Offering balance to debate over ROE Act
Editor, Townsman:This letter offers balance to points made in a letter to the editor by Ms. Theresa Gorey which was recently published in The Eagle-Tribune and The Andover Townsman.Ms. Theresa Gorey states that the ROE Act (House Bill 3320) is Rep. Tram Nguyen’s bill. Actually the ROE Act is sponsored by Reps. Patricia A. Haddad (5th Bristol) and Jay D. Livingstone (8th Suffolk). Rep. Nguyen is just one of an additional 100 House members from all over the commonwealth who have co-sponsored it. Readers interested in this issue should download the bill from the Massachusetts House website (https://malegislature.gov/bills) and develop their own conclusions.
In my opinion, Ms. Gorey’s choice of words in her interpretation of the House Bill 3320, does not reflect the intent of the bill, nor is her interpretation shared by the legislators who have signed on to support this bill. Demonizing trained medical professionals and duly elected legislators by suggesting they would support and advocate for a bill to kill an unborn child is grossly unjust. Further her omissions on important language within the bill, such as “A physician, acting within their lawful scope of practice”, “physician’s best medical judgment”, “pregnant patient’s written informed consent on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health”, “duly licensed”, etc. weaken her position.Lastly, I have found Rep. Nguyen to be open and accessible to constituents. She has made it clear on many occasions that while she may not always share the viewpoint of constituents, she is ready to listen respectfully. My personal observation is that conversations, impassioned or not, as opposed to uninformed accusations, are always welcome.Yes, I am a supporter of Rep. Nguyen and I have a close working relationship with her. I am also a strong supporter of facts and civil discourse. One does not preclude my support of the other.
DIANE RIEMERAndoverhttps://www.andovertownsman.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/offering-balance-to-debate-over-roe-act/article_004aa915-0a72-53fa-bd5e-5c8a6dab7d0c.html