Dear Mr. Trump,

Although I do not have any personal experience with abortion, and probably never will, I still believe that it is one of the most important rights a woman has. Abortion is really important for women due to the fact that they know they can be safe even if a crisis happens. If a woman was raped and got pregnant or they do not have the financial means to raise a child, they know that they can get out of their situation safely and legally. There are an outstanding amount of women who need an abortion but they simply cannot get one.

In Mississippi, there is only one abortion clinic in the entire state, but they are even in jeopardy. There are protesters outside everyday and the clinic even had to hire bodyguards to escort women inside of the clinic because they never know when it’s going to get out of hand. This is why abortion needs to stay and it needs to be more accessible. In an interview with Meet The Press on August 16, 2015, you were asked if you were ever a donor to Planned Parenthood, which is an organization that provides many different options or programs that advocates women’s health and they also provide abortions. You replied with, “But look, Planned Parenthood has to stop with the abortions. A lot of people consider it an abortion clinic. I think those tapes that I saw were outrageous and disgusting by any standpoint. And they have to stop.” Planned Parenthood provides women with the help they need and one of the things they provide are abortions. Planned Parenthood also provides birth control, emergency contraceptives, and UTI treatment. If Planned Parenthood is defunded, it takes away treatment that some women need and cannot function without. Although I can see your side of the argument, I just don’t get how you can change views so extremely in such a small amount of time. In a PBS News Hour, just two months before the article that I've mentioned above was released, it was said that “he believes abortion should be banned at some point in pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.” From point of perspective, I would take that as an argument by someone who is pro-choice. In that same News Hour, they said that “Trump then wrote that he supported a woman’s right to choose.” Apparently, that was said in 2011 to the Christian Broadcasting Network, which was only a few years previous. Abortion needs to be more accessible and you defunding the largest clinic that provides them is like taking away a woman’s right to vote. You are taking away a right that women all around are born with and that they should keep.

As I said previously, I do not have any personal experience with abortion, and most likely never will, but this is still really important not only to me but to people worldwide. Yours and Mr. Pence’s plans with what you want to do to abortion clinics nationwide is taking a right away from women who need it. For example, shutting down the only clinic in Mississippi will take the right away from women in Mississippi and defunding Planned Parenthood will take the right away from women throughout the entire nation.

Best of luck in office,

Daniel Parker