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An Open Letter from Religious Leaders in Washington, DC:
July 31, 2012 Dear Representative, We, the undersigned religious leaders from the District of Columbia, urge you to oppose H.R.3803, “District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” We stand united across our faith traditions in opposing this attempt by Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona to limit the health care options available to women in the District of Columbia by outlawing access to abortion care after 20 weeks with no exceptions for a women’s health or in cases of rape, incest, or fetal anomalies. Not every pregnancy ends the way a family hopes it will. Some end in miscarriage; sometimes the mother develops serious complications, and sometimes she finds out that there is something seriously wrong with the pregnancy. Our religious values call us to offer compassion, support, and respect to a woman and her family facing these difficult circumstances. We believe that the decision to end a pregnancy is best left to a woman in consultation with her family, her doctor, and her faith. A family with a wanted pregnancy that goes terribly wrong is confronted with awful decisions that none of us ever want to face. In the circumstances when a woman needs an abortion, it is critically important that she have access to safe and legal care. HR 3803 will only make a difficult situation worse. The fact that Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton was denied the opportunity to testify makes it even clearer that this bill is based on ideology and politics and not the health and safety of the women of the District of Columbia. Indeed, this legislation is widely recognized as part of a larger strategy to outlaw abortion everywhere, with the District of Columbia as a stepping stone. As religious leaders with a commitment to both women’s health and to serving the families of the District of Columbia, we view HR 3083 as a meddlesome and dangerous intrusion into the lives of women and families—as well as the governance—of our city. What the District of Columbia needs is genuine leadership that helps to make jobs, housing, and healthcare available and accessible to all. As religious leaders from the District of Columbia, we urge you not to put women in harm’s way by passing this ban. Please, oppose HR 3803 and allow each woman and her family to make the decision that is best for their individual circumstances. In faith, SIGNERS Rev. Paul Abernathy Rev. Steven C. Baines Rev. John Beddingfield Rev. Steve Clunn Cantor Laura T. Croen Rev. Sidney D. Fowler Rev. Elder Darlene Garner Rev. Barbara Gerlach Rev. Louise Green Rev. Dr. Barbra Hardy Rev. Cedric Harmon Rev. Vincent P. Harris Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey Rev. Kathryn Johnson Nancy Kaufman Rev. Robert Keithan Rev. Harry Knox Rabbi Esther Lederman Rev. Barry Lynn Rev. Judith E. Michaels Rabbi Aaron Miller Rev. Susan Newman Jon O'Brien Rabbi Jessica Oleon Rev. Dale Ostrander Rev. Amanda Poppei Rabbi Mindy Avra Portnoy Rabbi Fred N. Reiner Rabbi Jonathan Roos Rabbi Susan N. Shankman Dr. Alethea Smith-Withers Deborah Sokolove Sandy Sorensen Rev. Mary Kay Totty Rev. Doris Warrell Cantor Meryl Weiner Rev. J. Philip Wogaman Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel
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