Two Illinois abortion bills should apply to the other 49

Brittany Clingen Carl's lengthy commentary (Tribune, March 16) opposing two proposed abortion bills making Illinois possibly the most progressive state for strengthening women's reproductive health, makes clear her singular agenda: reducing safe, legal and cost effective access to abortion. This is demonstrated by her agonizing over Illinois' status as an "abortion oasis" where thousands of women "flock to Illinois for abortion procedures they cannot access in their home state." Implicit in this concern is that such efforts are bad for Illinois, bad for society and bad for the women. 

Does it ever occur to Ms. Carl that each one of the 5,500 plus women who made the trek to Illinois in 2017 had their future saved by this Lincoln land abortion oasis. The delay, anguish and cost to make the trip is something no pregnant woman should ever have to endure to get the reproductive care she should have as an absolute right. Does Ms. Carl ponder how many women were unable to gather the wherewithal for the trip, resulting in an unwanted child and a lifetime of personal and family dysfunction. Or how many simply got an unsafe, humiliating and expensive back alley abortion close to home. 

None of that real, personal anguish appears in Carl's piece. Every argument she offers simply boils down to reducing, if not ending abortion, regardless of the personal and family harm such opposition causes. We can be proud Illinois will lead the nation in strengthening women's reproductive health. Illinois will soon set the bar for the other 49 to emulate.