SOMETHING IS MISSING IN many WOMEN VOTERS

By Ada Brownell

Republican, Democrat, Independent, or Socialist, a large majority of women eligible to vote have a huge liability—time to think.

For years, I didn’t vote because I didn’t have time to investigate the candidates. I didn’t even know which political party to align myself with.

Our five children grew up and didn’t require so much care, so I began to pay attention when an election loomed ahead.

I began to think, and knew babies are more than a blob in a woman’s uterus. Our fifth child was the only one that was a surprise, and even though well-meaning friends who didn’t take time to think advised me to have an abortion, I knew I had a baby in my womb, who lived from the moment of conception, moved, had hiccups, and grew in my belly.

Yes, I had a child with severe asthma that demanded much of my time, but the daughter that I delivered has been such a blessing and a joy!

 I decided the first thing I’d want to know about a candidate is that person’s view of abortion. No matter what else the candidate supports, if the person didn’t respect life, I’d vote for the other party.

After that would come things such as support for our military, a commitment to freedom according to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Yes, I’ve taken time to read both documents. I want someone who will also open our borders to legal immigration, and shut the door to those who break the law to come.

 I’d want the person to be wise about how to help the poor, defend the handicapped, and find solutions to providing health care at a reasonable cost, prevent Medicare and Medicaid from going bankrupt by tightening wasteful spending, which includes advertising for medications that can’t be purchased without a prescription. I’d want the candidate to support and build more community health centers, where patients pay on a sliding fee according to income. I want someone with the guts to defund Planned Parenthood, and get the government out of the abortion business.

The greatest thing about freedom is I can think about my vote and cast it accordingly.

I pray this generation of women will register, and get out and vote. But first, take time to think about who you’re voting for, and how that vote will affect their future, perhaps even into old age.

--Ada Brownell is a retired reporter for The Pueblo Chieftain and the author of several hundred published magazine articles and nine books.