Women As Property Controlled By The State — Letters that should have been in the new york times

7.1.22

To the editor:

I am incredulous that Erika Bachioch suggests that the pro-life movement must convince pro-choicers that unborn children are 'not expendable property' (7.1.22, What Makes a Fetus a Person ). She equates the 'my body, my choice' argument with a 'my body as property right.' I disagree. It is an assertion of agency and free will, the antithesis of property. it is an acknowledgement of our history of enslaving black women, owning them as property, and forcibly impregnating them. It is an antidote to the the patriarchal and racist remnants of our history.

This is Donald Trump's legacy - he used the religious right to get into office and they used him to get what they wanted. It will take a lifetime to undo the damage he has wrought. Women's bodies are being controlled by the state. And those women who can least manage an unwanted pregnancy will be the most affected.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg