November 10, 2008

Pro Choice

I’m glad proposition 4 didn’t pass and I’m going to tell you why. First of all, for those who don’t know, it required a waiting period and parental notification before termination of a minor’s pregnancy. I understand that abortion shouldn’t be used for birth control. I also know that the majority of teenage girls will not tell their parents about an unwanted pregnancy. Should they be having sex before marriage? No. Are they going to have it anyway? Yes. You did and so did I. We have come along way, why would you want to turn back the hands of time? Do we really want our kids in back alleys with coat hangers or babies being born and thrown in the trash cans?

I had an unwanted pregnancy at 16. I was able to tell my mother and she helped me make my decision. She also went with me to get an abortion. Am I proud of it? No, and I would never want to go thru that again mentally. I was too young to have a baby and yes, too young to be having sex. I did, however, end up marrying the father, which was another mistake. People shouldn’t judge other people for their choices. We have a family planning click across the street from my work and I see how they make those poor girls feel. Its awful. No one in this world is perfect. We all make choices that affect our lives and the lives of others. One thing everyone needs to remember though, we live is a free country and its our right to choose. Roe vs Wade was passed years ago. To go back in time would be a grave injustice to women, whether you agree with abortion or not. The fact that the proposition did not pass lets me know that Im not the only one with these feelings. You have to be realistic about life. Living in a fantasy world will get you no where.

2 comments:

Susan Demeter said...

Excellent post, and I agree with you 100%. I also think it takes a lot of courage to come forward with your own experience so publicly. :)

DNLee said...

here here. And I co-sign Sue. Thanks for sharing your story. You did have to. Legal, safe planned parenting (including abortion) allows individuals to keep their anonymity when making hard decisions like these. Private decision making about medical choices - whatever they may be - is what being pro-choice is about. It's long overdue that the issue needs to be re-framed as such.