I’ve been sitting here quietly (okay, maybe not so quietly) for the past week, as the rights of women, to obtain a safe and legal abortion, have fallen under attack.
I shuddered with anger and fear, when I read headlines like these…
“These 25 Republicans (all white men) just voted to ban abortion in Alabama”
“Missouri Legislature passes abortion ban at 8 weeks of pregnancy“
“Texas abortion bill would allow the death penalty for women”
“Arkansas passes law allowing rapists to prevent victims who want an abortion”
“Louisiana ‘heartbeat’ abortion ban nearing final passage”
Regardless of your opinion on the subject of ‘abortion;’ if your not outraged by this, you’re not paying attention!
What the hell is happening? No, seriously what the hell is happening??? I thought we had worked this out, back in the 1960’s and 70’s? Didn’t we agree back then that our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and girlfriends would no longer have to sneak into dirty, dimly lite, back-ally, shops; for a medical procedure, performed by a ‘butcher’ with a fucking wire “coat hanger!” Didn’t the Supreme Court say in 1973, that this barbaric, inhumane practice would no longer be necessary, acceptable or tolerated?
Didn’t we agree that women deserved better? Don’t they still?
Let me first go on record as saying, I do not believe in abortion as a method of birth control. No woman should ever take that right, for granted or with such a “laissez faire,” perverse attitude. Abortion should NEVER be considered an acceptable or customary method of birth control!
It is however 2019; and there are numerous, safe, legal and effective birth control options out there to prevent unwanted pregnancies! Most, are available to everyone. There is virtually no reason for an unwanted pregnancy to occur. (With of course exceptions, like rape, incest, a bona fide threat to the mother’s life, if the pregnancy were to go full term, etc… in which case, abortion should always be a option.)
However, what there is NOT enough of is… information and education! Perhaps if Anti-Choice proponents put as much time, energy and money into educating young people about contraceptives (and about sex in general!) as they do into anti-choice rhetoric, lobbying, advertisements and smear campaigns… then perhaps there wouldn’t be such a demand for abortion.
Not talking about sex, does not prevent it from happening!
Educating people about sex & contraceptives, is not condoning the act!
According to the National Abortion Federation, “…women between the ages of 15 and 19 account for about 19% of all abortions (in the USA) and women between 20 to 24, account for another 33%. We’re doing our young women a grave injustice by not providing them them with necessary information (regarding sexuality, relationships, sex, contraception, abstinence, abortion, etc.) earlier in their lives; before they’re faced with making important, sometimes life altering, decisions.
We should be giving our young women (and men) all of the facts, information and tools, they need (not just the abstinence talk!) to make informed, educated decisions. Let’s see if that reduces the demand for abortion!
We won’t know until we try.
Yes, of course… there will always be “mistakes,” (And of course, there will unfortunately be those horrifying situations, in which a young woman finds herself pregnant, through no fault or choice of her own!) … the most mature, sexually aware/educated, well intentioned teen, (hell, forget teen, let’s just say female) can and will get caught up in the “heat of the moment.”
And then what?
Well… I can speak from experience, because I’ve lived through the pain and heartache of being in this very frightening, traumatic, dilemma.
The year was 1971. And even though I was a mature, aware, educated, well intentioned, young woman, I was also a hot blooded human being, who allowed herself to get caught up in one of those very moments.
I was 17, pregnant and scared as hell.
Thank God, I had enough self awareness to know (without a question of a doubt) that marrying my 17 year old, knit wit, boyfriend and living in some crappy three decker, in Worcester, Massachusetts, was not an option.
…but neither was being a single, 17 year old, unwed mother.
Please do not think, for one minute, I made this decision lightly, or without tremendous heartache and emotional agony.
I did not.
However, it was “I” who made the decision to terminate my pregnancy. It did not require approval from my boyfriend, my parents, or the State of Massachusetts…
My mistake. My pregnancy. My body. My decision.
This took place two years before the Supreme Court would rule that abortions were to be legal throughout the United States; however Massachusetts (and a few other states) had already passed laws legalising abortion. So I was lucky enough to have access to a reputable, hygienic clinic in Boston; where I was treated with the utmost respect and dignity.
A “one to one” discussion, took place, before the procedure, to ensure that I was mentally and emotionally ready to make a decision of this magnitude. I was also presented with other options, just in case I hadn’t been aware of them. {By the way… this pre-procedure care/counselling, was facilitated by the now supposedly evil and wicked “Planned Parenthood” organisation. *SMH*
When all was said and done, I could not see myself carrying a baby for 9 months and then putting it up for adoption; nor was raising a baby on my own, an option. I went through with the procedure.
Have I ever wondered about that decision? Yes, of course I have.
Have I ever regretted that decision? No, never.
That decision was right for me.
I totally understand and respect the fact that it might not be the right decision for everyone who finds themselves in that predicament; but even at 17, I would never have tried to impose my belief or opinion about abortion on anyone else!
