Choice Matters

(Feminazi: Because wanting to be treated like a human being is just like invading Poland!)

I attended the rally in support of Planned Parenthood on Saturday. It was exciting and empowering! I believe that all women need to have the power to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives, and having choices is a vital part of that power.

This comment on Jezebel's article about it perfectly captures everything I think about this issue and people who disagree or are anti-choice:

I'd be more than happy to help prevent abortions; it's the main reason I support Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood helps prevent abortions.

There are so many birth control methods available: the pill, DMPA, condoms, etc. All of these are ways to save the lives and quality of life for woman and girls around the world. By helping woman control family size, they also save the lives and quality of life of children around the world. Parents are better able to devote more time and resources to the children they have and raise the next generation in healthier and happier environments.

We need better sex-health education in the States. Yes, abstinence is one way to prevents pregnancies and STDs (To those who say it's the only method that's 100% effective, I think there's one notable exception.), but we need to discuss and explain the options available and then MAKE SURE THOSE OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.

If we're going to be serious about preventing abortions, then we need to be serious about birth control. If you don't like the idea of an IUD because it prevents a fertilized egg from finding purchase, then you can use a condom and there's no fertilization. Why not prevent the egg from even being released, as with many hormonal methods?

Heck, if you're really serious about preventing abortions, why not look at the reasons a pregnancy isn't wanted?

How about the health issues? Provide care for the mother when she needs it. You want a healthy baby? Prenatal care is vital and Planned Parenthood provides it.

Once the baby is born, how is the mother supposed to care for it? Programs like WIC handle some of that. If we're going to be serious about being pro-life, then let's take care of that life!

Is it a financial problem? Can the woman not afford to have the child? How much work will she miss while pregnant? Does her employer offer maternity leave or is she facing job-loss for that baby? If she loses her job, HOW IS SHE SUPPOSED TO CARE FOR THE CHILD?

No one joyfully has an abortion. It's a horrible, invasive, painful, traumatic, messy, embarrassing, heart-wrenching, and unnecessary thing. It's not a casual decision.

Unless everyone has access to safe and affordable birth control, unless everyone has access to prenatal care, unless everyone has pro-natal job protection, unless everyone has the financial stability to have and care for a child, unless everyone can guarantee health care for all children, unless all rapists wear condoms, unless there's no such thing as a "complication", unless the mother's life is never at risk, unless insurance will cover 100% of a birth, unless we can find homes for every child in the adoption system, unless there's a real effort to educate people, unless ALL OF THAT is true...

...Then we just aren't serious about preventing abortions. (Edit comment)