When I started work on a research project looking at parallels between Prohibition of the last century and the anti-abortion crusade of today, I quickly learned that Jessica Valenti’s newsletter “Abortion, Every Day” is an indispensable resource for anyone who cares about protecting reproductive freedom and justice. Her new book “Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win” is a comprehensive assessment of the assault on abortion rights, and more insidiously on birth control. It’s also a warning that, as we’re already seeing, as abortion ban politicians become frustrated with the impotence of their threats to imprison doctors they will find new ways to criminalize women.

This book is also a roadmap for how we can see through the smokescreen of anti-abortion disinformation disguised to appear “pro-family” with words like compassion, empathy, parents’ rights, and the like. Whatever you think your opinions are now, this book will challenge your assumptions. The perverse consequences and future costs of abortion bans will eventually affect almost everyone. As Valenti writes (on page 153), “Abortion is a democracy issue, an economic issue, a worker’s rights and a racism issue. It’s a speech issue and a parents’ issue.”

In terms of the potentially profound and lasting harmful effect on an individual and their career, family, and life circumstances, the probable impact of being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy is far greater than the potential impact of immigration, inflation, or any of the other topics dominating today’s headlines. If you don’t think abortion bans will have a direct impact on you and/or people you care about, reading this book will open your eyes.

Thirty-five years ago, my wife had a lifesaving emergency abortion. Today we’re reading about women suffering and dying because they are denied the same care that saved my wife’s life. And as a father and uncle, today I worry that my daughter or nieces could have their lives derailed by a state-mandated pregnancy, knowing too that abortion ban politicians lack the courage to hold the impregnating man accountable and that the burdens and sacrifices of child rearing will fall entirely upon these young women. That’s why I agree with Valenti’s statement (on page 85): “Every abortion denied is a tragedy… Forcing anyone to be pregnant against their will, for any reason, is immoral and cruel.”

I’ve ordered copies of the book to donate to public libraries in my town and in surrounding communities and encourage you to do the same for your public library.

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Category	Administration & Medicine Economics