Like I said, I was one of the lucky ones. Many women, during this same time throughout the United States, were not as lucky… they were haemorrhaging out, in the back of empty store fronts; or they were dying weeks later, alone and in pain from horrific infections. These women were all somebody’s mother, sister, wife, girlfriend, mistress… and they all deserved better!
So here we are some 46 years later after the Supreme Court listened, acted and gave women the right to make this (very personal) decision, there are those who are trying to systematically strip it away.
Who are these people?
Well… they’re predominantly white, middle aged, upper middle class, men. Sure… that makes sense. They’re mostly men; why the fuck not? Men should definitely be the ones making decisions about women’s bodies, right? 🤬
Sure, men like Rep. Tim Murphy, a longtime supporter of anti-abortion legislation, who recently resigned; following revelations that he tried to pressure his mistress into have an abortion, when he believed she was pregnant.
Women are being threatened with real consequences like the death penalty, jail time and crippling law suites. (Yes, even if the an abortion ends a pregnancy, that was the result of a rape or an act of incest!!!)
Believe me, when I say I am mad as hell.
I firmly believe these anti-choice proponents, right wing politicians and religious conservative leaders have no business telling any woman what she can and can not do with or to her body!
Certainly not anymore right, than I have of telling them (these misogynistic, power hungry, white privileged, racist, idiot men) that they must have a vestectomy, in order to stop the world from being populated with more like them!!!! God I wish I had that right, but I don’t!
In 2018, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, asked (the then) Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh;
“Can you think of any laws that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?”
After an awkward exchange between the two (because he was trying to evade the question) Kavanaugh responded;
“I’m not aware… I’m not… thinking of any right now, senator.”
Of course you’re not fucking thinking of any right now, you moron… because THERE AREN’T ANY!
I am mad as hell… and I want to know who turned the fucking clock back to 1940?
Our bodies. Our decision.
rantings of a madwoman 
I had this discussion with a group of international females the other evening, I was the only US citizen, I think DISBELIEF was the word that summed up our very animated and outraged discussion. I felt so disrespected by the many, mainly, male voices being quoted in the media, there are just no words, only our vote! Finding it difficult to accept this horrible setback to females in the US, were we getting too powerful, just a thought!
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I can’t imagine what European woman think about what’s happening in the US! And yes ‘disrespected,” devalued, minimised, diminished, and all the rest… I’m finding it impossible to “accept this horrible setback to females in the US,” How did we get here? What the hell is happening????
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Gloria Steinem quoted on her FB page a still-unknown person: “I want any young men who buy a gun to be treated like young women who seek an abortion. Think about it: a mandatory 48-hours waiting period, written permission from a parent or a judge, a note from a doctor proving that he understands what he is about to do, time spent watching a video on individual and mass murders, traveling hundreds of miles at his own expense to the nearest gun shop, and walking through protestors holding photos of loved ones killed by guns, protestor who call him a murderer.
After all, it makes more sense to do this for young men seeking guns than for young women seeking an abortion. No young woman needing reproductive freedom has ever murdered a roomful of strangers.
(This riff is not mine, it’s on the Internet – I thank whoever gave us all this present.)”
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Yes, thank you… I agree! Let’s take it even further: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/433824-georgia-legislator-to-introduce-testicular-bill-of-rights
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Yes, you have the right to make the choice to have sex and you also have the right to the consequences that come with it.
If you choose to do stupid things no matter your age you get to live with them.
Now you do not have the right to make me pay for your decisions.
You do not have the right to kill a human being that you created by making a bad decision.
Yes, it is your body and the little human you have created also has a body although it is in yours for a while, and that person too has a right to their body.
It is not so simple as you just made a mistake so flush it down the toilet and move on.
NO, we call that murder.
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Thank you for your comment… you have the right to your opinion. However, I don’t believe I asked you (or anyone else) to ‘pay,’ for my decision. (?) And you can call it whatever you want… but the Supreme Court (and I) beg to differ with you.
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Only for the time as it is controlled by those without conscience. You can live in denial but unpon death you will be judged harshly and truly pay the price of your denial.
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So be it; let it be between me and God. …which makes it none of your (or anyone else’s) business.
Matt.7. [1] Judge not, that ye be not judged. [2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. [3] And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
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So you believe the same for all Murder’s? Interesting, so pro-death would accurately describe you. Unfortunately for you we don’t condone murder. The fight will continue. The fact that you quote the Bible seems to say you have some concerns about your stay on earth. I would hate to be in your head it must be constant war.
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Thank you for sharing you’re thoughts… we’re done now.
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Don’t forget that there is a part of Europe, indeed of the United Kingdom, where the law is already much the same as that proposed for Alabama – i.e. Northern Ireland… Let’s hope not for much longer…
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Yes… that’s true. Sad, but true.
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