In honor of the upcoming Women’s March on Washington, finding out there’s a club surrounding this at my high school, and my inability to unsubscribe myself from its newsfeed, I’m going to talk about “Pro Life.”
Please note that I have friends who are pro-life, I have family members who are pro-life, and I’m not coming at this from a standpoint in which I am unaware of the nuances of both sides.
But quite frankly, the differences in the names on abortion stances should be a clear give-away as to where the major problems lie.
Pro-choice is not the same thing as pro-abortion. It is not the same as “If I get pregnant, I’m going to abort.” It is not the same as “I’m going to sleep around with as many people as possible and if I get pregnant then I’ll just abort it without any consequences!” Narratives like that are counterproductive and hurtful.
The word choice implies that there are numerous decisions – and thanks to organizations like Planned Parenthood, there are. There are contraceptive options to choose from, information and resources provided, sexually transmitted illness tests, and abortion services. But rhetoric that pro-life dishes out, based on false information and scary lies, demonizes the good that Planned Parenthood brings to people that rely heavily on such services.
Without places like Planned Parenthood, or if Roe v. Wade is overturned, it doesn’t get rid of abortions. Theft and vandalism is illegal, but it obviously still happens. The same thing will occur with abortions – but instead of having safe, controlled spaces where abortion can occur, it’s going to be in back corners and it’s going to be dangerous. Instead of allowing for choices, pro-life is essentially condoning mutilation.
It’s also clear the pro-lifers don’t understand that poor people exist. There are people who can’t afford children. What are they supposed to do? By the way, guilt-tripping and saying that poor people shouldn’t have sex is a bullshit answer when there are contraceptives that you also deny impoverished people through actions like repealing the Affordable Care Act, or by not insuring contraceptives in medical plans.
And what are incest and rape victims supposed to do? Don’t answer with “a true rape” because that’s a scapegoat comment to shame rape victims and excuse the idea of abortion as viable options to people who are judging them with no reason to be judging them. If you have experienced the trauma of sexual assault, you know how horrifying it was to have someone take your free will away, to take away your choices or your voice. Don't do that to someone else suffering and grieving.
Just in general, the concept that other people dictate the life decision of getting an abortion is gross. Body autonomy is a basic human right, and taking away the option to that is a crime.
