Work together to create a balanced policy

An LPNC Candidate Issue Paper by
Steven R Feldman, MD, PhD
2024 candidate for U.S. Congress, NC’s 10th Congressional District

Abortion or reproductive rights is an issue for which there is no reasonable compromise. The government should—absolutely—not try to control women’s bodies. The government—absolutely—should not condone murder. These two “no compromise is possible” principles are at odds, and some balance must be found.

People on both the pro-Choice and pro-Life sides of this issue should advocate for their positions respectfully and try to understand each other’s point of view. People of good will may disagree as to whether a fetus is a baby. We should recognize and respect the beliefs of people who think that a fetus is or is not a baby. People who want to protect unborn babies do not want to control women’s bodies; they just want to prevent the murder of unborn babies. People who don’t want the government to force every woman to carry every pregnancy to term don’t want to kill babies; they just want women to have control over their bodies.

The government should not be in the business of forcing women to give birth, at all times, in all situations. Nor should a woman be permitted to end her pregnancy (kill her baby) indiscriminately, at all times, for just any reason.

Clearly, we should minimize the number of unwanted pregnancies. Beyond that, there is no position that would fully satisfy the beliefs of all people. A reasonable, balanced compromise policy can include:
• Government should not fund elective abortions. Medically necessary abortion required to save the life of the mother should not be restricted
• Making abortion illegal after a certain period of gestation, with proper consideration for the health of the mother, should be left to local community standards to best reflect the heartfelt beliefs of people in those communities.
• Government should not discourage or otherwise limit speech to peacefully convince others of their respective views.