The Right to Choose
(image found here)
So there’s all of this fuss right now about Todd Akin’s asinine comment about how if a woman were ‘legitimately raped’ (vs. what, date raped? Raped by her husband? Asshat.), her body would put up its defenses, making pregnancy impossible, and thus, no need to feel badly for the poor woman who might be coming in for an abortion, because, clearly, she is a slut and needs to honor the life of the unborn child before her own. She was not raped. At least, not legitimately. This is a strawman that covers the main issue. The main issue is, can I get an abortion if I want one.
Make no mistake…that is the issue at hand. And we need to stop tiptoeing around it. We should stop saying, “If a woman gets pregnant because her birth control fails her, or she wasn’t using any, it’s all her fault, and she therefore doesn’t have the right to decide whether to have a baby or not, which she will then either have to give up for adoption or raise herself …because abortion is murder of an innocent life. HOWEVER, if she had no say in the matter, if she were raped, then suddenly, it’s NOT the taking of an innocent life.” That’s bull. I say, make up your mind, and ignore idiots like Akin, who want to pull us into these side issues.
Either a woman has the right to decide to continue her pregnancy, no matter how it was conceived, or she doesn’t. For those who say she doesn’t, for those who see that abortion as murder plain and simple, then I don’t see why there should be exceptions. All in or all out. Me, I’m all out. I do admit, sadly, that abortion is the end of a life. Murder if you want to use that term. It’s just that we have to decide…whose rights are paramount? Those of the unborn child, or those of the pregnant mother. To a woman who is faced with an unintended pregnancy, I cannot say, “Too bad, you had sex, have a baby. Too bad if you aren’t ready. Too bad if you have 5 children already. Too bad if the father is a guy you DO.NOT.WANT. in your life forever.” There are so many different reasons that people go through this. None of them are easy and pretty. In a perfect world, these women would be able to transfer their babies over into the body of a woman who wants one. But they’re not. I honestly do not believe that anyone should have to go through pregnancy if they don’t want to. It’s horrid. Or at least, it’s difficult.
Anyway, to get back to the meat of it…we have to decide…are we pro-choice, or not? If so, then it doesn’t matter how the baby got there. If not, then it doesn’t matter how the baby got there. Either way, rape isn’t the issue. It’s ugly and horrid and monstrous, and rapists should go to Hell (said the atheist who doesn’t believe in Hell), but it’s not a factor in abortion rights. Or at least, it shouldn’t be.
5 Comments
Starshine
Todd Akin’s comment was utterly ridiculous, not to mention harmful and disrespectful to women who have suffered a sexual assault.
J
Starshine, indeed it was. Hurtful and bad science to boot. Thankfully, there’s aren’t too many people out there who are that stupid. At least, I hope not!
Rain Trueax
I am pro-choice but not to the extent of saying it should be a choice for the whole nine months. I draw a line at when that changes as I do not think that a baby able to live outside the womb should be murdered for any reason in the womb. If it threatens the life of the mother, then do a C-section. I am nuanced with it as I am with gun control where I see a point at which some guns should not be in the hands of the public, and some people should not be permitted to have weapons. Nuances are not popular.
I see that what he said was stupid in terms of pregnancy; but if someone believes a zygote is a full human with all the rights of any of us, then there is no way rape should be an exception. The fetus didn’t rape the woman. I also do not believe in personhood where from the moment of conception the zygote has all the rights of a full human. Yes, they would become one but they are not. Many end in natural miscarriages as my mother described her having one. If personhood was the law of the land as Ryan and Romney say they want, every miscarriage could become an accusation.
Nuance says there is a point at which we can agree the fetus/baby is human and viable. Early abortions, birth control pills, any device that prevents implanting, none of that is a problem for me and I think it should totally be a woman’s choice; but bashing a baby’s head in to deliver it dead, that is.
Nance
I get very weary of the term “pro life.” Who among us, regardless of party affiliation, is not “pro life?” I’m alive, so that, by default, makes me Pro Life.
I am Pro Life and Pro Choice, by my definition. Until a man can gestate and deliver a child, then he should not be able to legislate my body’s ability to do so. There are no laws that govern sterilizing my body, so why should there be one forcing me to carry a child to term?
Medical science has proven that breastmilk is the best food for a baby. Will there soon be laws compelling women to breastfeed their infants?
Beyond those extraneous arguments, I agree with you. It’s not complicated; it’s a matter of basic rights. It may sound coldhearted, but that is the way one has to look at the issue in order to strip away emotional issues that cloud what is at its fundamental base: equal rights. Period.
OmbudsBen
One of the better bumperstickers a while back:
US out of my uterus
It’s so sad that we still have to deal with this silliness; it should have been decided and dealt with decades ago.