This letter to the editor, by John Krized, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on September 26, 2024.

Many conservative voters cite “abortion” as their number one issue.

I can understand their personal views on abortion, but what about choice?

In a conversation with incumbent Assembly District 30 Representative Shannon Zimmerman, I asked him why he was against abortion in all cases. He replied, “When I was 17, we became pregnant. We knew it would be hard raising a child while still trying to go to school and build our future. We are so proud we decided to have the child.”

I then asked, “What did you have back then?” He replied, “Well, we had a boy.” I responded, “No, I meant what did you have at the time you chose not to have an abortion?” He looked bewildered. I raised one finger and said, “It is only one thing, and that was a choice.” I said, “My wife had choice, my daughter had choice, but now my five granddaughters do not have choice.” He shrugged his shoulders and walked away. 

Mr. Zimmerman says he is on the side of God in being anti-abortion, but what he neglects to recognize is that his God gave us free will, and that means we may choose what to do with our bodies.

I make no judgment on abortion as a procedure—what I hold sacred is a woman’s right to decide for herself whether to carry a pregnancy to term.

To state—unequivocally and in all cases—that abortion should be illegal is sanctimonious and without empathy for a woman making one of the toughest decisions of her life.

Alison Page would support removing government interference with a woman’s right to make her own decisions about what is right for her body and her life. Alison Page understands that government policy should not dictate 

these deeply personal decisions.

This November, choose to vote for Alison Page as our Assembly District 30 Representative,so that we may all have the same freedoms to make our own choices about our families that Mr. Zimmerman and his wife had.