Jennifer Shepherd

Sovereignty Threatened

Duvall, Washington

Even the humblest woman should, by rights, be queen over one thing – her own body.  Conservatives’ attempts to eliminate women’s sovereign rights over their own reproductive systems appear to me to be a step in the process of returning women to chattel status.  Yes, the ability to create new life is a miracle and a treasure – but it is also something about which each woman should be able to make the final decision for herself.  And while there is a place for input for the women’s partner, family, and doctor,  it is totally inappropriate for the government and the church to shove themselves into this most private domain.