The lovely and talented Liz over at Everyday Goddess has brought to my attention that today is "Blog for Choice Day". At first I had no intention of airing my thoughts on the subject, as I consider it a private matter, but eventually changed my mind. I'm not quite sure why. No matter which side you take in the abortion debate, you are bound to make enemies... and, believe it or not, I don't blog to make enemies.
But before I get into it, there is one thing I need to make clear:
Personally, I do not believe in abortion. I try to live my life according to Buddhist teachings, and my interpretation of Buddhist precepts is such that abortion is wrong. All arguments as to whether or not life begins at conception are totally irrelevant to me, because conception creates a life. So, unless the pregnancy will endanger the life of the mother, thus putting two lives at risk... there is no gray area for me. I do not condone abortion, and don't feel it should be used as a method of birth control, which our society seems far too comfortable with.
However...
I am a guy and will never have to be faced with whether or not I should get an abortion, so I am pro-choice.
I don't have to worry about becoming pregnant because somebody raped me, so I am pro-choice.
I realize that this is America, where everybody is free to believe as they wish, and my moral and ethical beliefs are not the moral and ethical beliefs of everybody else, so I am pro-choice.
I am not so arrogant as to force my interpretation of life on other free-willed individuals, so I am pro-choice.
I do not subscribe to the legal definition of murder as applying to abortion, so I am pro-choice.
I believe that once you start regulating any one choice, that it will only lead to other choices being regulated, so I am pro-choice.
I feel that anything so highly personal as an abortion has no business being decided by government, so I am pro-choice.
Shit happens, so I am pro-choice.
So there. I said it. I am pro-choice.
Not because I think abortion is a good thing... but because it's not my place to force others to believe as I do in a country where people are supposed to be able to decide for themselves what to believe in.
And that is why you won't find me telling a woman who is on her sixth abortion to "find a better method of birth control you ignorant slut"... because it's just not my place to judge.
In the end, it's not always easy to set aside one's personal beliefs when it comes to something like abortion. But if you are making decisions as to what other people are allowed to believe for themselves, you kind of have to. Lawmakers would do well to remember that.
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Dave, what you just wrote should be required reading for any pro-life activist. They are good points well made.
Though I am male, I think Bill Clinton summed up my opinion best – that abortions should be ‘Safe, Legal, and Rare’.
Well said.
That was perfect. I dont think that it could be said better.
That (with the exception of the Buddhism) is pretty much exactly the same as my view point. Well put.
I like your way of expressing your point of view. I am pro-choice, personally, but I’m always curious as to why those with beliefs that differ from mine feel the way they do, and after a lifetime of asking others why they are in favour of or against abortions, I can tell you none have considered all sides of the arguement or all points of view as effectively as you have. I am glad you chose to speak up on the topic of abortion, because you are so considerate of its perspectives.
I have always been grateful I have never been faced with having to end a pregnancy. The women I know who have made that choice, didn’t make it lightly and it will always hurt their hearts. However, when asked, they admit that for that time in their lives, they made the right choice.
Thank you for stating pro choice so well.