or force females to carry a pregnancy that risks their life. We also don’t have a right to force rapists and abusive husbands to have a vasectomy.

If we value human life why do we refuse life saving solutions? Why not use in vitro fertilization with surrogate life savers or women wanting to become pregnant? It preserves the right to privacy, and the right to choose. Together they save lives and self defense rights.

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb