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I saw this picture on Pinterest and I was immediately taken back to our discussion in class on abortions and reproductive justice. I personally do not know what I fully believe in, if I am pro-choice or pro-life, but this quote struck a cord in me. Does being pro-choice really mean an individual is simultaneously anti-life? In my opinion, it doesn't. Being pro-choice in my mind, means that each individual has the right to decide what they do with their bodies. We cannot tell another person how they should eat or what medications to stay away from, so why should it be legal to tell a person not to terminate their own pregnancy?
While reading the article titled "My Abortion" by Meaghan Winter, we get to read about a young woman named Nicole. In this article Nicole states, "I don't think abortion is killing, but I'd always been against it". Abortion is such a personal and confusing process on its own, that societies labels on what aborting and keeping a baby means, does not make the decision any easier. The circumstances of the mother also play a huge factor into how we judge the choice of aborting the baby. It has become more socially acceptable for those who have been raped to abort a pregnancy because of the trauma associated with that circumstance. I believe that it is each woman's choice what she decides to do with her pregnancy and no government can make a general law that applies to every woman and is right for every woman.
This post brings up the dichotomy that is created by the language that is used when discussing abortion. Personally, I've always thought that being "pro-life" was difficult considering that many of the same people that are pro-life are not universally pro-life. For example, the Republican Party (and some Democrats) often takes the position of pro-life, but they are also pro-death penalty, pro-guns, and a endorse a plethora of other policies that could have deathly implications. It also creates this false belief that anyone who is not pro-life is suddenly anti-life or even pro-death or a "babykiller". The language is disgusting, and honestly it creates a means through which critical thought is ignored because it encourages an us-vs-them mentality.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, everyone who is pro-choice doesn't necessarily support abortion nor do they endorse it as a form of birth control. Being pro-choice doesn't negate any of the ethical implications of abortion, it merely argues for the independence and freedom of women to make the choice for themselves. There are a variety of other factors that contribute to the various stances on abortion, but the language that is used can make people ignore the arguments without truly understanding them.