This is in response to the Alabama legislature’s decision to ban abortions in the state unless the life of the mother is in danger. Rape is one thing, but when a woman chooses to have sex, not realizing or caring about the consequences and decides to end the life of an innocent child, that’s wrong. Life is precious, and birth control isn’t always effective. Babies don’t choose to be conceived or born, but unless the life of the fetus and/or mother is in danger, every fetus deserves a chance to live.
Stevie thinks Alabama’s male legislators need to be educated about what it’s like to be a woman with an unplanned pregnancy, but if anyone should be educated, it’s young people. The message they should be given is this. If you’re not ready to start a family, don’t have sex. If you get pregnant accidentally, either raise the child in the loving environment he/she deserves, or find the child a good home. If my mother decided to have an abortion in 1961, I wouldn’t be here.
Now that you know my view, read Stevie’s post. Then, you can let us both know what you think.
Alabama’s State Senate approved a bill by 25 votes to 6 to outlaw abortions in almost all cases except where a mother’s life is at risk.
The senators who approved the bill were all men. Surprise, surprise ….none of the 4 female senators backed the bill.
I felt quite angry when I read this on my BBC News app. Why are these men interfering with women’s rights? In my opinion a woman should be in control of her own body and have the right to terminate a pregnancy if she so wishes. Men have no idea of the thoughts and feelings a woman might have towards an unwanted foetus growing in her body. If men could give birth, how would they feel knowing there is an unwanted baby growing inside them, maybe due to rape, that they will have to curtail their career to bring up, and possibly also suffer…
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My Corner 
Thanks for the re-blog Abbie. I’m afraid we’ve moved on from Victorian times, and possibly due to the rampant porn industry it’s now normal for young people to experiment sexually, and to hell with the consequences. Perhaps somebody needs to find a way of turning off all those raging hormones…
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You’re right in that we need to turn off those raging hormones. Thanks for commenting.
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Alternately, we could mind our own business about medical decisions other than our own. You do not know any given person’s circumstances besides yours — be it financial, health, etc.
Look. I used to be profoundly anti-choice. I know it sounds flippant when I say this, but the truth is that I got out of high school and discovered that life is not black-and-white. Gestation is not a state of wellness. Every single pregnancy carries with it the risk of complications — up to and including death — that cannot be predicted unless and until they arise. I no longer possess the hubris to believe that I know what’s best for a total stranger whose situation I cannot possibly address.
Most women seeking abortions already have children, and many live below the poverty line. All known forms of contraception, up to and including surgical sterilization, have known failure rates. Given that the same people who tend to be anti-choice are also trying to shut down effective, comprehensive sex education and access to clinics that provide contraception on adjustable/sliding fee scale, it really is apparent that this is about policing sexuality and not about “saving babies.” If you’re unsure why I say that, just look at your own “if you don’t want a baby, don’t have sex” statement.
There are more than 100K children currently available for adoption in the US alone, and most of them will “age out” of the system without ever having a permanent home.
Your mother didn’t have a choice in 1961, unless she sought an illegal abortion. I’m super-disappointed by this post, Abbie. You’re entitled to your own opinion, of course. I’ll never gainsay you that. However, I think that the Alabamian legislature isn’t alone in not understanding the myriad of circumstances in which a woman may choose to terminate a pregnancy.
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Sharon, you make some good points, but here’s the thing. Unless they’re raped, women who end up with unplanned pregnancies they can’t afford bring it on themselves by having sex. All actions have consequences.
When my mother became pregnant with me in 1961, she and my father were living in New York, hoping to make it to Broadway. I’m sure my mother would have sought an illegal abortion if she’d wanted one, but she didn’t. She and my father put aside their dreams and gained more stable occupations. If more women took such responsibility after an unplanned pregnancy, there wouldn’t be so many children in the adoption system today. Thank you for your comment.
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Having an abortion *is* taking responsibility … and it’s no one’s business but the pregnant person. What you’re saying is that pregnancy is a punishment for women having sex. I’m sorry you feel that way. I wish you all the best.
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Unless you want to start a family, pregnancy is a punishment for having sex, just as a hangover is punishment for drinking too much. Sex, like drugs and alcohol, is an unnecessary part of life. I’m sorry you feel that taking an innocent child’s life is a responsible way to handle an unplanned pregnancy. I wish you all the best as well.
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The only one who has referred to infanticide here is you, Abbie.
I’m equally sorry that you feel that you are in a position to sit in judgment on total strangers. Truly disappointed.
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A woman who has an abortion is no different from a total stranger who murders someone for no good reason. If you had seen footage of how an abortion is performed, you would feel the same way.
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