Gloucester Daily Times Debate on Abortion (80), December 2, 1986

Let’s Make Abortion Less Necessary

I would like to thank the Voters of Massachusetts for the resounding defeat of Question 1 on the ballot — a proposed constitutional amendment that would have given the Legislature the power to regulate and prohibit abortion. By an overwhelming majority, voters in the commonwealth have affirmed that abortion is a personal, private decision. Similar attempts by anti-abortion groups in three other states — Rhode Island, Arkansas and Oregon — also failed on November 4.

Now that the rhetoric of the campaign is over, we must turn to the real challenge, to make abortions less necessary. We must educate young people about the consequences of sexual activity and about pregnancy prevention. We must make sure that contraception is available to all sexually active women and men who do not wish to become parents. And we must work to develop safer, more reliable birth control methods.

In sum, for the health of our families, and our society, we must work to ensure that children are born wanted and celebrated.

Nicki Nichols Gamble, executive director, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts