Civil Discourse

Last week members of my congregation had a meeting with Tricia Farley-Bouvier, our Massachusetts State Representative, to ask her to co-sponsor, or at the very least support, the Roe Act.

The Roe Act would codify the right to an abortion in Massachusetts, add “fatal fetal anomalies'“ as a reason for abortion after 24 weeks, and eliminate the requirement that minors go before a judge if they cannot approach their parents for consent. The Act would also increase the safety net for women and remove archaic medical language from existing law.

We knew that Rep. Farley-Bouvier is on record as being personally opposed to abortion because of her Catholic faith but committed to not letting her personal beliefs interfere with upholding the law and meeting the needs of her constituents. She is a staunch advocate for women’s rights.

After ensuring that everyone had a chance to express their opinions and share their personal stories, Representative Farley-Bouvier immediately indicated that the deadline for co-sponsorship had passed, but that in any event she had refused to co-sponsor the bill. Her issue, she shared with us, is the consent provision. She is concerned that if a girl of twelve, for example, needs an abortion, she is likely to be the victim of abuse, or increasingly of trafficking. If she can get the abortion without any adult intervention, she may be sent back to her abuser or trafficker. Some providers, she said, do a good job of identifying and reporting abuse. Others are negligent. This is a complicated issue, she said, and she would prefer that it be worked out before the legislation is bought to the floor.

We spent time talking about the options for intervention by a “responsible adult.” We urged her to consider the difference between consent and protection, so that a girl would not encounter delays that could reduce her medical options but would receive help.

My goal in writing about this conversation is not to discuss abortion. Rather, I wanted to share how people can come together to discuss one of the most divisive issues in contemporary society and speak thoughtfully and calmly to solve a problem.

Unfortunately, too many elected officials seem incapable of speaking across differences and putting the needs of the people they serve ahead of their own political ambition. We should demand civil discourse of anyone running for office -and of ourselves.