Abortion and our 1st Amendment rights

President Donald Trump is leading the religious right's push to overturn Roe v. Wade. For Trump, this is just to curry favor with the largest group supporting him, for others, it reflects their sincere religious views and beliefs.

The First Amendment to the Constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof." What this means is that every person has the constitutional right to any religion or religious views or the right to have none at all.

This is freedom OF religion. Explicit in this statement is freedom FROM religion; i.e. no religious views can be imposed on another person. Yet, this is what some religions would do by prohibiting abortions, removing the choice from the individual.

Their proposal is more than passing a federal law which prohibits abortion. It is the overturn of the first article of the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Robert Frankel

Schaumburg