Abortion is a heavy subject, for the last sixty years or so we’ve seen great strides in the right for women to choose like Roe v.Wade and Planned Parenthood. However, in recent years there has been a more popular movement that strings from the right: defunding Planned Parenthood so that taxpayers do not subsidize an organization that provides abortions. Now, while anyone who does a small amount of research will find that technically Planned Parenthood is not allowed to use tax payers' money to fund the abortions they provide, it is being argued that Christian taxpayers are nonetheless providing a space where abortion can be performed without any say in the matter, which is problematic due to their pro-life stance.

I am a female, I believe in liberty and freedom, and I believe women have the right to choose. It is not the job of the government to dictate what a woman can do with her body, whether she wants to prostitute or terminate her pregnancy. The government, in all aspects of life, should play a very limited role. Keep the government out of my uterus or bring the government into foster care. Whether or not we like to think about it, babies who aren’t aborted could very well end up in an abusive foster home or living a life of desperation, not to say that plenty don’t end up just fine though. Having a child is a big responsibility, and many cannot handle it. There is no shame in that, but who is Big Brother to tell us that we have no other choice but to try and do so?

With that being said, I do not believe that Planned Parenthood should be subsidized by taxpayers. To start with, it’s important for people to understand that the tax-payer money that goes to Planned Parenthood is not specifically designated for them. Rather, Planned Parenthood, which is still nonetheless provided money by the government, gets reimbursements from Medicaid and Title X, which then pays for its services. However, Medicaid is funded by the taxpayers, just as every single other government program is. I don’t think most Conservatives have an issue with their money being used to have HIV tests done or STD checks performed, however there is an issue when their money is being used for something that goes against their religious beliefs. For some Christians, birth control is basically a means of abortion, as it stops the conception of life. It is not fair for people to forcefully have to pay for something that directly contradicts their religious beliefs, I mean isn’t that what we have a first amendment for? While Planned Parenthood is legally not allowed to use tax payers money to provide abortions, without Medicaid reimbursing them for all their other service they’d likely never have enough money to stay open. According to Planned Parenthood’s 2013-2014 Annual Report, they receive upwards of five-hundred million dollars, a collection of federal, state, and local government money. Conservatives, like myself, have a hard time understanding why we have to bear the responsibility of paying for an organization that provides services that completely contradict what Christians believe in. There should be religious exemptions at this point, if you’re a Christian who is pro-life then you should be afforded the right to choose whether or not your hard earned money is paying for something that you would never pay for.

I support Christians in their fight to defund Planned Parenthood, and I support Mike Pence. I also support the women who choose to have an abortion, I support the doctors that perform this procedure, and I emotionally support organizations that help to provide such care. However, economically speaking, I do not support these organizations nor doctors. It’s morals vs. politics. I lean right, while I personally don’t like abortions, I have no right to tell someone what they can or can’t do with their body, which is why I am pro-choice. I side with the Constitution, our first amendment, and our religious freedom. Abortion goes against the teachings of the Church, and if followers of said Church don’t want to be part of something that directly contradicts their morals and beliefs then I stand beside them, using the first amendment as their validation.