Election Day in Virginia is Tuesday, November 2. The positions of lieutenant governor, attorney general, all 100 delegate seats, and of course, governor. This is a huge election, and since Virginia is an off-year election state, the only other state electing a new governor this year is New Jersey, the stakes are even higher to make sure voters are aware that there is an election and have a plan to vote.
I want to talk about the race for governor, in particular. Glenn Youngkin is a first-time politician with a multi-million dollar net worth from years of working as a private equity executive. Youngkin is a staunch Republican who has voiced viewpoints ranging from being against the teaching of critical race theory in Virginia public schools to anti-abortion ideologies.
One of the many scary things about Youngkin is that he has kept the specifics of his anti-abortion stance somewhat off the record. That is not without strategy, as Texas governor Greg Abbott has been at the center of a national firestorm over his signing of the extremely controversial “heartbeat bill” in Texas.
Youngkin has said for certain, however, that he believes that abortions should be banned after the point that a fetus can feel “pain.” Fetal pain is a highly contested topic, and it has been determined that a fetus being able to feel pain is unlikely before the third trimester. Only 1.4 percent of abortions occur after the 21-week mark, and these are usually when the life of the expectant mother is directly at risk.
While anti-abortion advocates who use the fetal pain argument use this reasoning to suggest that abortions should not be allowed after the 20-week period. Thalamocortical fibers, which create the pathways necessary to feel pain, do not begin to develop until the 23rd or 30th week of gestation. Furthermore, functional pain perception often does not occur until the 29th or 30th week of pregnancy.
The concept of a fetus being able to feel pain is often used to shame women into making a coerced decision related to their personal health. A politician should not be making laws about women’s bodies based on a scientifically unfounded concept that has been disproven by current literature.
One of my main concerns with Youngkin’s possible election is that we will see regression in the progress made in Virginia related to abortion rights and healthcare. I also think that our current political climate and that since Donald Trump’s 2016 election have been marred with bureaucracy, divisiveness, and fear. Youngkin’s election would only exacerbate the toxicity of this climate.
We don’t need another businessman turned politician. I do, however, look forward to Election Day tomorrow with hope. I believe Virginians have been more vigilant and aware of injustice and social issues since the pandemic occurred. I believe that vigilance could work in the favor of health rights and progressive work for Virginians. Stay informed and keep your head up, collegiettes.