Choice
I've had some interesting conversations the past couple months with various officials and candidates about women's reproductive rights. I've been doing this as part of my involvement with Planned Parenthood. I've noticed an interesting similarity of thought among several of them. Every person I know agrees that any abortion is a tragedy. It's a failure of society and families to provide the support and services so each and every woman can choose to have her baby. Unfortunately we don't live in utopia. Poverty and misery are rampant, especially under the Republican Administrations of the past 26 years. The working poor haven't had a raise since 1997 yet gas, heating, and health care costs have skyrocketed. Pressures on the poor have never been greater in our lifetimes.
The common thread I've listened to from several officials who define themselves as "pro-life" is that government has no business in the equation. That government shouldn't be telling women what their lives should be, what their health care decisions must be, or interfering in these decisions in any way. Some have mentioned the dread of going back to the days of back alley butchers, bungled illegal abortions, and women needlessly losing their lives because of the ban. Folks, this isn't a so-called "pro-life" position it's a pro-choice decision. Choice means allowing every woman to make her own choice. Each of these men agreed that it's the woman's choice, not the government's. That is what Choice is all about.
Of course we all are pro-life. Some of us are consistent in it wherein we also support these children after they are born. Some of us are also against the death penalty and against the wanton killing of women and children in Iraq.
The bottom line is that outlawing abortions will not magically make them disappear. Criminalizing women for whom our society doesn't even provide decent jobs, wages or health care isn't the answer. Condemning them to the days of clothes hangers will create many more problems than it solves. And, of course, wealthy Republican women will simply fly off to Canada or Europe for their "procedures."
Let's allow every woman the right not to have the government dictate her choices. Agonizing decisions are not made any easier with government intervention. I remember a time when the
GOP stood for less government and no government in our bedrooms. My how times have changed.
The common thread I've listened to from several officials who define themselves as "pro-life" is that government has no business in the equation. That government shouldn't be telling women what their lives should be, what their health care decisions must be, or interfering in these decisions in any way. Some have mentioned the dread of going back to the days of back alley butchers, bungled illegal abortions, and women needlessly losing their lives because of the ban. Folks, this isn't a so-called "pro-life" position it's a pro-choice decision. Choice means allowing every woman to make her own choice. Each of these men agreed that it's the woman's choice, not the government's. That is what Choice is all about.
Of course we all are pro-life. Some of us are consistent in it wherein we also support these children after they are born. Some of us are also against the death penalty and against the wanton killing of women and children in Iraq.
The bottom line is that outlawing abortions will not magically make them disappear. Criminalizing women for whom our society doesn't even provide decent jobs, wages or health care isn't the answer. Condemning them to the days of clothes hangers will create many more problems than it solves. And, of course, wealthy Republican women will simply fly off to Canada or Europe for their "procedures."
Let's allow every woman the right not to have the government dictate her choices. Agonizing decisions are not made any easier with government intervention. I remember a time when the
GOP stood for less government and no government in our bedrooms. My how times have changed.
posted by PA progressive @ Friday, June 02, 2006
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