Montana Republicans selectively pro-life

In spite of all the research that shows wearing masks and social-distancing saves lives, our state Legislature fails to acknowledge the facts and instead relies on “personal responsibility” to address the pandemic. Over 1,100 Montanans have died and more than 4,000 hospitalized. I can’t help but wonder how many could have been saved if we had been afforded responsible leadership.

I am tired of anti-maskers ranting about their constitutional rights and being forced to wear a piece of cloth over one’s mouth and nose is such an assault on their bodies. Yet, the Montana Republicans in the Legislature apparently feel it is OK to trample on the rights of women by introducing four anti-abortion bills. Evidently, they think women should not be allotted the right to control their own bodies.

Why does NOT wearing a mask have a higher constitutional right than the very personal decisions a woman makes with her physician and family? Does the Legislature honestly think that women are that stupid or need more barriers to make medical decisions that directly impact them? Where is a woman’s right to be allowed personal responsibility?

In 2017, nearly 1,600 abortions were performed in Montana and that rate saw a 9% decrease between 2014-2017. The callous Legislature is more concerned with those numbers than the 1,100 who died from COVID-19. Interfering with a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion apparently trumps protecting high risk senior citizens such as myself from the pandemic. How hypocritical to be so selectively pro-life.

Jan Metzmaker, Whitefish