The other day as I was pulling out of a parking lot, a parked car with the bumper sticker, "Aren't you glad your mother was pro-life?" got my attention. It was an obvious albeit pathetic attempt to open the eyes of those who believe in anything but the so-called pro-life movement. Had the driver appeared before I pulled away, I am not sure I would have said anything, since it probably would have escalated into an argument where no one would win. The topic is a passionate one and not just for those who stand outside clinics with posters condemning women who are forced to make a difficult choice. It's as though the "pro-lifers" think that women terminating a pregnancy are irresponsible and cold, as if the decision wasn't a difficult one to make. And, yet, I think it is these women who understand the serious ramifications of bringing a child into the world more so than those who are simply determined to make sure that pregnancy yields an infant; after that, let the chips fall where they may.
When I read that bumper sticker my first reaction was, how myopic and presumptuous! Any number of people reading that message could have been born during a time when terminating a pregnancy was illegal, so there was no choice in the matter. Or, maybe the mother was pro-choice, but at a place in her life when she wanted to have a baby. The thing is, many years ago, due to where I was at in my religious beliefs, I was "pro-life." I was taught to believe that life is sacred since it was created by a higher power who instructed that we be fruitful and multiply. Nevertheless, over time, I began to question such teachings and wonder why if life is so sacred, how come it can occur so precariously? Besides, we were fruitful ad nauseam and look where it's gotten us.
According to a recent New York Times article, women seeking an abortion are now being given more information about adoption, which is fine; if there are women willing to carry a fetus to term so that another person can have a baby, that is all well and good; however, it should not be compulsory. In other words, a woman who finds herself pregnant should not be forced to give birth for someone who is unable to conceive.
That aside, there is an arrogance in that aforementioned bumper sticker, one with the implication that anyone reading it was brought into this world because they were wanted. Yet, I wonder what would be the reaction of the abused or neglected child? Should they be grateful that someone irresponsible and incapable of loving a child brought them into this world? Isn't there something to be said for the quality of life? Shouldn't that very precious life be treated as such long after it's made its way through the birth canal?
These are issues we must all sort out for ourselves, but for what it's worth, such complicated matters cannot be watered down in a bumper sticker with a less-than-pithy platitude.
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"Pro-life" and "Pro-choice" are empty slogans hindering, rather than helping reduce abortions. If one really had the deeply held principle that "women should be able to make medical decisions about their own bodies," they would be calling for all physician-assisted suicide laws to be repealed, just as they are for abortion. Or for that matter, the repeal of all laws forbidding a woman to put crack into HER body. The pro-crack rights people should make their own sticker. Instead of ""Get your rosaries off my ovaries!", they could shout "Get your religious hype off my crack pipe!"
In both cases, allowing unrestricted physician-assisted suicide and crack is a BETTER argument as they ONLY involve the woman. In abortion, there is clearly a second entity involved, even if that entity is just a "clump of cells" or "fetal tissue."
It is intellectually fraudulent to claim one is pro-choice, but not extend that alleged principle to other private matters of autonomy and self-determination.
Good article, but you need to take the other side to task as well.
Oh, but it sounds so clever to the uncritical, chest-beating, intellectually derelict jingoists, dun'nit?
I completely support a womans right to end pregnancy for what ever reason she has.
The choice movement made a rather large "marketing" error when they allowed the anti abortionists to claim the therm "pro life". Any one with half a brain is pro life!!
Any one with an IQ above room temperature supports a womans right to control all aspects of her body.
Clearly "all aspect of her body" would mean that you would, just by changing one word of your sentence, "completely support a woman's right to end (her life) for what ever reason she has."
I'm also assuming that you are for the repeal of laws that deny a woman the right to choose whether or not to put crack in her body.
Given your two strong statements above, there is every reason to believe this is your position. But kindly tell me if I am right or wrong just to make sure. Thanks.
"How could anyone who believes it is perfectly ok (to deny young women the right to choose to put crack in their bodies) be in any way Pro-Choice? Believe what you want, but honor what others believe"
Has anyone ever done a survey? Asked a representative sample of adults that were abused or neglected as children if they'd rather not have been born at all?