In recognition of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade today - let's talk about abortion, women's equality and choice.
Whether you believe that life begins at conception or not (and I don't), my advocating for safe abortions has more do with women's equality and my right to make my own choices - not the government and not based on someone else's religious beliefs, than it does with actual abortion procedure itself.
I completely understand and even respect that many, many people believe in life at conception and therefore see abortion as taking a life. And that is ok - we can just agree to disagree on when 'life' begins. I would ask, in return, that you respect that others, many others, do not hold that same belief. There are those who believe that a fetus is just that - a fetus and until it comes out of the womb or can survive on its own out of the womb, that it is not more important than the woman's life and doesn't even have the same rights until its out of the womb. Again, agree to disagree on when life begins, but respect a different belief.
However, I think we can agree about choice - making your own, being free to make your own. I think most religious scriptures call this "free will". Everyone is endowed with it. And it is not for us to judge - correct?
I also need you to understand that as a women who advocates for abortion rights this does not mean I think abortions are great and that everyone should have one. Quite frankly, it is quite the opposite. All I ask is that we leave that decision up to the the woman who has to make it and whomever else she chooses to include in that decision making process. Who should NOT be involved in this decision - you, me or the government.
I also want to ask that we stop trivializing this decision and the women who have to make them by buying into the idea that this is in any way an easy thing to do. Or that women are using it as birth control or that all abortions are late-term(in fact this is the least used form and only in emergencies or risk to the life of the mother) It is NEVER an easy decision to end a pregnancy. Until you can unequivocally stand in that woman's shoes, lest not ye judge.
Of course! I would like to see less unwanted or unplanned pregnancies - but the reality is this will always be around. We live in a society where sex education is vilified and even denied, where poverty is ignored, where we are baby obsessed(not child obsessed but baby obsessed) and where we give lip service to the children in our society (i.e. poor educational system, poor day care system, etc..). When these factors are in place, there will always be unwanted and unplanned pregnancies. Therefore, I don't see how we can't make sure they are safe and legal.
So, I celebrate the decision made in Roe v. Wade. It is vital to women and our equality. I would also remind everyone that this decision was about our right to privacy and abortion was just the subject of that privacy. This is a private decision and it should be left that way.