The worst lie is the one that is disingenuous because it assumes that the recipient is too stupid to understand they are being played for a fool. In her letter of 7/22/23 (‘Time to protect Ohio Constitution’), Ms. Janine Baker accuses Democrats of being disingenuous in citing the abortion amendment in November as one of the primary reasons Issue 1 has been advanced by Republican extremists. She refers to that contention as the “epitome of deceit.”
Baker is the one being disingenuous. In May, Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose bluntly told an audience that Issue 1 “is 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our Constitution.” How much more evidence do you need?
In addition, Baker contends that the proposed reproductive rights amendment “removes parental rights.” But the amendment itself says nothing at all about parental rights. It’s completely about protecting a woman’s right to reproductive medical care. Parental rights and a minor’s rights are already addressed by HIPAA, and if Ms. Baker doesn’t approve of HIPAA regulations, her argument should be with the federal government and not with every adult woman’s right to control what they do with their own bodies.
If Issue 1 passes Aug. 8, it would require any future constitutional amendment to pass with a 60% majority. That, along with Issue 1’s other stipulations, would effectively close any opposition to the whims of an illegally gerrymandered legislature, not only on abortion rights but on any other issue.
The Ohio Constitution has functioned well for over 100 years. That it supposedly needs a sudden repair just before November belies all claims being made by people like Ms. Baker. It is plainly an attempt by a misogynist legislature to be able to keep treating women with appalling paternalism.
Common decency would dictate that the clearly disingenuous claims of the Baker-ilk should embarrass them, but then, when it comes to grasping for power, they seem beyond scruples. To them the truth is nothing more than an undetected lie.
Vote no on issue 1.
Tony Marconi
Delaware
