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Letter to the editor for Saturday, May 21

Posted 5/21/22

Abortion questions  

Dear Editor:  

In response to Mr. Sliger’s column of May 14; between his diatribe on the Supreme Court, the Roe v. Wade leak, and a plethora of …

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Letter to the editor for Saturday, May 21

Posted

Abortion questions  

Dear Editor:  

In response to Mr. Sliger’s column of May 14; between his diatribe on the Supreme Court, the Roe v. Wade leak, and a plethora of adjectives and invectives aimed at people like me – he did bring up one point. When the Supreme Court declared the Indian Relocation Act unconstitutional, President Jackson stated “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.”  

Similarly, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, and multiple states make abortion illegal, how will they enforce it? Tennessee, with almost all the states bordering (Virginia may be an exception) will immediately enact laws to make abortion illegal.  

So, if a person desires an abortion, two options would be to travel to a state (most likely Illinois) that still allows the procedure, or purchase abortion drugs from another state, probably online– and maybe from offshore.  

Now what? Will the State of Tennessee arrest anyone who has an abortion? Will they arrest anyone who assists – such as purchasing ground transportation for the person to travel out state? Will they go to prison? Will they track their vehicle using cell phone data, to assure someone did not make a trip to a specific location in Illinois, for example, for the procedure? Will Tennessee scan the license plates, as they return to the state, then arrest the individual? Will the state require testing of all women who had a miscarriage, to assure they were not medically induced? Will Tennessee be like Texas and enact legislation that allows anyone to turn in a person to law enforcement for arrest, who either had an abortion or assisted someone – and then collect $10,000? If a person has an abortion in a legal state, then finds out she will be arrested upon returning to Tennessee – can she seek asylum in another state? How would that work?  

There were over 3,000 illegal drug related deaths in Tennessee last year, how will the state stop the use of abortion drugs? Does Tennessee have the time and funds to expend on tracking, arresting and incarcerating women who have the procedure or those that assist? That is what would like to know.  

Van H. Ayers, Shelbyville