The Disaster of House Bill 704

by. Heather H.

Over the last couple of years, American communication has broken down, and feelings of ill-will are rampant. In times like these, we need more bipartisan legislation, which is why House Bill 704, the personhood act, is so destructive.

It is one of the laziest bills I’ve seen, devoid of any clarity and precision needed in handling a decision of this magnitude. Ironically, the premise of its conception is based upon ignorance and will not only harm law-abiding citizens, and families, but also hurt Ohio’s economy.

I strongly urge you to discourage House Bill 704 irrevocably. It destroys all good faith that you, governor Mike DeWine can rule for the Ohioans and not just those who look, think and act like you. The heartbeat bill was, in my opinion, a mistake, but in this perspective, at best, a temporary compromise until a reasonable solution is made permanent.

I understand that your religious opinions have colored your code of ethics in representing Ohio. That is sad and unfortunate but not surprising, given the people you choose to surround yourself with. If you encourage or push House Bill 704, the idea of a bipartisan compromise is destroyed.

While I thought you handled the situation well during the pandemic with good sense and composure, this abortion push and pull have not shown me your capacity to lead somewhere in the middle. I’m very disappointed, and I would hate to see Ohioans vote outside of common sense because of a singular issue that you have planted your flag on. I understand that your beliefs are your own, but your beliefs are not the majority, and I think you should consider that.

If I don’t hear a definitive response to your opinion on House Bill 704, I will have to reconsider my vote this election. This abortion situation has put Ohio in a bad light, and I don’t appreciate your role in our current branding.

You’re making us seem like we’re a bunch of backward conservatives that have their heads up their ass and are either too lazy or too ignorant to pass a bill with the nuances needed in a situation of such gravitas. I have people from all over the country contacting me and apologizing for your poor decisions. It’s very much a shame that you think so low of women that you don’t believe that we can make decisions for ourselves and the sanctity of our family.

In general, I would like to see a bill in place that is a happy medium in which both liberals and conservatives can be slightly disappointed. Let’s move on with something fair and reasonable. This will be a continuing issue if we fail to find an adequate solution.

My access to reproductive healthcare or healthcare, in general, should not be in the hands of politicians or voters passed back and forth like a ping pong ball. It should be exclusively in the hands of people paying for it, meaning me. I go to work every day to afford insurance. I think it is Despicable that because of your religious choice, you have made the value of my dollar shrink as far as my insurance policies and healthcare is concerned.

Your religion has never looked as unhealthy as it does today, in modern times. And you are directly contributing to that. It’s a backward spiral that has limited our connection to each other, which, if I know the Judo-Christian mythos, I’d say is the antithesis of the word of God.

“Thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee” (Moses 3:17).

Choice and free will to decide to rely on yourself or turn to another in times of need is a foundation of American culture. The heartbeat bill and the personhood act chip away at those crucial tenets.

In a time when we need to stand together to rebuild our economy and reinforce our future autonomy, Christian values are throwing us backward and chaining us in division. People, women included, need to be able to make decisions for ourselves to grow and evolve. Evil exists, but it’s not in the 10-year-old girl who was raped. She is not the problem. It’s you. Trying to put your grimy legislative fingers on her body Is Evil.

When the misplaced morals of the church are combined with an attorney general who can’t find a ten-year-old rape victim, not because she’s not there, but because he doesn’t want to see her, we have a problem.

If you have to adjust the truth to fit your narrative, we have a problem. If you ignore your constituents and vote and promote bad faith agreements dismissing your majority, we have a problem

It’s heartbreaking. It shows the greater problem, and that’s your vision. It’s lacking.

Remember the adage: The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. The only way past this issue is through it. When you limit, restrict and outright ban things that make You uncomfortable, you deny others their right to learn and grow naturally. Not everyone has benefited from your upbringing, whatever that may be. Someone’s journey doesn’t have to mirror your own for their experiences to be valid and protected. Your self-inflated morals are going to be the death of us.

People will always do what’s best for themselves and their families. The only thing your doing is making people, who are already struggling to do the best they can, criminals. In my opinion, this destroys the life you’re trying to protect.

Matthew 7 :: NIV. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.