Lohud.com, September 14, 2012 by Linda R. Garfunkel
As a lifelong Democrat, I have avoided paying much attention to the Republican National Convention.
But one issue in their platform is of great interest to me: personhood and when it begins.
The Republican Party believes it starts at conception. So their national platform states that there should be no abortion, even in the case of rape, incest or to protect the health of the mother. (I recently read that Mitt Romney’s sister insisted that as president he would allow abortions to take place, but, alas, he had no comment).
Another article states that conceiving a child via in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be restricted under this Republican silliness. Two of Romney’s grandchildren were conceived this way. Approximately 8 percent of American couples who want a child are helped by IVF. Will the Republican National Committee halt scientific advances? Why even bother asking that question?
If the law of the land becomes such that an embryo is considered a person:
1. Will pregnant women have to pay for two movie tickets, two admissions to museums, two train and plane tickets?
2. Will the census count every pregnant woman as two people?
3. Will a pregnant woman be able to claim an extra dependent on her income tax returns before she even gives birth?
This idea of personhood beginning at conception can have wild and detrimental ramifications for the entire society, not even thought about by these people claiming that we must have it in our society.
Linda R. Garfunkel
Tarrytown
War on Women 
Posted on September 14, 2012