Editor,
I am the survivor of two ectopic pregnancies. In the years since, I have been a worker, a mom, a wife, a teacher and a volunteer. I have paid taxes, bought homes, supported my community and voted. I have gardened, created art, written poetry and published short stories. I have loved and have been loved. None of that would have been possible had the proposed Personhood Legislation been enacted. Had the Personhood legislation been enacted, I would have suffered an excruciating death from shock and infection. An ectopic (literally, “out of place”) pregnancy cannot result in a viable fetus. In fact, there is no true pregnancy as an embryo does not develop beyond erupting the fallopian tube it implanted in. To say that a pregnancy has been ended when saving the life of the woman is a fallacy. Additionally, an embryo cannot be transplanted into a uterus once it has implanted in a fallopian tube. If legislators claim to be “pro-life,” but reject treating a woman who has an ectopic pregnancy, they are essentially consigning her to a death sentence – which is not pro-life. Indiana and national candidates have maintained they are pro-life and therefore in favor of Personhood legislation. This is unacceptable to women like me who have lived through ectopic pregnancies and gone on to have productive, fulfilled lives. It is the responsibility of legislators to become educated on the issues they stand behind, and that includes all aspects of what is being considered as Personhood legislation.
Jody Kuchar
46033