In this country, abortions took place long before the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade. During that time, only those with means were able to secure one in a more-or-less safe environment. Others, many others, obtained abortions under less optimal conditions and paid for it with their health and sometimes with their lives.
Like many women (like many people, I would imagine) I have always been very ambivalent about this issue. Is it life? Isn’t it life? When? And whose life takes precedence? The world’s major religions cannot agree on this question and there are even disputes about it within various sects of Christianity and Judaism. Abortion has been around for thousands of years, yet even our sacred texts do not deal directly with the issue.
If you really believe that life begins at the moment of conception (or before), the answer is clear: Life is life. I understand and respect the views of those who are opposed to abortion under any circumstance and why they feel so passionately about their cause. I support their right to vocally oppose something about which they believe so strongly and surely. But I do not feel that it is right for anyone to impose those religious views on another person. The decision whether to carry a pregnancy in your body is the most personal decision any women can make. It is not my body, it is not my decision. It is hers.
I don’t know what I would do if faced with an unplanned, difficult or complicated pregnancy. I am fortunate that I have never been in that position. In my work and my personal life, I have known women who have had abortions. None of those women went into the procedure lightly. I know of no one who did not struggle with all the alternatives. In my view and consistent with my own faith informed by grace, my response must be one of compassion and love, not judgement and scorn.
Instead of opposing abortion, I would advocate for a focus on programs that have been shown to reduce unplanned pregnancies in the first place. Free or low cost access to birth control is one. Condoms are available in any grocery store, but methods that can be controlled by women are not so readily available over the counter. Unfortunately, access to and funding for birth control is something that has also been vehemently opposed on religious grounds. Another area that has been shown to reduce unplanned pregnancies is teen access to accurate information regarding sex and contraception and programs that promote positive self-esteem and a positive body image for teenaged girls. Quality education in general provides teens with greater opportunities and, in turn has been shown to reduce unplanned pregnancies.
Programs that provide pre-natal care, low cost day care and healthcare for infants and nursing mothers enable women to make the decision to carry a pregnancy to term. However, these programs are also the first to face the chopping block when fiscal belt-tightening is discussed.
All of these initiatives – and more – are supported by the Democratic candidate in this election. I believe this stance to be more life affirming -- more pro-life, if you will-- than a singular focus on which candidate opposes abortion.
My concern is that the Republican candidate’s volatility and lack of knowledge poses a greater danger to the safety of children already born in this country and around the world. This is a discussion for another day, but is in my mind, no less important.
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